BUFFALO VETERINARY GROUP - Key Persons
After receiving his Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, Dr. Johny graduated from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and completed his clinical year at Michigan State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Dr. Johny further completed a 1 year Rotating Internship and a 1 year Neurology Speciality Internship at Pieper Veterinary Emergency & Specialty in Connecticut. Dr. Johny's professional interests include Neurology and Emergency/ Critical Care Medicine. When he is not working, he enjoys hiking, landscape photography, snowboarding, and woodworking.
Dr. Gerard graduated from Dickinson College earning a Bachelor of Science in Biology and History. She then went on to earn her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University in 2013. Upon graduation, Dr. Gerard completed an internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at Iowa State and an Internal Medicine residency at the Atlantic Veterinary College (Prince Edward Island, Canada). She has previously worked in Massachusetts and Utah. She joins the Green acres family with years of experience in internal medicine, oncology, ultrasound, endoscopy, and computed tomography (CT).
Dr. Wicks grew up on Long Island, New York. She graduated from Marist College with a bachelor's degree in biomedical sciences. She then went south to attend Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine before moving back north to practice here in Lewiston. She has two dogs, a cattle dog mix named Dallas and a Pembroke welsh corgi named Theodore.
As a Western New York native, Dr. Mott is excited to be a part of the Wheatfield Animal Hospital team. After receiving her B.A. in Biology and A.S. in Veterinary Technology from Medaille College, Dr. Mott attended the University of Glasgow School of Veterinary Medicine. During her time spent in the United Kingdom, she traveled to several countries to gain further experience in emergency medicine and critical care. Dr. Mott is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. Her clinical interests include emergency care, ultrasonography, and surgery.
Dr. Kuhnle grew up here in Western New York and has been with Buffalo Veterinary Group since 2019 where he was a veterinary technician, and now a veterinarian. He obtained his A.S. in Veterinary Technology from Medaille College in 2014 and his B.A. in Biotechnology from Buffalo State University in 2018. He then attended St. Matthew's University where he completed his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine and finished his clinical rotations at Mississippi State University in 2023. Dr. Kuhnle's clinical interests include emergency medicine and internal medicine. Outside of the veterinary field, he enjoys cooking, producing music, fishing, playing/watching sports,
Dr. Biesinger began his veterinary career as a Veterinary Assistant here at Green Acres while pursuing his Pre-Veterinarian degree from Medaille College. He then graduated from The Ontario Veterinary College in 2013. He has assisted in spay/neuter clinics in India and Thailand and plans to return in the near future. Dr. Biesinger's interests include ultrasound, radiology, and surgery.
Dr. Rohan attended Kansas State University where he received his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Rohan's professional interests include feline medicine, surgery, and dermatology.
Dr. Chelsea Churchill is a southern California native. She received her Bachelor's degree in arts and sciences from Boston University, during which she played for the Division I Women's soccer team. She then received her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. Her clinical interests include pain management and primary care surgery. In her free time she can be found crafting, trying local buffalo cuisine or forcing her miniature dachshund, Joey, to get some exercise.
Dr. Derek Haley was raised in Fayetteville, Georgia. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Hampshire College in Massachusetts where he studied film and animal behavior. He then received his D.V.M. from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 2022. Dr. Haley's professional interests include emergency/critical care, behavioral medicine, and soft tissue surgery. He is a Fear Free certified professional and a member of the AVMA. Dr. Haley's personal interests include photography, sailing, and rock climbing. He also enjoys spending lots of time with his German Shepherd named Freja.
Dr. Irshad Khan was born and raised in Pakistan. After finishing vet school in Pakistan, he moved to France where he completed his masters degree from University of Francois Rabelais Tours. He later moved to Canada and worked at small animal practices in Newfoundland and Ontario. His professional interests include small animal medicine and surgery. In his spare time he enjoys walking trails, riding his bike, and volunteering.
Dr. Lisa Navickas is from New Jersey. She received her Bachelor's degree in Animal Science from Delaware Valley University. She attended veterinary School in Grenada at St. Georges University and completed her clinical year at Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. Her professional interests include preventative, alternative and sports medicine, as well as pocket pet and equine medicine. In her spare time, she enjoys competing in show jumping with her horse Tuffy , spending time with her rabbit Petrie and hiking with her two dogs, Kahlua a lab mix and Savannah a retriever mix.
