East End Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Center

Dr. Ben Collins : Emergency Clinician

Dr. Collins was born and raised on the East End of Long Island.  After completing an undergraduate degree in Classical Archaeology, he obtained his veterinary degree from Cornell University in 2008.  He then went on to complete a one year rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Oradell Animal Hospital in New Jersey.  Following his internship, he returned to Riverhead to join the staff of EEVESC as an emergency veterinarian.   Dr. Collins has special interests in emergency medicine, neurology, and internal medicine.   In his spare time he enjoys traveling, reading, and outdoor activities – especially those in which he can take along his border collie mix named Murphy.

Dr. Natalie Smith : Emergency Clinician

Dr. Natalie Smith

Dr. Rachel Fried : Emergency Clinician

Dr. Rachel Fried

Dr. Nick Parente : Veterinary Internal Medicine

Dr. Nicholas L. Parente is the Director of the Internal Medicine Department at East End Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Center.

Born and raised on Long Island, Dr. Parente attended Southampton College of Long Island University and received a Bachelor of Science degree with Honors in 2003. It was during Dr. Parente's junior year in college that he first came to work for EEVEC and was motivated and inspired to become a veterinarian.

Dr. Parente graduated from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2007 with High Honors. While in vet school he was awarded the Semester Achievement award on two separate occasions, which is an award voted on by the Faculty for academic achievement and professionalism throughout the course of the semester.

Dr. Parente went on to complete a rotating internship in medicine and surgery at The Ohio State University in 2007-2008. This was followed by a 3-year residency in small animal internal medicine at Michigan State University in 2008-2011. Dr. Parente successfully passed the Board-certifying exam for small animal internal medicine in June of 2011 and has submitted his research project for publication.

After spending several years in the Midwest pursing advance clinical training (or specialty training), Dr. Parente is excited to return to Long Island and share the knowledge and skills he's developed to help pets and their families from his home-town. When not in the hospital Dr. Parente enjoys spending time at the beach and swimming in the ocean and he is currently training for a half-marathon.

Dr. Jonathan Goodwin, DVM, Diplomate ACVIM (Cardiology) : Veterinary Cardiology

Jonathan received his veterinary degree from Tuskegee University. He completed his internship in 2000 at the Coral Springs Animal Hospital, and then went on to complete a cardiology residency at Purdue University from 2005 to 2008. Dr. Goodwin is a Diplomate of The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Cardiology).

Dr. Brian Bretz : Veterinary Surgeon

Brian Bretz, a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, joined our surgery department in 2011. Dr. Bretz graduated from the University of California Davis with a Bachelor of Science degree in 2003 and from the School of Veterinary Medicine Davis in 2005. As post graduate, Dr. Bretz completed a Small Animal Rotating Internship at Garden State Veterinary Specialists in 2006 and a surgical residency at Tufts University in 2009.

Among other honors, Dr. Bretz was the recipient of the Resident Poster Presentation Award from the American College of veterinary Surgeons and the Resident Research Day Poster Award from Tuft Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Bretz' publications include: Ischemic Postconditioning Does Not Attenuate Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury of the Small Intestine ( Vet Surg 39(2):216-223), and : Effect of type of cottonseed and gossypol intake on reproduction and health of lactating Holstein dairy cows (J. Dairy Sci, 84:366). Dr. Bretz shares his life with his wife Siobhan, their cats Mister and Beans and their dog Clarence.

Dr. Robin Jaeger : Emergency Clinician

Dr. Robin Jaeger graduated Magna Cum Laude from Gettysburg College in 1997, earning a Bachelor of Science with honors in biology.  In 2001, she completed her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine with High Honors from the University of Florida.  She then fulfilled a 13-month comprehensive internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Angell Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.  She accepted a position at the East End Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Center in 2002, and has been an integral part of the emergency department ever since.

