MURPHY, Official Greeter & Honorary Office Manager

 

Murphy, Morristown Animal Hospital’s Official Greeter and Honorary Office Manager, loves welcoming visitors to the Hospital. Though he may be found sleeping on the job at times, the Hospital makes allowances for Murphy’s behavior.

 

“He is our ambassador of goodwill,” Chief Veterinarian Dr. David Matalon says.

 

The hospital’s clients concur. “He always has a calming effect upon me,” said one, adding that “Murphy must be very conscientious. He even eats lunch at his desk.”

 

Office Manager Lori agrees Murphy is devoted to his work and says her honorary partner “never fails to step up to the plate.”

 

Murphy provides stress relief to the Hospital staff. “He’s a real jokester, especially at lunch,”

Lori added.  “If someone turns his head for just a minute, Murphy will do away with the food.  He likes doing it especially when chicken, roast beef and cool ranch Doritos are involved.”

 

Admittedly, some staff members become fed up with Murphy’s tricks. He likes to jump onto computer keyboards, knock things off desks, print unnecessary reports, rip “Post It” notes with his mouth and, if he gets lucky, grabs checks intended for payment. Despite it all, the staff puts up with his antics because “Murphy looks cute!”

 

As good natured as Murphy is, he dislikes someone sticking their pet’s face up to his and saying, “Look at the kitty!” It gets Murphy’s nose out-of-joint. Other than that, he loves animals, especially cats.  Asked why, Murphy says, “I am one.”

 

Murphy has 20 pets to call his own. Their names: Lori, Alicia, Amanda, Andy, Ashley, Cookie, Dave, Elizabeth, Emily, Eric, Joelene, Karin, Kate, Laura D., Laura K., Miguel, Nancy, Peggy, Samantha and Susan. He feels they’re purrfect and they feel he is, too.

 

 

 

 

   

    LORI, Practice Manager & Receptionist 

 

As manager of the Morristown Animal Hospital, Lori is responsible for its general day-to-day business operations, including payroll, billing and overseeing staff. Lori’s other Hospital duties include assisting with medical emergencies and surgeries. For Lori, however, the work is much more than just a job.

“It is a labor of love,” she said.  Lori enjoys getting to know the animals and hearing stories about how the pets have affected their owners’ lives.  Lori’s own animals have often come with a story. Lily, her dog, was born to a mother in a high-kill shelter and rejected by the young mother.

Tank, her 17- year-old calico cat, was found orphaned in an Army tank at a National Guard Armory. Casey, her dog at the time raised the kitten. Two of her cats were found left in a box on the front porch. Her menagerie also includes a guinea pig, two rats and a parakeet.  She also is a volunteer at a cat rescue group.

 “I always had animals to take care of ever since I was a child,” she said. “I even took in friends and neighbors’ pets while they were away.”

During off-hours, Lori enjoys watching her children’s sports events and spending time at her old dairy farm in upstate New York.

 

 

 

 

 LAURA D., Head Veterinary Technician

 

Laura, like her other Morristown Animal Hospital colleagues, considers animal patients “part of our family.” She delights in “getting to know the Hospital’s clients and their pets” and takes special pleasure in watching the pets grow up.

Laura finds it hard not to get too attached to the patients. She says it is especially difficult when animals are suffering and to see owners go through the emotional pain of losing a part of their family.

 

Laura’s work entails managing personnel and assisting Doctors Matalon, Padover and Kearns in caring for patients. She instills in the staff a sense of treating each animal as if it were your own.

 

Off-the-job, Laura attends college and enjoys photography and writing. She also enjoys caring for her six pets: two dogs (“Charlotte” and “Charlie”), three rats (“Edna,” “Lil Taters” and “Mildred”) and ferret (“Minkie”). Laura volunteers much of her free time to helping a local cat rescue, Smitten By Kittens.

 



 AMANDA, Veterinary Technician & Receptionist

 

 “Animals can’t speak for themselves,” Morristown Animal Hospital Veterinary Technician Amanda notes. “They need people who understand them and are willing to lend them a helping hand.”

Amanda performs a variety of duties at the Hospital, including assisting the doctors with examinations and surgeries, serving as a receptionist and helping with administrative work.

She knows the importance of caring for animals properly. Amanda has four dogs (“Lulu,” “Logan,” “Storm” and “Cheyenne”), three cats (“Wooby,” “Panther” and “Thumper Bear”) and a kitten (“Fizzgig”) at home.

When not playing with her animals, Amanda has hobbies ranging from photography, to hiking, to fast cars.

 


 

  ALICIA, Receptionist

After many years at the Morristown Animal Hospital, Alicia still finds her job “rewarding and different.” Her receptionist duties are varied but primarily deal with client/patient contact.  

