Dr. Melissa Hoffman
Chief of Staff
Dr. Hoffman grew up in Cherry Hill, NJ and obtained her B.A. degree in biological sciences from Rutgers University. She is a 1998 graduate of Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Hoffman has been practicing veterinary medicine in the Philadelphia area for the past 18 years. She has developed a special interest in feline medicine, which has been inspired and fostered through her work with local cat rescue organizations. In 2012, she helped create a low-cost spay-neuter clinic and acted as their head veterinarian for four years before taking on the role of Chief of Staff at Banfield. Dr. Hoffman enjoys soft-tissue surgery, nutrition and behavior. She lives in Glenside with her two teenage sons, her partner and his daughter, two dogs, Paisley and Gertie, and are under the strict dictatorship of Anubis the cat.
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Dr. Sarah Gowda
Veterinarian
Dr. Gowda (not Gooda) graduated from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2011. She completed a year long shelter medicine internship at North Shore Animal League in New York and continued on as an associate doctor. After leaving shelter medicine, Dr. Gowda transitioned to making veterinary house calls in New York City. Her interest in surgery prompted a change to small animal practice, which allows her more opportunities in that regard. This city girl currently lives in the woods with her husband, daughter and their pit bull, Bo.
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Maureen Rocks
Practice Manager
Maureen has been with Banfield since August 2013. She graduated from Manor College in 2015 with an associate's degree in veterinary technology. She is the youngest of 4 sisters, and has 8 nieces and nephews! When she is not at work, she likes to go on walks with her dog, Ace. He is a pit bull/shepherd mix and his nickname is Eeyore.
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Marisa Given
Veterinary Technician
Marisa has been part of the Banfield Willow Grove team for 2 years and absolutely loves it! She graduated from Manor College in May 2015 with an associate's degree in veterinary technology. Her favorite part of her job is connecting with clients and their pets! When not at work, Marisa spends time with her 8-year-old son, London, who is the love of her life. She has two wonderful pit bulls, Gertie and Boo, and Marisa loves spending time snuggling on the sofa, watching movies with her family.
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Susanne Kaithakattu
Veterinary Assistant
Susanne has been working with the wonderful doctors and associates at Banfield for 4 years. Her favorite part of her job is seeing how much clients love their pets. Susanne has a sweet pit bull mix named Applesauce, and a chatty African Grey Parrot named Hudson. She hopes to continue to help animals and work with the dedicated team at Willow Grove.
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Arlene MacKenzie
Veterinary Assistant
Arlene loves being part of the Banfield Willow Grove team as every day is an adventure. She gets to help clients take the best care of their pets, and also grow as a professional. She has 3 pets - her dog, Abygail, and 2 cats, Kira and Jamison. When not working, you can often find Arlene studying, as she is currently in school to become a Veterinary Technician. She also loves baking dog treats for the neighborhood dogs, taking walks at local parks and watching movies.
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Hope Lichtenstein
Veterinary Assistant
Hope has been with Banfield since December 2015, having previously worked at the PetSmart Pets Hotel. She is currently in the Veterinary Technology program at Manor College and is due to graduate at the end of 2017. Hope has two rescued beagles at home, a 3-legged named Pogo and an ex-heartworm snuggle bug named Gordon.
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Kaitlyn Garrison
Veterinary Assistant
Katie started working at Banfield in May 2016. She is currently in school at Manor College studying to become a Certified Veterinary Technician expected to graduate in the fall of 2017. Outside of work, Katie enjoys spending time with her family and two Labrador retrievers, Coco and Casey. She also likes to do anything that involves warm weather and the outdoors.
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Jenna Charry
Veterinary Assistant
Jenna graduated from Shippensburg University with a B.S. degree in biology and a concentration in environmental biology. She worked at the Banfield Columbia, MD location for a year before transferring to the Willow Grove location. Prior to Banfield, Jenna worked at the Philadelphia Zoo for 10 years as an educator and primate behaviorist. Jenna loves getting to know clients and their pets, and helping create the best treatment plan for each individual pet. It is really important to her that clients know she is working with her team for the health and happiness of their pets. In the next year, Jenna is hoping to apply to vet school and study pathology. At home, she has 5 cats and 2 rats.
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Christine Alarcon
Client Service Coordinator
Christy loves nature and her 2 cats and dog. She enjoys grooming and taking her dog for long strolls, and reading about breeds and medical conditions. Christy has had pets her entire life and can't imagine life without them. She loves working for Banfield and treating all pets like family. She will always go above and beyond for all the pets that come in to the hospital.
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Michelle Smith
Client Service Coordinator
Michelle has been with Banfield for less than a year, and loves it. Her specialty is in customer service, having previously worked in long-term care and non-profit management. This, however, is her first experience working with so many cute and adorable animals. Michelle has a black and white cat named Rudy, who is quite photogenic, and is adored by her husband and son. She also has a daughter in college who often texts to see if Rudy misses her.
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