Dr. Melanie Hopkins is originally from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and graduated from the University of Massachusetts Lowell with a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Biological Science. She attended and graduated from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. She is absolutely in love with the town of Lewiston and is so excited to serve such an amazing community. She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Dr. Paul Harper was born and raised in Buffalo, NY. He attended the Ohio State University for his undergraduate education and graduated from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation, Dr. Harper returned to the Buffalo-Niagara area to practice small animal medicine. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Animal Hospital Association, the American Association of Feline Practitioners, Western New York Veterinary Medical Association, and the Niagara Veterinary Medical Association. His areas of interest include orthopedic surgery (fracture repair, TPLO, MPL, etc), soft tissue surgery, and emergency/critical care.
Dr. Ma received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Cornell University. She is proud to be in a position where she can help pets and their families stay healthy and happy. She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and a Fear Free certified professional. Outside of veterinary medicine, she enjoys reading science fiction and teaching her cat Jilly how to do tricks.
Dr. Lin received a doctor of veterinary medicine degree from National Chiayi University, School of Veterinary Medicine in Taiwan. Following graduation, she completed a small animal rotating internship in National Taiwan University and earned a master's degree at Purdue University. Dr. Lin then completed a clinical year at Louisiana State University and achieved her certification of the Program for the Assessment of Veterinary Education Equivalence (PAVE). Her professional interests include anesthesia and emergency medicine. When she is not working, she enjoys cooking, traveling, and playing badminton.
Dr. Rottstock is a graduate from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine class of 2007. She completed her clinical studies at Louisiana State University and received a Bachelor's in Science of Biology from the University of Puerto Rico. She has an interest in Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine and Anesthesia. She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the NYS Veterinary Medical Society. She moved to Buffalo in 2018 with her husband and daughter accompanied by her rescue dog "Nietzsche" and cat "Baby Kitty". She enjoys spending time with her family hiking, traveling and watching blockbusters.
Dr. Spence received her degree in Veterinary Medicine in 2014 at Mississippi State.
Dr. Pawlowski grew up in the western NY area where she obtained her bachelor of science degree from Fredonia State University. After college, Dr. Pawlowski joined the BVG team as a veterinary assistant/receptionist before finally completing her doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from St. George's University. Dr. Pawlowski's area of clinical interest would be preventative medicine as well as surgery. Dr. Pawlowski lives with her two dogs Athena and Maggie as well as her four cats Penelope, Prentiss, JJ and Morgan.
Originally from Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, Dr. Reeder went to Albright College for his Bachelor of Science degree. He then attended the Atlantic Veterinary College (PEI Canada) for his DVM. His professional interests include emergency/critical care and surgery. He has one dog, a 3 year old boxer named Phoenix.
Dr. Kaitlin Knaszak (Dr. K) is excited to be back in western New York after spending years down in the south. Dr. Knaszak graduated from Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2017. After college Dr. Knaszak practiced emergency medicine and eventually general practice down in Virginia for the past six years. Her clinical interests include emergency medicine, ultrasonography and dermatology. She is a member of American veterinary medical association, and is fear free certified. She is looking forward to building relationships with your pets and their family members. Outside of the office Dr. Knaszak enjoys spending time outside
Job Titles:
- BVG Director of Operations
Dr. Schnier grew up here in Western New York and has been with Buffalo Veterinary Group since 2016, where she started as a receptionist, became a veterinary technician, and now returns as a veterinarian. She obtained her A.S./B.S. in Veterinary Technology from Medaille College in 2019 and her Master of Business Administration with concentrations in Health Care Management and Leadership Strategies from Davenport University in 2023. She then attended St. Matthew's University where she completed her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine and finished her clinical rotations at Mississippi State University in 2023. Dr. Schnier's clinical interests include exotic animal medicine,
As a Western New York native, Dr. Kent received his bachelors degree from Daemen College and then went on to pursue his DVM at Lincoln Memorial University. His professional interests include preventative medicine and soft tissue surgery. In his free time, he enjoys fishing, hiking with his dogs, and exploring new restaurants.
