Paul F. Gustafson, DVM
Born in Hibbing, Minnesota, Dr. Gustafson attended the University of Michigan, where he received B.S. and M.S. degrees. He received his DVM degree from the University of Georgia in 1980.

It was his lifelong love of animals that inspired Dr. Gustafson to become a veterinarian. He counts delivering puppies or kittens by C-section among his most memorable veterinary experiences. The experience of "reaching into one living being and pulling out and saving a new life" is truly unforgettable.

Here at Warwick Animal Hospital, Dr. Gustafson treats cats, dogs, reptiles and exotic pets. His specialities include laser surgery, orthopedic surgery, and dentistry.

A serious amateur astronomer, Dr. Gustafson has a grand total of seven telescopes of various sizes and types, each one used for a different task. He also enjoys birding, fishing, snow skiing, and working with computers.

Dr. Gustafson's pets include various lizards, snakes, frogs, and turtles, as well as two Yorkshire Terriers: Cassiopeia ("named after a constellation, of course!") and Halley (named after Halley's Comet). Cassiopeia is "our tough little girl, and will attack anything that enters the yard, including deer, raccoons, and opossums." Halley, on the other hand, is a "little chicken who hides behind her sister Cassie to bark at wildlife invading their yard."

"When we got Halley," Dr. Gustafson recalls, "It was my turn to pick a name, and I picked Betelgeuse (pronounced "beetle juice," a star in the constellation Orion), Beetle for short, but I was overruled, 1 to 1!" Dr. Gustafson delivered both Halley and Cassie by C-section.

Best times to reach Dr. Gustafson by phone are Tuesday and Wednesday, 9am - 4pm.

Randall S. Dunsmore, DVM
Dr. Dunsmore was born in New Jersey and lived for nearly a decade in the midwest, graduating from Lawrence High School, in Lawrence, Kansas. He received his veterinary degree from Kansas State University in 1995, and completed a post-graduate internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Angell Memorial Animal Hospital (M.S.P.C.A.) in Boston, Massachusetts. This program has the distinction of being the oldest existing veterinary internship program in the nation.

A lifelong love of animals, as well as an interest in the medical sciences, were Dr. Dunsmore's inspirations in choosing veterinary medicine as a career. Dr. Dunsmore's experiences working 24-hour emergency shifts at Boston's Angell Memorial Animal Hospital included encounters with celebrities, as well as providing him with numerous "bizarre stories of people and their pets at all hours of the night!"

Dr. Dunsmore sees cats, dogs, and exotic pets. He specializes in abdominal surgical diseases, pediatric and preventive healthcare, as well as turtle shell repair and reconstruction.

When he's not at work, Dr. Dunsmore keeps busy playing the drums, attending Liberty Baptist Church, where he is involved with the student ministry, and watching plenty of football (he's a fan of the Kansas State Wildcats and the Dallas Cowboys). Spending time with his family is key for Dr. Dunsmore: he "loves to just hang out" with his wife Melissa and son Cheyne.

Dr. Dunsmore's pets include a chocolate Labrador Retriever named Carly, and Dustie, a female tortoise-shell cat. Carly loves to play ball, catch her frisbee, is a big fan of the water, and is "entirely food motivated!" Carly is also a fan of all things feline, according to Dr. Dunsmore. "Any and all attention from cats completely mesmerizes her!" So much so, that when Dustie the kitty occasionally uses Carly's nose as a punching bag, Carly thinks it's "just incredible anyhow!"

The best time to reach Dr. Dunsmore is any time during business hours on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

Michele Servideo, VMD
Dr. Servideo was born in Warrenton, Virginia, and spent most of her childhood in New Jersey. An only child, Dr. Servideo grew up fighting the dog for the window seat in the family car! Dr. Servideo received her Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from Virginia Tech, as well as two minor degrees in biology and english. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in 1993.

A childhood spent in a rural location, surrounded by lots of pets of different species, helped inspire Dr. Servideo to become a veterinarian. Observing the "circle of life," while noting that the care of a veterinarian usually helped to prolong that circle, also played a role in her career choice. "There is nothing better than seeing an extremely ill pet come back to health and a good life with care and treatment," observes Dr. Servideo. "The veterinarians we had also involved me in the procedures, and explained the treatments to me, a child at the time. That was very impressive for a young mind."

Dr. Servideo treats cats, dogs, and exotics. Soft tissue surgery, geriatrics, ferrets, zoo animals, and pocket pets are among her special interests. She is also interested in exploring alternative care as an adjunct to traditional medical treatments.

