Dr. Brennen grew up in Niagara Falls, NY with six siblings. His father was a physician, which sparked Dr. Brennen’s interest in medicine. This combined with his affinity for animals, led him to choose his career when he was very young.

After graduating from Cornell with a B.S. in 1985, he earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the same institution in 1990 and moved to Seattle where he was an associate at a progressive small animal hospital for 4 years. When Dr. Brennen decided he would like to raise his family in New York, he began looking for a quality practice in New York State to purchase. In 1994, he became the owner of Lake Road Animal Hospital, a hospital that has provided exemplary care since its establishment over 60 years ago.

Dr. Abigail Mulligan grew up in Central Massachusetts with several cats, her beloved husky mix Tyler, and several 4H horses. After moving to Chicago and New York City, she moved to the Finger Lakes region to attend Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. While studying at Cornell, she developed a deep interest in feline medicine and served as President of the Feline Club and was awarded the Outstanding Student Award presented by the American Association of Feline Practitioners.

Following graduation in 2014, Dr. Mulligan moved to Rhode Island to complete a rigorous internship in small animal medicine and surgery at a very busy emergency and specialty hospital. She then worked for several years at a 24-hour emergency clinic in Syracuse before life brought her back to the Finger Lakes and she joined Lake Road Animal Hospital in 2017.

Dr. Mulligan has special interests in feline medicine, geriatric medicine and dentistry. She enjoys the sense of community here at Lake Road and loves being part of such a close-knit team to help provide excellent care for all of our patients. She firmly believes that a sense of humor is essential for a good workplace and exam room, but that a sense of calm and quiet can go a long way towards making your cat feel less stressed here at the hospital! Her favorite day of the month is Feline Friday but cherishes her canine patients just as much (almost).

When not caring for patients at Lake Road, Dr. Mulligan and her husband John share their lives with three cats (Tanner, Tiger Lily, and Godiva) and one dog (Lola). They split their time between working on their 1850’s farmhouse, skiing, hiking, camping, and traveling back to Massachusetts to visit with their large extended family.

Dr. Hughes was born in Michigan City, Indiana, but grew up in western Pennsylvania, just outside of Pittsburgh. Dr. Hughes’s golden retriever “Rusty” was her constant childhood companion, and at the age of 8 she decided she wanted to be a veterinarian. The rest of her youth was shaped by that goal. Dr. Hughes was also fortunate enough to have her own horse throughout junior and senior high school. She dedicated many happy hours to his care.

Dr. Hughes earned her B.S. in Animal Science from Cornell University in 1976 and went on to veterinary school at the University of Pennsylvania. She graduated in 1981 and has worked continuously in private practice since then.

Dr. Hughes’s primary passion is her pets. She loves the outdoors, especially hiking. She also enjoys snowshoeing and cross country skiing.

Erin was born and raised in Corning, NY. A graduate of Corning East High, she attended SUNY Delhi and graduated with her AAS in Veterinary Technology in 2000. Following graduation, she worked at a pharmaceutical company, then made her way back to working with animals when she started at an emergency clinic in California. After moving back to the area in 2004, Erin worked at local clinics before becoming a member of our team.

Erin joined us at Lake Road Animal Hospital in 2008 and has since become our supervising veterinary nurse. She has a strong interest in dental therapy for animals and hopes to continue to further her education in this area. Erin also contributes to our website, marketing, and technology departments. Erin is also active (SOS) which assists with low-cost spay/neuter programs.

When not working at our hospital, Erin enjoys spending time with her family including her husband, John, and their children, Zane, Hannah, and Lilia. They love canoeing on the river and other outdoor activities. She and her husband also foster through Rainbow of Hope Animal Rescue as an intern family home before the dogs find their fur-ever homes. Erin enjoys reading and relaxing with friends, family, and pets.

What Erin enjoys most about being a part of the LRAH&K Team: Being able to help ease the discomfort of not only the animals but also our clients. She enjoys working in an environment that really focuses on patient well-being.

Mary was born and raised in Elmira, NY. She attended SUNY Delhi, earning her AAS in Veterinary Technology. She worked in the local veterinary community for several years before joining our team in 2013. Along with her veterinary nursing and technical talents, Mary is especially interested in laser therapy to help with inflammation and pain control.

Mary spends a lot of time with her pets. She is an avid outdoors woman and enjoys spending time with her father and friends, as well as playing softball. Mary also contributes to our Snapchat page.

Mary’s favorite thing about being a part of the LRAH&K Team: Watching the kittens and puppies grow up, knowing that she and the rest of our team are a vital part in their veterinary care.

Rebecca was born and raised in the Corning/Pine City area on her family’s farm. She grew up with goats, sheep, and a variety of other farm animals, such as pigs and chickens. She always enjoyed working with the animals, keeping them healthy and enjoying their companionship and decided to pursue a career in veterinary science as a result.

