Ellen Tremante, DVM

Please help us to welcome the newest addition to the Colonial Veterinary Hospital family Dr. Ellen Tremante, who will be joining us in mid March. Dr. Tremante graduated in May 2006 from the University of Minnesota. She then completed an internship in small animal medicine, emergency medicine and surgery in June 2007. Dr. Tremante’s professional interests include feline medicine, emergency medicine and animal welfare. She enjoys performing volunteer work for feral spay/neuter programs. She lives in Ithaca with her two cats Franklyn and Elliot.

Brian Collins, DVM

Dr. Brian Collins has worked at Colonial Veterinary Hospital since 1997. He grew up on a farm and managed a humane society before pursuing a degree in veterinary medicine from the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Collins' professional interests lie in general life-stage medicine, surgery and dentistry. Dr. Collins is a past board member of the Tompkins County SPCA. Currently he is the board president and one of the part-time surgeons for Shelter Outreach Services, a local non-profit organization that provides cat and dog sterilization services for animal shelters and rescue groups in the Fingerlakes area.

Areas of Practice: Health Maintenance, Emergency

Alain Giroux, DVM
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Radiologists

Dr. Giroux graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal in 1995. Since completion of his residency at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine in 2000, Dr. Giroux has served as a Board-Certified Radiologist performing radiology, ultrasounds, and MRI consultations. Also, he led and participated in numerous ultrasound labs and lectures for veterinarians, in upstate New York and in major veterinary conferences. Dr. Giroux lives in Ithaca, NY with his two children.

Specialties: Radiology & Ultrasound

Katherine Goldberg, DVM

Dr. Katherine Goldberg received her DVM from Cornell in 2004. After veterinary school, Katherine completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery and stayed in the referral and academic emergency/critical care field until 2007. While she enjoyed the intellectual challenge of critical care medicine, Katherine felt she was missing out on the bond that general practice veterinarians enjoy with their clients and patients. Katherine's professional interests include animal welfare and humane education, veterinary medicine in underserved areas, pain management, hospice care and complementary medicine. Katherine is passionate about her work with Rural Area Veterinary Services (RAVS), a program that provides free veterinary services and community education to economically disadvantaged communities within the U.S and abroad. She is currently a consultant field veterinarian with RAVS. Katherine and her partner Sophy live with 4 cats, 2 Bernese Mountain Dogs, and a "so ugly she's beautiful" street dog from Mexico (a RAVS import).

Area of Practice: Health Maintenance

Leni Kaplan, DVM

Dr. Leni Kaplan joined our emergency services team in 2005. She was raised in the New York City area and earned her veterinary degree from Colorado State University in 2000. After graduating from veterinary school, she practiced in Rochester, New York where she was an active member of the regional veterinary association, including being President from 2003-2004. Her professional passion and experience is in emergency medicine/critical care and pain management. Dr. Leni Kaplan helped establish the Emergency and Overnight Care Service.

Area of Practice: Emergency

Kelly Lyboldt, DVM

Dr. Kelly Lyboldt received her DVM degree from Cornell University in May 2005. She joined the Colonial Veterinary Hospital team as an associate veterinarian in July 2005. Dr. Lyboldt has professional interests in emergency/critical care and health maintenance. Dr. Lyboldt has been co-directing the Emergency and Overnight Care Service since 2006. She is also an active volunteer with Cayuga Dog Rescue. Outside the veterinary hospital, she enjoys cycling, running, skiing, drawing and spending time with her German Shorthaired Pointer, Finnegan.

Area of Practice: Health Maintenance

Lin McGonagle, MSPT, LVT

Lin McGonagle, MSPT, LVT holds a master's degree in physical therapy and is also a licensed veterinary technician. She has extensive experience in the human field of physical therapy but is also one of the precious few people in the veterinary community to have studied physical therapy specifically in animals in the clinical setting. Your primary care veterinarian can also evaluate your pet's current pain management plan and determine if any testing might be necessary prior to starting physical therapy.

Area of Practice: Physical Therapy

Heather Murley, DVM Veterinary Acupuncture

Dr. Heather Murley joined the Colonial Veterinary Hospital team in 2005. Dr. Murley received her DVM degree from Michigan State University in 1999. She worked in mixed and small animal general medicine practice for five years before focusing her practice on acupuncture and surgery. Dr. Murley received her certificate in Veterinary Acupuncture from Colorado State University in 2002 and was a teaching assistant for the course in 2003. Dr. Murley has been active with animal shelter organizations since 1991. She currently works with Shelter Outreach Services (SOS) performing high-volume high-quality spay and neuter services for regional shelters. Dr. Murley is a past board member of the Humane Society of Schuyler County. While Dr. Murley’s practice is focused on acupuncture, her professional passion is helping animals live as vibrantly as possible through nutrition, activity, and integrated wellness practices.

Area of Practice: Acupuncture

J. Thomas Ross, DVM
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons

Dr. J. Thomas Ross, the owner of Colonial Veterinary Hospital, joined the practice in August 1990 after serving as an intern and surgical resident at the Animal Medical Center in New York City. During his four years there, he developed special interests in orthopedic, reconstructive, oncologic, and neurosurgery. He obtained his veterinary degree from the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1986, and became board certified in veterinary surgery in February 1993. Dr. Ross limits his practice to the diagnosis and treatment of surgical diseases. He also offers minimally invasive arthroscopic joint surgery and other endoscopic procedures.

Specialties: Surgery (including orthopedics, neurosurgery and soft tissue surgery)

Catherine Hegarty Ross, DVM

Dr. Catherine Hegarty joined Colonial Veterinary Hospital after graduating from the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1997. In addition to providing primary care to our general practice patients, she is also passionate about improving the level of care we offer in her role as the Director of the General Practice. She has special interests in general practice preventative medicine, feline medicine, dentistry, and oncology.

Areas of Practice: Health Maintenance, Emergency

Dr. George Ross, DVM
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons

Dr. George Ross received his DVM and Masters degrees from Kansas State University. He was an Associate Professor of Small Animal Surgery at Cornell until he founded our practice. Dr. Ross has retired from surgical practice but continues to provide consultant services to our veterinarians.

Specialty: Surgery

Susan R. Yanoff, DVM
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons
Diplomate, American Board of Veterinary Practitioners

Dr. Yanoff graduated from Cornell University in 1980. After three years in private practice, she joined the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps. While in the Army Dr. Yanoff completed a small animal surgery residency and became board certified by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners. In June 2004, Dr. Yanoff retired from the Army, at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, after almost 21 years of service. She spent a year working on a horse farm in Idaho before joining Colonial Veterinary Hospital. Dr. Yanoff's family includes a 13 year old golden retriever, a 3 year old beagle, 2 cats, 1 horse, 2 donkeys, and 6 chickens.

Specialty: Surgery