Dr. Moore is from Ontario, Canada. She attended the University of Guelph and completed her bachelor's degree in Animal Biology. She travelled to the Caribbean and received her Doctorate from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, and then completed her clinical year at Purdue University in Indiana. Buffalo allows her the opportunity to be close to family but also gain the most experience in emergency medicine. She is Fear Free Certified and Recover CPR certified. Her veterinary interests are emergency and shelter medicine. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, marine wildlife, and spending time with her Australian shepherd
Dr. Hitt graduated from Mississippi State University in 2012 with her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. Her professional interests include low-stress visits, low-stress handling, canine reproduction, and canine behavior. In her spare time, Dr. Hitt enjoys training and competing with her Chesapeake Bay Retrievers and Flat-Coated Retrievers in Obedience, Agility, and Conformation.
Dr. Parkhill graduated from Ross University of Veterinary Medicine in 2006. She completed her clinical year at Purdue University. Dr. Parkhill's professional interests include soft tissue surgery, oncology and exotic pets.
Dr. Leon Tse grew up in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and received his Bachelor of Science at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It was during his undergraduate studies where he developed an interest in animal care and veterinary medicine when he volunteered weekly at his local SPCA animal hospital. He then went on and graduated from the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of College Dublin (UCD), Ireland. His clinical interests at the moment include surgery and diagnostic imaging. Dr. Tse has a 12 years old Westie-poo named Riker.
Dr. Tanalski is originally from Long Island, NY but fell in love with western NY after attending the University at Buffalo where she received a degree in Biology with a minor in Medical Anthropology. She then received her D.V.M. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Veterinary Medicine in 2021. At Illinois, she worked with the resident wildlife animals, volunteered with the Veterinary Leadership Institute, and enjoyed outreach in the local community. Her veterinary interests include surgery, internal medicine, oncology, and pathology. She is a Fear Free certified professional, recover CPR certified, and a member of the AVMA.
Dr. Cody Howard was born in Salyersville, Kentucky, and is a graduate of Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine. He obtained his bachelor's degree from Morehead State University and then attended Tuskegee University in Alabama for his DVM degree. Dr. Howard's professional interests include internal medicine and general surgery. In his free time Dr. Howard is an avid horseman of several disciplines, going to the movies and comic conventions with friends, as well as powerlifting and rock climbing. Dr. Howard also enjoys managing his beef cattle herd alongside his German shepherd named Max.
Dr. Vind earned her Bachelor's degree in Zoology from Miami University, then her Master's degree in Laboratory Animal Science from Drexel University. She graduated from Western University with her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine and went on to complete a one-year small animal rotating internship. Dr. Vind's professional interests include emergency medicine, critical care, and ultrasonography. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, skiing, and spending time outdoors with her husband and spunky Wirehaired Pointing Griffon.
Dr. Burkard was born and raised in the Buffalo, NY area. She received her Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from Daemen College in 2015. Dr. Burkard graduated from Ontario Veterinary College in 2020 with her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. Her professional interests include feline medicine and low-stress visits. Dr. Burkard has four pets, 2 dogs and 2 cats, that keep her very busy.
Dr. Samuel is excited to join the Wheatfield Animal Hospital team and the Buffalo community! Dr. Samuel received her BSc. in Biology from Queen's University in Canada. She then graduated from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine on the island of St. Kitts and Nevis and completed her clinical year at Cornell University. Growing up she moved to several countries, developing a love for travel and various cuisines. She is looking forward to learning about Buffalo and its culture. Dr. Samuel's clinical interests include wildlife medicine, rehabilitation and surgery.
Dr. Harack is a Western NY native from North Tonawanda. She received her Bachelors of Science in Biology at Niagara University in 2015, and received her D.V.M from The Ohio State University in 2020. Her experience in school includes: completing a Business Minor at The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business, being a student ambassador for OSU, assisting in a spay/neuter trip to Costa Rica, and being a Hill's Pet Nutrition Primary student representative. Dr. Harack's medical interests include: oncology, soft tissue and orthopedic surgery, emergency and critical care. Her professional associations include being a member of AVMA,
Dr. Bernat graduated with her VMD from The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in 1998. Her professional interests include surgery, ultrasound, and internal medicine. She is a member of the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association), AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association), and the NYSVMS (New York State Medical Society).