Due to her many years at the hospital, Alicia is experienced in virtually all its functions. As a result, she often, in consultation with the doctors, can provide answers to pet owners’ questions. The best part of her job, she said, is “being able to help both clients and their pets.”

Alicia earned a B.S. Degree in Wildlife Biology from Michigan State University.  Her black labs (“Hudson” and “Haven “) and cats (“Catrina” and “Floyd”) “enjoy constant and continuous love,” notes Alicia.

In her off time, Alicia enjoys spending time at the beach with her husband and two dogs. 

 

  

ANDY, Veterinary Technician

In addition to being a middle school teacher and coach, Andy provides the Morristown Animal Hospital with maintenance and security.

Andy enjoys the Hospital because, he says, “it offers a positive work environment with talented and supportive co-workers who share a love of animals.”

One of the biggest challenges of Andy’s maintenance duties is striving to maintain a balance. “It is keeping the bucolic charms offered by the Hospital’s pre-Civil War buildings, while integrating the state-of-the-art equipment essential for use in a contemporary veterinary hospital.”

The book, All Creatures Great and Small, had a profound effect upon Andy, “eventually turning a child’s aspiration into an adult reality,” he said.

Animals have always been a part of Andy’s life. He cites “countless Springer Spaniels to the occasional feline vagabond.” Collecting cars is a favorite pastime of Andy’s.

 

 

JOELENE, Veterinary Technician

As a veterinary technician, Joelene performs various tasks at the Hospital. They range from assisting the doctors to answering the phones. The aspect of her job that Joelene likes best is working with pets and helping get them back in good health. Off-the-job, Joelene enjoys her two cats ("Samson" and "Delilah") and working with harness racing horses.

 

 

   KARIN, Veterinary Technician and Inventory Manager

 

As Inventory Manager, Veterinary Technician Karin orders food, medicine and supplies for the Morristown Animal Hospital.  The biggest  challenge of her job?  Trying to  get my work done amongst the chaos of a busy animal hospital.”

 

Karin has a different slant on what she likes best about her work. She said it is “meeting interesting animals and the people they own.”

 

Now the mother of twins, Karin works part-time at the Hospital. She previously worked full-time as a surgery technician for eight years. Karin and her family own four pets, including three rescue animals. Two are dogs (“Roscoe” and “Ben”) and two are cats (“George” and “Dit”).

 

She is a graduate of Hampshire College, Amherst, MA, and holds a BA degree in animal biology and behavior. Karin recently learned sign language and is now teaching it to her dogs!

 

 


  KATE, Veterinary and Surgical Technician

 As a Morristown Animal Hospital veterinary and surgical technician, Kate assists the doctors during examinations; cares for sick pets that are boarded; helps with surgery by monitoring anesthesia; takes blood and administers medication.

Kate loves her job and working with animals. “Every day is different and there are always new challenges,” she says.

She emphasizes the importance of not letting pets become overweight. “They will live longer and be healthier,” she says. “Food does not equal love.”

Kate always has felt compassion for animals and thought about becoming a vet even in elementary school. “As a child, I was always trying to rescue the birds or mice that my cats would hunt.”

Animals which Kate owns include a dog (“Oliver”), a cat (“Sadie”) and a fish (“Brutus”).

 

 

 


   LAURA K., Surgical Technician

Laura has been at the Morristown Animal Hospital since she was a teenager working in the kennel.  After taking time off to attend college, she came back and worked her way up to Sugery Technician.  The most rewarding part of Laura's job is to see how much better an animal feels after a surgery has helped it.

Her love of animals extends to her home where she has two cats (“Snowball” and “Shadow”), a dog (“Olive”) and two goldfish (“Fin” and “Vincent”).

Laura also has a second rewarding career. She is an award-winning artist, known for paintings in acrylics and oils and drawings in all mediums. Not surprisingly, her specialty is pets. Laura can be reached at laurak_arts@yahoo.com Her work can be viewed at:  http://members.petfinder.com/~NJ346/laurakoeckfineart.htm .

 

In addition to painting and drawing, Laura enjoys photography, art and antiques. She also finds time to volunteer at the Stickley Museum at the Craftsman Farm in Morris Plains.

 

 

 

  MIGUEL, Veterinary Technician

As a Morristown Animal Hospital Veterinary Technician, Miguel cares for animals in the hospital ward and assists the doctors with examinations.

Miguel often sees animals stressed when brought to the facility. “Get your pet used to being handled if it’s not already,” he says.

Miguel enjoys small dogs and owns a cute Maltese named “Nieve”. He got to put his work skills into action at home after Nieve needed a specialized liver surgery. Miguel attends William Patterson College and is working towards a degree in fine arts. He specializes in illustration and has some of his work hanging in the animal hospital.

