Ridgefield Veterinary Center Veterinary Team

Meet the Ridgefield Veterinary Center Veterinarians and Staff! We are delighted to provide excellent veterinary treatment for your pets!

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Our Doctors

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Dr. Mary Beran

DVM

Dr. Beran received a B.A. in 1989 from Williams College, where she worked in a veterinary kennel on weekends. She earned her veterinary degree from Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1993. While at Tufts, she did an externship at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, Illinois. In practice as a veterinarian for more than twenty-five years, Dr. Beran worked with Dr. Jordan Dann for six years at Ridgefield Veterinary Hospital. When Dr. Dann retired, she was happy to take over the practice, now called Ridgefield Veterinary Center. Her hobbies include running, sailing, and spending time with her family. She has three great Labrador Retrievers named Taxi, Audrey, and Sally.

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Dr. Emily Mathews

DVM

Dr. Mathews graduated from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 2004, and while there developed a passion for pain management (especially in senior dogs and cats), behavior, and internal medicine. A firm believer in the “fear-free” movement in veterinary medicine, Dr. Mathews works very hard to make sure visits to the vet are as comfortable and stress-free as possible for her patients. Dr. Mathews and her husband, Chris, live in Ridgefield with their three kids. They share their home with four fur babies—two rescue dogs (one adopted from ROAR) and two rescue cats.

In her spare time, Dr. Mathews is an avid runner, loves to cook, and is still very actively involved with Angels Among Us Pet Rescue in Atlanta.

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Dr. Catherine Cruz

DVM

Dr. Catherine Cruz received her Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada, and later received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree at the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph, Ontario, in 2010. At UWO, she worked in research examining animal behavior in rodents and non-human primates. She continued her love for discovery at OVC, where she was involved in hoof biomechanics research in racehorses at Woodbine Racetrack. Research and discovery were always interesting to Dr. Cruz, but she found that working with people and helping pets was a more rewarding path. Dr. Cruz later moved back to London to become Medical Director at a corporate-owned clinical practice, but eventually moved back to her hometown of Stratford, Ontario, where she practiced at a private clinic for many years.

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Dr. Cruz and her family now live in Ridgefield, which mimics her small Canadian hometown. She is excited to be a part of the Ridgefield Veterinary Center team and prides herself in practicing practical yet effective medicine with a high standard of care.

Dr. Cruz’s veterinary interests include dentistry and ultrasound. She also has a passion for preventative medicine and, overall, just loves to interact with pets and chat with their people! Dr. Cruz has a 3-legged cat named Peggy, a Labradoodle named Kona, and a horse named Dreik. Her hobbies include horseback riding, baking/decorating cakes, and reading, and she has recently started training in kempo karate.

Our Specialist

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Dr. Eric H Linnetz

DVM, DIPLOMATE ACVIM

Dr. Linnetz graduated from Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 1997. After completing an internship and four years of private practice in the greater Boston area, Dr. Linnetz completed a three-year residency in small animal internal medicine at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, leading to board certification in Small Animal Internal Medicine. In 2007, he started his mobile ultrasound practice, Western Connecticut Veterinary Specialty Services, and also purchased Chippens Hill Veterinary Hospital- a primary care small animal hospital in Bristol, Connecticut, founded by his father in 1976.

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Dr. Philip Pacchiana

DVM, MS, DACVS

Originally from Connecticut, Dr. Pacchiana attended veterinary school at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in St. Paul, Minnesota. Upon graduation, he completed a one-year general internship in medicine and surgery at the Oradell Animal Hospital in Oradell, New Jersey, and a one-year surgical internship at the Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center in Dallas, Texas. He returned to the University of Minnesota for a three-year residency in small animal surgery, during which time he also completed a Master of Science degree in veterinary surgery, anesthesia, and radiology.

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Dr. Pacchiana passed the certifying examination of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2003 and has maintained board certification since that time. Upon completing his residency, he practiced at several twenty-four-hour specialty referral hospitals in and around New York City. He was Chief of Surgery for eight years at Manhattan Veterinary Group and Fifth Avenue Veterinary Specialists and held several other leadership positions, among them that of Medical Director. In addition, he enjoys public speaking and has spoken on many occasions at national and local meetings. He also enjoys research and has nearly twenty publications to his credit. Dr. Pacchiana has performed thousands of orthopedic, soft tissue, and neurosurgical procedures and has experience in treating almost all surgical conditions in dogs and cats.

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Dr. Victor Rendano

VMD, DACVR

Dr. Rendano received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1972 from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, where he graduated summa cum laude. His postgraduate studies included an internship and residency in diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy at the University of Guelph, Ontario Veterinary College, and Washington State University School of Veterinary Medicine. He received a postgraduate degree from the University of Guelph and a Master of Science degree from Washington State University. After completing a rigorous training program, he was inducted as a Diplomate into the American College of Veterinary Radiology and received his board certification in 1975.

