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. Genevieve Filion

Dr. Genevieve Filion grew up in the suburbs of Quebec City, Canada. She graduated High School and College from Le Petit Seminaire de Quebec where she obtained her International Baccalaureate in 1996. She then went on to University of Montreal, Faculte de Medecine Veterinaire. After graduating in 2000, she moved to Ithaca, NY to start an internship at Cornell University in the large animal ambulatory service.  From there she practiced for 5 years in upstate New York in a variety of mixed, small animal, and emergency practices. In 2007 she moved to Connecticut where she immediately fell in love with the area and all that it has to offer. Since then she has worked at two AAHA hospitals in Guilford and Branford. Over the years, Dr. Filion has developed an interest in surgery, preventative care, and especially dentistry. She is also USDA APHIS accredited which allows her to issue Health certificates and recently she became Fear Free certified.

Dr. Filion lives in Killingworth with her husband Jeffrey and 2 children, Alexandre and Maxime. She also shares her home with 2 geriatric cats, Soleil and Teddy. Max and Alex are also the owners of 2 rescue guinea pigs Coco and Marshmallow. When she is not working, you can find Dr. Filion on the HK soccer and baseball fields enjoying watching her sons play. In her free time Dr. Filion also enjoys cooking, baking, skiing, hiking, and traveling. She particularly enjoys spending time with family in Caroga Lake, NY at the family camp or visiting her family in Quebec.

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.

CHRISTIE

Christie has worked in the veterinary field since 1998, 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.

HALEY

Haley joined SAH in 2020. Currently, she is finishing her last semester in MXCC’s Veterinary Technician program and will graduate with an associates degree in veterinary technology. Growing up in Clinton, Haley has always had a soft spot for animals and previously managed the Westbrook Animal Shelter. Haley is very passionate about animal behavior and has been apprenticing under a local trainer since 2019. Outside of the hospital, you can find Haley in her greenhouse or taking her dogs to sporting classes like lure coursing and dock diving. Haley lives locally with her husband and 3 dogs, Lani, Bindi and Mason.

SARAH

Sarah started with us as a veterinary assistant/receptionist in August of 2020. She has interned at Mystic Aquarium, the Syracuse Zoo and Grace and Glory Animal Rehab Center. She graduated with a degree in zoology and a minor in nutrition in May of 2020. Sarah grew up in East Hampton and now lives in Moodus with her boyfriend Josh and a leopard gecko named Benji. In her spare time, Sarah coaches high school volleyball and basketball. She loves animals of all shapes and sizes and looks forward to a career working with them!

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.

EMILY

For as long as she can remember she has been drawn to caring for animals. She started out her career in 1997 as a kennel assistant and quickly fell in love with the veterinary field when she was taken under a wing by a fellow technician who encouraged her to pursue her dream. She pursued her education at Becker College in Leicester, Massachusetts where she graduated in 2004 with her Bachelor of Science Degree in Veterinary Technology with a focus on Small Animal Medicine. In 2006 she became a Certified Veterinary Dentistry Technician. She loves continuing to learn and evolve as a veterinary professional and loves to teach and mentor those who welcome an opportunity to learn something new. Emily is also Fear Free Certified. She moved to Higganum in 2020 with her husband Matt and their daughter Megan. After losing their beloved dog Lily in June 2020, they are finally ready to welcome a new fur baby into their home. They are also greatly looking forward to filling their existing chicken coop with a flock of new chickens. They all share a love for any outdoor adventure, such as hiking, camping, kayaking, biking and travelling. Emily also enjoys working in the garden and spending time with friends and family.

JESSICA

jessica2

Jessica joined the SAH family in 2021. She has always had a passion for animals and knew early on that her dream was to work with them. Jessica started in the veterinary field in 2013 and fell in love with helping pets and their families. As a longtime Clinton resident, she takes pride in helping her community and making a difference in the lives of the patients and clients. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, camping, fishing, and reading. She can often be found cuddled up with her cat, Lenny, or spending time with family and friends.