Our Veterinarians

Dr. Michelle West

Dr. Michelle West grew up in Madison, CT,  where she graduated from Daniel Hand High School.  As a child she loved all animals and was an avid equestrian competing in local shows and horse trials.  As far back as she can remember, her dream was to become a veterinarian. One of her first jobs at 16 was as a kennel assistant at The New Haven Central Hospital for Veterinary Medicine. She was fascinated by this first introduction to veterinary medicine and began to plan her future path to attaining her dream.  In 1989 she graduated magna cum laude with a BS in Biology from Mount Holyoke College.  From there she moved to Ohio to attend The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.  After graduating in 1993 with honors, she moved to Wisconsin to complete an equine internship. The following year she returned to Portland CT to work in an equine practice for three years before switching to small animal medicine and surgery.  Since 1996 she has worked at three practices in this area before purchasing Shoreline Animal Hospital in 2006 with Dr. Berman.

They are always calm when we go and they are never scared or stressed. They know Dr. Michelle is going to take great care of them

Dr. West is married and has three children as well as two dogs, Taco and Belle.  She has lived in Killingworth since 1995.  Her oldest daughter, Lindsay, has graduated from Ohio State with a degree in food engineering and is employed as a mechanical engineer.  Her second daughter, Erica, is studying industrial engineering at Ohio State.  Her youngest, Brian, is graduating from high school this year and heading off to college in the fall. In her free time, Dr. West enjoys travel, walking, local theater, reading and being with family.  One of her travel goals is to visit all of our National Parks!  In the last few years she has been to Olympic NP, Big Ben NP, Yellowstone NP, Grand Teton NP, Everglades NP,  Biscayne NP, Arches NP, Mesa Verde NP and Sand Dunes NP.

Dr. Julie Atwood Berman

Dr. Julie Atwood Berman is a native of Long Island, and grew up on the south shore with three brothers and many pets including dogs, cats, and horses.   She graduated from Princeton University with a degree in biology, and earned her DVM with honors from Tufts Veterinary School in 1991.  She has practiced small animal medicine in Connecticut ever since. She worked with Dr West for several years at another local practice before taking the plunge into business ownership in 2006.

Dr. Berman is the best. Wish there were more vets who cared as much as she does. My family and I appreciate her more than she will ever know.

Dr. Berman has 2 grown children; her daughter Emily has graduated from Tufts Cummings Veterinary School and she is pursuing a career in equine medicine. Her son Nathaniel is a college student studying mechanical engineering and is a licensed pilot. Dr. Berman lives on a small farm in Deep River with her husband Dave, who is semi-retired but stays busy taking care of all the animals.  Together they have 3 rescue dogs, 2 horses, an adorable mini donkey, a flock of chickens, and a cat. In her spare time Dr Berman enjoys horseback riding, tending to her huge vegetable garden, traveling, and learning to play the cello.  She is a member of the Community Music School String Ensemble. She also serves on the board of directors of the New Haven County Veterinary Medical Association.

Dr. Lynda Perry

Dr. Perry grew up in Avon, CT, the daughter of two pharmacists. As a young girl, she loved riding horses, caring for animals and always wanted to be a veterinarian. Her initial path in college however was to become a pharmacist just like her parents. She attended the University of Connecticut where she was both an Honor’s Scholar and a University Scholar. In 1984, she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BS in Pharmacy and headed off to veterinary school. While attending Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, she worked part time as a pharmacist and graduated in 1988. Her first veterinary job brought her back to CT to stay.

Dr. Perry has lived right here in Clinton since 1990. She and her husband Ed have a large family including Marvelous Matthew the mutt, Bonnie the beagle, Tanner the Quarter Horse, Sparkle the mule and a flock of chickens affectionately known as “the girls”. In her free time she enjoys riding horses (and her lovely white mule), bicycling, hiking, snowshoeing and cross country skiing. When the weather is not cooperating, she can be found cooking delicious recipes on top of her wood stove with the plentiful fresh vegetables and herbs from Ed’s gigantic garden!