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Dr. Rendano was a faculty member in the Department of Clinical Sciences at Cornell University School of Veterinary Medicine for twenty years. In 1996 he returned to academia, where he continued his studies in the field of radiation oncology. In 2001, he was awarded Diplomate status and board certification in radiation oncology. Dr. Rendano has published over one hundred papers and has lectured throughout the world. He has been honored by the New York State Veterinary Medical Society and the University of Pennsylvania Alumni Society. His professional philosophy is to include the pet owner as a member of the diagnostic and therapeutic team. He believes that this synergy and bond enhances the healing process. Dr. Rendano is currently president of Veterinary Multi-Imaging (VMI) and co-founder of Thyro-Cat. Six Thyro-Cat locations in New York and Connecticut offer Radioiodine therapy for cats with hyperthyroidism. Dr. Rendano and Dr. Kent Wallace from VMI provide imaging services, including Radiograph Interpretation, Ultrasonography, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).

Our Staff

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Karen Kelly

OFFICE MANAGER

Karen has been in the veterinary field for over thirty years. She has been the office manager for Ridgefield Veterinary Center since 1989. She and her partner, Craig, own Shadowland, a small hobby breeding kennel of Labrador Retrievers in Sherman, Connecticut. They raise two to three litters a year of AKC, OFA, and CERF-registered Labrador Retrievers. After her love of Labradors, her interests include boating, fishing, kayaking, just about anything related to the water, gardening, and photography. She is a huge New York Yankees fan. Karen is Fear Free certified.

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Claire Fischer

VETERINARY TECHNICIAN

Claire has been with Ridgefield Veterinary Center for over twenty years. Her Labrador Retrievers accompany her to the office almost every day. Occasionally they all take time off to raise a litter of puppies. During the workday, Claire assists our doctors in surgery, treatments, and appointments. During her time away from work, she enjoys yoga, traveling, photography, and gardening. She is also Fear Free Certified.

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Tamara Wachnuik

VETERINARY TECHNICIAN, CVT

Tamara has been working at Ridgefield Veterinary Center for nine years. She graduated from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, in 1996 with a BSc in Animal Biology, and in 1998 received her diploma as a Certified Veterinary Technician. Tamara has worked part-time while raising her family and is transitioning back into full hours. She has been married for twenty-two years to her husband, Dave, and together they have raised three beautiful daughters. Their four-legged children include a dog, Dixie, who is an Australian Shepherd mix, and four cats. She is also Fear Free Certified.

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Liza Loesch

RECEPTIONIST

Liza has lived and worked in the area for thirty-five years. Her previous positions include personal assistant for Mrs. Schein of Henry Schein, Inc., and office manager for an interior decorating company in Thornwood, New York. She has volunteered with Animal Nation, a nonprofit rescue group, for fifteen years. She has been with Ridgefield Veterinary Center since 2012 and loves working with the animals and good people at RVC. Liza is proud to have two of the most wonderful Black Lab girls as her roommates—she loves them so much!

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Debra Sargeant

HEAD OF RECEPTION

Debra joined Ridgefield Veterinary Center in 2019 after spending a year as a client care representative at an emergency and specialty hospital. Debra was born and raised in Minnesota and moved to Connecticut more than 30 years ago. She enjoys baking, gardening, and spending time with her daughter and two sons. Debra has always been an animal lover and is a mom to three dogs and three cats.

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Cheryl Davie

KENNEL ATTENDANT

Cheryl has been with Ridgefield Veterinary Center for fifteen years. She works on weekends and holidays, providing all the comforts of home for our boarding patients. Cheryl considers her work a “weekend retreat,” with lots of brushing, petting, extra bedding, and, most of all, cookies for all good deeds done.

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Sara Williams

VETERINARY TECHNICIAN

Sara has been with Ridgefield Veterinary Center since 1999. Beginning as a receptionist, she worked her way up to technician. She now works part-time on Saturdays wherever she is needed. Sara has a dog named Temperance, as well as four sugar gliders and numerous reptiles. Sara loves working with and caring for all the animals that come to the hospital.

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Joe Bianco

KENNEL MANAGER

Joe, who retired as an executive in an electrical engineering firm, is RVC’s kennel manager. His love and respect for animals brought him to us. Joe says working at Ridgefield Vet is the best job he has ever had. Joe previously owned and operated a horse farm in which he showed and competed on a national level. Joe works and spends time with your pets to ensure that their stay at Ridgefield Veterinary Center is pleasant and meets both their physical and psychological needs. Joe currently has a great Boxer named Sheila.

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Sarah Meyer

VETERINARY TECHNICIAN

Sarah is a recent graduate from Western Connecticut University. She has been working with animals for two years now and also volunteers at local animal shelters. She works part-time at a grooming facility twice a week. We are happy to have her here with us as a veterinary assistant.

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Hailey Young

VETERINARY TECHNICIAN

Hailey has been an animal lover since she was a young child and has had several different types of pets over the years including ducks and chinchillas. She currently has two dogs- a Siberian Husky named Juneau and a mixed breed rescued from Hurricane Harvery named Buddy. Cows are her favorite kind of animal but dogs are a close second. She enjoys going on hikes, painting pottery, and planting flowers when she is not working at Ridgefield Veterinary Center.