 

 

 

  ROBERT, Veterinary Technician 

Nicknamed “Cookie,” Robert is a jack-of-all-trades at the Morristown Animal Hospital. He does everything from assisting the doctors to supervising part-time techniciansto doing repair and maintenance work. Cookie, who owns “lots of cats,” says the best part of his job is to help animals become healthy. 

 

 

 

   SAMANTHA, Veterinary  Assistant

 

Interacting with pets comes naturally to Veterinary Assistant Samantha. At home, she has two dogs (“Harry” and “Maggie”), a cat (“Tinkerbell“) and a fish named “Lucy.” 

 

Samantha’s concern for her pets carries over to her work at the Animal Hospital.  She cares for pets boarded at its kennel and provides assistance to Drs. Matalon, Padover and Kearns, including administering medicine.

 

Samantha says the best part of her job is working with clients and their pets. She always emphasizes the importance of exercising animals regularly.

 

In her spare time, Samantha enjoys horseback riding, swimming and camping.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  ASHLEY, Veterinary Technician

Now a Columbia University graduate student, Ashley is on track to become a veterinarian.

When working at the Morristown Animal Hospital, she assists the doctors by holding pets being examined, drawing blood and preparing medications. She also cares for animals boarded in the Hospital’s kennel.

For Ashley, working directly with the doctors is the most valuable part of her job. “I learn from what they do and from how they interact with pet owners,” she says.

Devoted to helping animals, Ashley feels strongly that pet owners should adopt animals (instead of buying them from a breeder) and have them spayed or neutered.

Ashley owns two cats, “Emma” and “Koji,” which is Japanese for “tiger.”   It is not surprising Ashley chose that name. She majored in East Asian studies at Rutgers and is a wildlife volunteer who works with big cats.

 

 

 

   ERIC, Kennel Assistant  

Seeing animals cruelly treated fueled the desire of Morristown Animal Hospital Kennel Assistant Eric to help needy animals.  Working as a kennel assistant enables him to contribute to their well-being.  Eric’s job is to help ensure that pets boarded at the Hospital live in a safe, clean and healthy environment.  He assists the doctors when necessary and has responsibility for seeing that Hospital supplies are properly organized.

In his spare time, Eric enjoys walking with his dog, “Gomeaux.”

 

 

 

  ELIZABETH, Kennel Assistant

Having grown up around animals has provided Kennel Assistant Elizabeth with an affinity for pets brought to the Morristown Animal Hospital for boarding. She is committed to caring for the pets as if they were her own.  Elizabeth makes sure that each pet in the kennel gets plenty of personal TLC and exercise.

Elizabeth herself is an owner of many animals. She keeps a steady stream of foster cats in her bedroom as well as owning four cats of her own, a dog, a guinea pig, two rats and a bird.  She also helps a local cat rescue, Smitten By Kittens, with photography and cat care.

 

 

EMILY, Kennel Assistant

Emily, a kennel assistant, cares for pets brought to the Morristown Animal Hospital’s kennel for boarding. She also takes care of the staff’s need for caffeine by making frequent trips to Dunkin Donuts.

 

Emily’s duties include administering medicine. A Morristown High School senior, she also has learned other “cool stuff” at the Hospital like assisting with blood tests and developing x-rays. In her spare time,  Emily’s interests range from “cinematic adventures” to “apple picking” to spending time with her dog (“Mocha“) and guinea pig (“Mr. Darcy”).

 

 

 

 

SUSAN,Veterinary Assistant                                                                                                                                                                       

Pets boarded at the Morristown Animal Hospital over the weekends receive plenty of tender loving care and play time from Susan, a veterinary assistant on the kennel staff.

Susan, who regularly works the Hospital’s Sunday morning shift, makes sure the animals’ living areas are safe and clean.  She helps feed and medicate the pets and assists when they are brought to the Hospital in an emergency.

“Helping animals when they are sick gives me a sense of satisfaction,” Susan says. “Working at the hospital allows me to meet many wonderful animals and people and to help when they are in need.”

Based upon her experiences, Susan urges pet owners to provide their animals with basic obedience training. “It makes them more pleasant to be around,” she says. “Practicing obedience skills exercise animals’ bodies and their minds as well.”

Susan has always loved animals and walks the talk. She today owns five cats (“Sophie,” “Cleopatra,” “Kitty,” “Jem” and “Smokey”) and two dogs (“Stella” and “Moses”).

An equestrian for almost 20 years, Susan enjoys “hunt seat,” one of two classic forms of English horseback riding, and is now learning the other, “dressage.” When not interacting with animals, Susan likes to read and quilt.