Dr. Jaeger pursued advanced certification and was board certified as a Diplomat of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in Canine and Feline Medicine and Surgery in 2008.  Her research efforts have focused on diabetes and cardiology, and she co-authored an article titled Ventricular Tachyarrhythmias in 106 Cats: Associated Structural Cardiac Disorders in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Nov-Dec, 2008), and Bischoff K, Jaeger R, and Ebel J. An Unusual Case of Pentobarbital Relay Toxicosis in a Dog. 2011. Dr. Jaeger has an interest in traditional Chinese veterinary medicine and is a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist.

Dr. Rosemary L. Lombardi is the Surgical Director at East End Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Center.

The recipient of a merit scholarship for all four consecutive years, Dr. Lombardi graduated from St. Bonaventure University with a Bachelor of Science degree. She then attended Ross University in St. Kitts, West Indies where she received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and was awarded both the small animal and large animal surgical proficiency awards.  She completed her clinical year as well as her Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates certification program at Oklahoma State University.  Following a one year comprehensive internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Georgia Veterinary Specialists in Atlanta, Georgia, she fulfilled a post graduate small animal surgical internship and a three-year small animal surgical residency here in Long Island, NY.

Dr. Lombardi has practiced on Long Island since 2001, with Canine Perianal Fistula Disease as her primary research focus. She has been published in the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association (Long-term evaluation of canine perianal fistula disease treated with exclusive fish and potato diet and surgical excision. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. 2008 Nov-Dec), and has also received her certification in both Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) and Tibial Tuberosity Advancement (TTA). Dr. Lombardi enjoys all aspects of soft tissue, neurologic and orthopedic surgery.

Dr. Scarlett Magda: BSc, DVM

In 2005, Dr. Magda received her Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from the University of Guelph in Canada. She subsequently obtained her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the Ontario Veterinary College of the University of Guelph in 2009. In 2010, Dr. Magda completed an internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at Fifth Avenue Veterinary Specialists in Manhattan, NY.  In her second year of veterinary studies, Dr. Magda organized and obtained funding for a research project investigating saddle related injuries of working Asian elephants in the Thai tourism industry. This project won the 2008 Ballard Award from Morris Animal Foundation’s Veterinary Student Scholars North America‐wide competition. Dr. Magda then traveled to India to investigate saddle related lesions and explore alternatives for riding elephants.

Dr. Magda was also determined to visit and work in Africa, specifically to tend to AIDS victims and children. In 2009, she received travel and financial support from Veterinarians Without Borders/Vétérinaires Sans Frontières (VWB/VSF) to take part in a project investigating and training farmers to monitor basic health management issues in goat husbandry and production. That same year, Dr. Magda joined the VWB/VSF Board of Directors to focus on spreading awareness and gaining support for the organization and its projects, which deal with enhancing the health of people, animals and the environment in remote areas of the globe. Currently, she is assisting in the planning of a much-needed elephant hospital in central Thailand that will be located at Boon Lott’s Elephant Sanctuary, Sukhothai.

Dr. Magda joined East End Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Center in mid-July of this year with a special interest in emergency and exotics medicine.

Dr. Rick Rothman: Emergency Clinician,
Co-owner | drrothman@pet-er.com

A native New Yorker, Dr. Richard Rothman attended New York City public schools as a child. After completing high school, he studied Japanese culture and general science at the State University of New York at New Paltz. Following college graduation, Dr. Rothman was admitted to the University of Pisa, college of Veterinary Medicine (Pisa, Italy), and was awarded his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine in 1984.

As an emergency clinician, Dr. Rothman practiced emergency medicine and surgery for the Animal Emergency Service, in both Commack and Selden, NY from 1985-2000. He opened the East End Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Center with Dr. Vatash
in June 2000.

A resident of the North Fork of Long Island, Dr. Rothman is married to Nancy Mullady, a local veterinarian, and they have two children named Ryan and Kaia. During his leisure time, Dr. Rothman enjoys all outdoor activities, as well as sports (especially golf!), traveling, and spending time with his family and friends.

