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.

Dr. Liz Wilcox grew up on Long Island, working with animals, reading, and gardening. She grew up with Budgies and greatly enjoyed teaching them tricks. She got her first dog at the age of 16, a husky mix who had been dropped off at the animal hospital where she worked.

Dr. Wilcox obtained a biology degree Summa Cum Laude at Lebanon Valley College in 2001, a DVM degree in 2005, and has broad experience in private and corporate practices, academia, and in shelter medicine.

She currently has one little mixed-breed dog: Dutch, 3 cats: Amic, Ringtail, and Gimli, a leopard gecko named Eupheme, fish, and various foster animals: primarily mother cats and their litters. Dr. Wilcox lives with her husband, Ralph, and two children Claire and Lance, and she enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, and going for walks with Dutch. Her other veterinary passions include pain management and geriatric care, shelter medicine, and volunteering for TNR (trap, neuter, release) work.

What Dr. Wilcox enjoys most about being a part of LRAH: Working with a wonderful team that is very supportive and fun, and she very much appreciates all of the dedicated clients and beautiful pets.

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 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 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 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 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 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 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: 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 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!

Anna-Mae grew up in Painted Post, enjoying reading, drawing, and exploring the zoo. Her favorite movie was Kiki’s Delivery Service. Her enjoyment of Hayao Miyazeki films while she was young brought her attention to animal and environmental conservation from a very early age and sparked her interest in pet care.

Anna-Mae is a skilled assistant and trained groomer and joined the team in 2018. She loves playing with her son, Xaiden, and cats Phoebe and Mary Jane and watching anime.

What Anna-Mae enjoys most about being a part of LRAH: Getting to know all of the amazing clients who care so much about their pets.

Bio coming soon!

Danielle grew up in Catlin, NY, and has always had an interest in working with animals. She spent most of her childhood outside playing with her dog and the neighbor’s farm animals. Danielle has a Bachelor’s degree in animal behavior and ecology conservation from Canisius College.

She currently has five pets: three cats (Jax, Lynx, and Lotus), one dog (Moose, a hound mix), and a rabbit (Atti). She has an interest in animal behavior and would love to work with cats for the rest of her life.

Danielle’s favorite thing about the LRAH team: The team-friendly environment, and the cats. All of the cats are just the best.

Emily grew up in both Elmira Heights and Watkins Glen and has always had an interest in animals. As a child, she had a desire to be a marine biologist. Emily’s mother used to own a grooming and boarding kennel, so she spent much of her childhood around pets, and this is where her passion for pet care began. She graduated from Thomas Edison High School, and her long-term goal is to become a licensed veterinary nurse.

Emily likes playing with her kitty, “Opossum,” and her “fur brothers,” boxers, “Joe,” and “Simon” and enjoys watching Netflix shows with good wine in hand. She also likes watching and listening to various live bands at local breweries and wineries.

What Emily enjoys most about being a part of LRAH: She loves helping all of the patients and really appreciates all of her teammate’s fun and outgoing personalities.

Beth grew up primarily in South Bend, Indiana, where her family always had dogs and cats, among other assorted animals, including horses, chickens, and a pair of bunnies. For a time, she lived on an 86 acre farm where she roamed in the woods or along that creek that emptied into a small spring fed lake. Her company was Barney, a lovely collie who had been rescued from an unsavory situation.

She learned from an early age the faithful companionship and good listening skills that pets offer. Ultimately, after some soul searching through a handful of majors, she earned her B.S. in Psychology and an M.Ed. in School psychology, before ultimately retraining as an English teacher. For roughly 30 years, she was a teacher in various venues: jr. high and high school overseas in Hiroshima, Japan, in a family literacy program in Elmira; for 21 years at Corning Community College, from which I recently retired. She is currently training to teach mindfulness meditation, with a focus on stress reduction and building compassion for oneself and others.

She and her husband enjoy the antics of their cats Sasha, the queen of the castle, and Oliver, a patient serf in Sasha’s kingdom. Beth is a big nature lover, walking or hiking most days or working in her large vegetable garden seasonally. Other interests include volunteering with the local library and newly opened comfort care residential center, Bampa’s House, as well as facilitating meditation with River’s Edge Meditation.

What Beth enjoys most about the LRAH team:
“I was drawn to LRAH because of their emphasis on fear-free care and an emphasis on compassion and empathy. It is a friendly place, where the team pulls together to offer quality service to pets and people.”