For Dr. Servideo, choosing a "most memorable" veterinary experience is a challenge indeed. Each day of her working life brings new experiences: assisting in difficult births, diagnosing a disease and treating it so the pet thrives, removing a tumor and curing an animal. Still, one of her saddest and most touching moments was during a euthanasia. A canine patient had been ill for a long time and was finally losing her battle with disease. "We put her to sleep with her family all around her, and as I gave her the injection, she looked up at me and gave me a kiss on the nose. A 'thank you' for relieving her pain, and a way of letting us know that all was well."

Dr. Servideo shares her home with Cyprian, a female golden retriever who would rather have tummy scritches or chase the ball than eat her dinner. "She is a chicken in a dog suit but thinks herself tough when presented with a motorcycle or a squirrel!" explains the doctor. She also has three cats: Papillion, Surin, and Typha. Papillion is a tuxedo female, who is elderly, and a bit totty. In her youth she was a wild child, bouncing (literally!) off the walls. Now, however, she spends most days in a sunny soft spot. Surin is a Siamese, older as well, but not nearly so fuzzy around the mental edges. She has just been treated for hyperthyroidism, and is doing well. "The bed is Surin's," says Dr. Servideo, "but I am allowed to share it in the evening hours." Typha is the youngest of the cats, and the only male. He was a rescue with a broken leg, and came to Dr. Servideo as a stray. Typha is "wild and obnoxious, knocking items off high shelves, jumping onto the tops of doors, and enjoying creating total chaos!" In addition to these indoor pets, Dr. Servideo has goldfish in a small pond in her back yard, along with frogs and garter snakes that are attracted by the fresh water.

In her free time, Dr. Servideo enjoys camping and bicycling. She also enjoys going to antique auctions and flea markets. Creating one-of-a-kind jewelry and dabbling with polymer clay are among the doctor's most avid interests. Gardening is also a passion: "My back yard looks a bit like a jungle with exotic plants and herbs."

The best times to reach Dr. Servideo are Monday and Thursday, 7am - 9am and 3pm - 5:30pm; and Wednesday and Friday, 8am - 2pm and 4pm - 5:30pm.

Sarah Johnson, LVT
Sarah Johnson was born in Bemus Point, New York, and received her associate degree in Animal Science and Veterinary Technology from Blue Ridge Community College, in 1999.

"I had always known that I wanted to work with animals," recalls Sarah, "but I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to do until I started working at a veterinary clinic while I was in high school." It was there that she realized all of the great things that veterinary medicine has done to help pets lead healthy and happy lives. Sarah enjoys the "hands-on" aspect of her work, whether it's vaccinating a healthy patient, or taking an x-ray of a sick patient. For Sarah, being a veterinary technician means that there's never a dull moment!

Sarah spends her free time riding her horse and listening to music. She also enjoys going to see Fine Swiss Cheese, her favorite local band!

Sarah's animals include two cats, two dogs, and a horse. Rudy -- a six-year-old buff-colored kitty -- is independent and likes to "lounge around all day!" Sarah bottle-raised three-year-old calico tabby Pookie. "I was supposed to find her a new home, but she ended up staying for good!" Harley, a eight-year-old blue merle Great Dane, is "the best couch potato." The newest addition to Sarah's animal family is Gertie, a year-and-a-half old Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen mix. Gertie's wonderful hound nose gets her into a lot of trouble. She has very short legs, but a very long body, which allows her to reach things she is not supposed to have -- like food from the kitchen counters! Sarah also has a five-year-old Appaloosa mare named Chloe, whom she raised. Chloe loves to go trail riding.

Eydie and her family have two dogs, a cat, and a guinea pig. Bart (yes, as in Bart Simpson!), is an eleven-year-old black Lab mix who has free reign of a 30-acre farm. He loves to visit the neighbors, who call him their "grandchild" and serve him breakfast every morning! Bart's best friend is a Chow mix named John, who just showed up on the family farm one day, badly injured and "mean as could be." Despite this difficult beginning, John survived and turned out to be "quite a charmer." Charlie is an orange male tabby cat who was raised with the two big dogs and consequently thinks that he is a dog too! Last but not least is Guinea, the guinea pig, who was given to Eydie's oldest son Michael as a kindergarten graduation present. Guinea is three years old now, and, according to Eydie, has really helped teach Michael about the responsibilities involved with owning and taking care of a pet.

Eydie has two sons, Michael and Cory. Michael is nearly ten years old and, says Eydie, is "definitely my little animal lover." Currently, Michael is trying to talk his mom into getting a new puppy or a new baby bird. He also enjoys soccer and swimming. Cory just turned five and started kindergarten ("A very tough day for Mom!" recalls Eydie). Cory loves riding tractors and is enthusiastic about anything to do with heavy equipment and trucks.

Eydie enjoys working with computers and media. She has recently joined a ministry that produces many teaching tapes, and she looks forward to becoming involved with the editing process. Eydie likes music and has been learning how to burn cds and create cd covers from her own photographs.