Dr. Gal Vatash: Emergency Clinician,
Co-owner | drvatash@pet.er.com

Israeli native Dr. Gal Vatash was honorably discharged from combat service with the Israeli Defense Forces in 1986, immigrated to the United States and made it his permanent home. Dr. Vatash attended California State University at Pomona and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science in 1993 and earned his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine Degree from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1997.

Dr. Vatash began his veterinary medicine career at the Affiliated Animal Hospital of Staten Island NY in 1997, and his emergency medicine focus with the Animal Emergency Services of Selden, NY in 1998. Falling in love with the fascinating field of emergency medicine, Drs. Rothman and Vatash established the East End Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Center in June 2000. Through their dedication to improving the health of their patients, respectful rapport with patient owners, and focus on cohesive care coordination with all other veterinarians from local, state and national centers with whom they interact, Drs. Vatash and Rothman have turned a small two veterinarian operation into a 24/7 Emergency and Specialty center, and the success story it is today.

Dr. Vatash resides at the east end of Long Island with his wife, three teenage kids and an ever-growing number of pets. He enjoys and appreciates meditating, kayaking, working out, and every moment of every day.

Dr. Norma White-Weithers

Board-certified Veterinary Dermatologist Dr. Norma White-Weithers attended Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine and graduated with both a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine and a Masters in Animal Nutrition. Following a one-year rotating internship in medicine and surgery at Tuskegee University, Dr. White-Weithers completed a three-year dermatology residency at the University Of Georgia College Of Veterinary Medicine. During her residency program, she was the recipient of a Comparative Dermatology Fellowship at the University of Miami Medical School. She returned to Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine where she held a teaching position as Assistant Professor for seven years. After gaining tenureship, she accepted a position at the Veterinary Allergy & Dermatology Referral Service in Houston, Texas, where she practiced for three years.

A Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology, Dr.White-Weithers has brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Long Island area. Her mission is focused on providing compassionate care to all animals, and is driven by her belief in making pets as equally healthy as human beings. At East End Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Center she treats all aspects of allergic and dermatological disease, and specializes in autoimmune skin disorders and ear diseases of dogs and cats.Dr. White-Weithers has published numerous papers and book chapters, and lectured worldwide. She is presently the Secretary of the Long Island Veterinary Medical Association and has held this position for two terms.

Leora Vatash: Hospital Administrator

l.vatash@pet-er.com

Center Administrator Leora Bruck-Vatash has been with East End Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Center since 2009. As an honorably discharged lieutenant from the Israeli Defense Force, her background includes extensive experience in the legal field as well as certification as a trained chef and baker.

Leora lives in Sag Harbor with her husband, 3 kids, 3 cats and a dog, although she is quick to admit that the animal count in her house tends to grow. In addition to her unconditional love and respect for animals, Leora enjoys reading, practicing yoga, dancing and, of course, cooking and baking.

Maddelyn Ryan: Pet Hotel Manager & Client Care Coordinator

M.Ryan@pet-ER.com

Born and raised in Hertfordshire, UK, Maddelyn has been with East End Veterinary Emergency &
Specialty Center since 2010. Having worked in media advertising and management for 7 years
Maddelyn decided to return to school to further her education and explore her passion for people and animals. Maddelyn is currently enrolled full-time at Stonybrook University in a Pre-Med program to follow her desire to work as a Doctor in Human medicine.

Maddy is truly enthusiastic and loves working within Chataeu Des Paws, being a part of your everyday care and needs for your pets. Maddy is available to discuss your pet's accommodations at any time, so feel free to call or email with any questions.

Sandra Pettit-Dowd

Sandra Pettit-Dowd has been EEVESC’s ICU Technician Supervisor since the day the hospital was established in June of 2000. . She earned an Associate degree in Veterinary Technology from the State University of New York in 1995 and a Bachelor degree from Long Island University in 2004. In 2008 Sandra pursued her education and personal growth and was awarded a certification in Canine Physical Rehabilitation and in canine sports Massage from the School of Veterinary medicine at the University of Tennessee. She has been playing a vital role in the establishment and the success of our organization.