Our Veterinary Nursing Team
Amy Lynn Barr, LVT, VTS (ECC)
Amy Lynn Barr is in charge of BEVS' critical care unit. She is currently Vermont's first and only Veterinary Technician Specialist, having passed the Academy of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Technicians exam in 2005. Her veterinary nursing career has been focused exclusively in the fields of emergency and critical care since 1999. She has been practicing as a Licensed Veterinary Technician since 1998. Her memberships include: Academy of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Technicians, Vermont Veterinary Technicians Association, Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society, Association for Veterinary Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, American Association of Veterinary Blood Banks, Veterinary Cancer Society, and the Infusion Nurses Society.
Abigail Garrett, CVT
Abigail Garrett is a Certified Veterinary Technician, in charge of BEVS' imaging department. She graduated from the University of Vermont with a BA and a BS with a concentration in animal science/ pre-vet medicine. She has been with BEVS full time since its opening in 2005. Abigail graduated nursing school with her RN in 2010 and plans to merge human nursing care and her work in the veterinary sciences. She has 4 dogs, a Bengal cat and a Hanoverian. Her hobbies include horseback riding, mountain biking, hiking, volunteering with Therapy Dogs of VT and traveling.
Justa Malone, CVT
Justa Malone is a Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT) and is charged with BEVS' state-of-the-art laboratory department and the challenging technicians' schedule. She was born, raised and currently resides in Barre Town, VT. She completed a year of veterinary school at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia in 2002, before finances forced her to seek other educational avenues back in the United States. She graduated with an Associate's degree in Applied Science in Veterinary Technology from Vermont Technical College in May 2004 and in December of the same year; she also finished up a Bachelors of Science in Animal Science from the University of Vermont. Before joining the BEVS team in 2005, she spent 13 years as a volunteer and later the Supervisor and CVT at the Central Vermont Humane Society. he has two cats, Patches (15) and Spartacus (16) and a 3 year-old border collie mix, Riley. Outside of work, she enjoys volunteering at low cost spay/neuter clinics throughout the state, pet-sitting, doing martial arts, swimming, watching movies, and horseback riding.
Jo Collemer, LVT, CVT
Jo Collemer is a Certified Veterinary Technician, in charge of BEVS' OSHA compliance among other duties. She graduated with an Associate's Degree in Animal Medical Technology (With Highest Distinction) from the University of Maine, Orono in 1976. Since then she has worked at practices in Maine, where she is licensed, and in Vermont, where she is certified. Surgery and nursing care are the two areas on which she thrives and her varied jobs at BEVS and other area veterinary practices allow her to enjoy both. She is an original member of the Vermont Veterinary Technicians Association (VVTA), and is a three term VVTA secretary/certification coordinator; a "job" that allows her to enjoy contact with many other technicians throughout Vermont, New Hampshire and New York. Jo has lived in Middlesex for 19 years with a "herd" of cats. Among her other interests are sports, gardening, reading, and feral cat rescue.
Jenn Grenier
Jenn Grenier, one of our overnight veterinary nursing staff, has been with BEVS since 2005 as a veterinary technician. We are happy to welcome her as one of the newest additions to our full-time nursing staff. In 2000, she began her career as a veterinary technician at Onion River Animal Hospital and worked there for 6 years while attending UVM and pursuing a degree in the animal sciences. Jenn currently lives in Richmond on a horse ranch with her 8 year old tobiano paint gelding, Peter Benjamin, and her 5 year old black lab Charlie (aka Carlito). In her spare time, she enjoys horseback riding, hiking with Charlie, waterskiing, and spending time with friends.
Lisa Ay, CVT
Lisa Ay graduated from the Vermont Technical College in 2007 with an Associate's degree in Applied Science, Veterinary Technology. She gained experience working in veterinary emergency facilities in Vermont since 2005. Her interests outside of work include hiking, skiing, and spending time with close friends. She has two cats, Papercut III and Anchovy.
Anthi Karamalakos, CVT
Anthi has been working as a veterinary technician for the last ten years, mainly as a surgery technician for Vergennes Animal Hospital in Vermont and Lutherville Animal Hospital in Maryland. She has been an emergency technician for the last seven years and is working towards her certification as a Veterinary Technician Specialist in Emergency and Critical Care. Currently, she is also enrolled in a Bachelors program with a pre-vet concentration at the University of Vermont. Her other professional interests include photography and picture framing. Outside of work, Anthi enjoys hiking and backpacking with her three dogs: Digity, Sequoia, and Willis.
Bethany Doe, CVT
Bethany Doe is a Certified Veterinary Technician in charge of BEVS' OSHA compliance. She graduated in 2009 from Vermont Technical College (VTC) with an Associate of Science in Veterinary Technology. Bethany has been working as a veterinary technician since 2007. Born and raised in beautiful Berkshire, Vermont, Bethany loves to be outdoors on the lake, hiking, biking, or snowboarding. She shares her home with Baxter, the sweetest cat, Zach her Aussie, and Miss Bridgette, a mixed breed she adopted from VTC.
Katie Henderson, CVT
Born and raised in Vermont's beautiful Northeast Kingdom, Katie graduated from Johnson State College in 2005 with a BS in biology and a minor in chemistry. She went on to graduate from Vermont Technical College's veterinary technician program in 2008 and joined the Burlington Emergency and Veterinary Specialists (BEVS) in the fall.
She now works as a Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT) for both BEVS and Vermont Veterinary Internal Medicine (VVIM). She has interests in home improvement and remodeling, running and hiking with her dog Murphy, reading, and rooting for her favorite hockey team (go Pens!). She lives with her dog and two cats, Sidney and Tait.
Client Care Services
Jennifer Strentz
Client Care Supervisor
Jennifer Strentz oversees our hospital's client care services. Jen graduated with a Bachelors degree, major in Geography (with Honors Recognition), from Northeastern Illinois University and an Associate's degree in Liberal Arts from Oakton College, Illinois. Prior to her move to Vermont, she performed technician as well as administrative and client care duties at North Avenue Animal Hospital in Chicago, Illinois and two other local veterinary hospitals in Illinois. In her free time, she enjoys the fine arts and bike-riding. Jen has 2 cats named Pixie and Sara, both of whom she adopted from veterinary hospitals where she worked.
Whitney Bierschenk
Client Care Assistant
Whitney joined our client care team in August, 2009. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2009 with a Bachelor's degree, major in Animal Science and minor in Business Administration. Whitney continues to work part time as a product specialist at Smart Pak, an equine supplement and supplies company. She enjoys dressage, snowboarding, waterskiing and scuba diving. Whitney resides in downtown Burlington with her boyfriend Jason, her cat Julie, and Hobbs, the Labrador they adopted.