 Dr. Perry currently serves on the Public Relations Committee for the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Association, is treasurer of the Lower Connecticut River Valley Horsemen’s Club and a founding member of the Connecticut Horse Council’s Volunteer Horse Patrol. She also served as a former treasurer of the New Haven County Veterinary Medical Association.

JULIE G.

Julie is a U.S. Army Veteran and certified Veterinary Technician since 2006. She is also a CT licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator who specializes in orphaned or injured baby squirrels.  She has a cat, a dog, and a bunch of chickens at home and would someday love to work at a zoo, especially with tigers!

HOLLIE

Hollie has been grooming dogs and cats since 1979, starting with an apprenticeship at the Perfect Pooch,  and has been at Shoreline Animal Hospital since 2010.  She lives with  her husband on the Shoreline. In her free time Hollie likes riding horses, and playing with her cats Nemo and Boo.

AMANDA

Amanda has been working as a Vet Assistant/ Receptionist and making us smile at SAH since 2014.  She is currently going to school for a bachelors degree in Biotechnology and a minor in Forensic Science.  She has a Bengal cat named Rufus and a Boston Terrier named Dexter.  In her free time when she’s not studying she enjoys running with her husband Steven and reading.

ALICJA

Alicja (Ala) has worked in the veterinary field for almost 40 years in both emergency and day practice settings. She has been employed at Shoreline Animal Hospital for over 20 years and currently enjoys a rewarding full time position as a veterinary technician. Ala is passionate about the feline patient and has special interest in the geriatric cat and the complex world of feline behavior. She always strives to give the utmost care and compassion to each patient as if it were her own.

Outside of work Ala enjoys spending time outdoors gardening, bicycling, and going for walks. She shares her home with her wonderful husband Don and plays “Kitty Mom” to her four cats: Little Man, Maxwell, Bug, and Boo-Boo.

CORI

Cori joined our team in 2009 with a background in marine mammal training at the New England Aquarium in Boston, and several years experience as a licensed veterinary technician and canine physical therapy technician in MA, VA, and NC.  She is busy with three active children, their rescues a black lab named Bolt and a great pyrenees named Clover, and guinea pig Tyler. She has joined our office again full time after taking time off to raise her children. On her spare time she is also a tap room manager at a brewery in Niantic, and enjoys refinishing and painting furniture.

CHRISTIE

Christie has worked in the veterinary field since 1988, and she has been a team member at Shoreline Animal Hospital since 2003!  She became certified as a Veterinary Technician in 2007.   She has a dog named Fozzi, and a cat named Pakora.  She recently started her own business handcrafting wire sculptures and jewelry, and in her spare time helps run a non-profit organization to benefit Veterans.

ROBIN

Robin has worked at SAH since 2005. She currently works as a receptionist as well as doing accounting and office work.  Robin grew up with a variety of animals including horses, cats, dogs, and chickens. She has a passion for helping both people and animals, and has worked in the veterinary field for almost 20 years. She resides in Higganum with her husband and her 6 chickens. She has 2 adult children and a granddaughter.

JULIE H.

Julie graduated from the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science. She has been a member of our team at Shoreline Animal Hospital since 2008 working as a vet assistant. In her free time she enjoys the outdoors, spending time with friends and family and her two cats Jenny and Errol.

BLAIR

Blair joined the SAH family in 2019. She graduated from Mount Ida College with an associates degree in veterinary technology in 2018 and was later certified by the Connecticut Veterinary Technician Association (CTVTA). Blair grew up in Haddam with a variety of animals including dogs, Guinea pigs, geckos, and chickens. Blair has always had a passion for animals and nature. Spending her free time hiking, running, swimming, biking, on trail rides, or spending time with friends and family. She currently has a flock of hens and a black lab named Aubrey.