When she is not working, Rebecca spends much of her time with her family. As the oldest of 10 and a twin, she has many responsibilities and enjoys making memories with the people and animals in her life. Along with her many farm animals, Rebecca also lives with her two dogs, Zoe, a border terrier, and Shelly, a Shetland Sheepdog. Her other interests include writing, painting, sewing, crocheting, singing with her brothers and sisters, baking, playing the piano, running, and reading historic fiction.

Rebecca was homeschooled at St. Thomas More Homeschool Academy along with her 9 siblings and attended SUNY Canton where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in veterinary science technology. She has been a licensed veterinary nurse since 2016 and greatly enjoys educating clients, easing their worries, and caring for each patient with diligence and a warm heart.

What Rebecca enjoys most about being a part of the LRAH&K Team:
“Touching so many lives while helping to heal both physical and emotional pain and participating in and improving the journeys of all our patients. My coworkers are like family. We support each other and make coming to Lake Road to serve our clients and improve the lives of our patients a pleasure.”

Sonja grew up in Bolton Landing on Lake George, New York and graduated from Bolton Central School. Her childhood hobbies include swimming, water sports, softball, traveling, skijoring with my Siberian Husky, downhill skiing.

After graduating high school, Sonja then went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Veterinary Medical Technology from Wilson College in Chambersburg, PA in 2015. She spent two years working as a licensed veterinary technician at a small animal hospital in Alexandria, Virginia before moving back to New York and joining Lake Road Animal Hospital in 2017.

Sonja and her husband, Michael, enjoy spending time with his family in the Finger Lakes Region and visiting Sonja’s family in the Adirondacks. They have two dogs; a springer spaniel, Dixie, and a coonhound, Abby. Sonja’s hobbies include skijoring with her dogs, scrap booking, sewing, and traveling. The Caribbean, Germany, and our National Parks are some of her favorite destinations. Sonja is also an avid outdoors women and an adventurous spirit who loves mountain biking, hiking, kayaking, and even white water rafting.

What Sonja enjoys most about being a part of the LRAH&K Team:
“My goal is to educate pet parents on how to be their pet’s best advocate. I enjoy being able to offer our patients high quality care and educating owners about how to keep their beloved fur-babies healthy.”

Carrie was born and raised in Owego, NY (the coolest small town in America). She received her bachelors in Environmental Studies from Binghamton University and a biology certification in Secondary Education at Elmira College. Carrie has many years of experience working in the veterinary industry.

Carrie joined us at Lake Road Animal Hospital in 2008 as our practice manager. She holds a Fear Free Certification and is active in the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association. Carrie is also a member of the Well Managed Practice Group. She continues her veterinary knowledge by attending continuing education classes in veterinary practice management.

When not working, Carrie spends a lot of time with her family. She is her daughter’s number one fan. Carrie enjoys brewing craft beer with her boyfriend. She feels the gardening is the best part of brewing, where they grow their own hops. She has an extended furry family of her own pets. Carrie also loves going boating and kayaking with her family, and friends.

What Carrie enjoys most about being a part of LRAH&K are our strong team, our inspiring culture, and our dedication to client education. She enjoys strengthening the bond between people and their pets.

Mandy was born and raised in Elmira Heights, NY where she graduated from Thomas Edison High School and went on to Corning Community College. She has experience working at the Chemung County SPCA, Humane Society, and Barnes and Noble.

Mandy joined our team in 2012 as a veterinary assistant and has since become a kennel manager, puppy camp manager, and she assists the doctors in exam rooms. She is also a Fear Free Certified Professional. Although Mandy enjoys the medical side of the animal field, her interest lies more in canine behavior and puppy socialization.

When not at work, Mandy enjoys spending time with her friends and family. She has done work with agility trials with her own dogs in the past and is hoping that she will be able to start agility again when she has another addition to the family.

What Mandy enjoys most about being a part of LRAH&K: Our kind and knowledgeable veterinary team. They are all passionate about what they do and are a constant inspiration and motivation for Mandy.

Sharon was born and raised in Hornby, NY.  She attended West High School and took classes at Corning Community College before being hired in the animal field in 1990.  A part of the Lake Road Team since 2002, Sharon also spent time working at the Chemung County SPCA.

When not at work, Sharon enjoys spending time with her son, friends, and family, especially outdoors. She also enjoys time indoors reading and relaxing.

When asked what her favorite part of Lake Road Animal Hospital and Kennels is, Sharon responds that it’s the clients, staff, and animals that make her job so enjoyable.  Make sure you stop in and say hi to Sharon, whether she’s over at the kennel, or at the hospital helping out our technicians!