ASPCA Shelter Medicine Services Team
Meet the people behind ASPCA® shelter medicine programs and initiatives.
Elizabeth Berliner, DVM, MA, DABVP (Shelter Medicine Practice; Canine & Feline Practice); Vice President, Shelter Medicine Services and Veterinary Training Programs
Dr. Berliner is the Vice President of Shelter Medicine Services and Veterinary Training Programs at the ASPCA. She leads the Shelter Medicine Services team (SMS) at the ASPCA, which provides shelter medicine expertise within the ASPCA and externally to veterinarians, shelters & rescues, academic institutions, and other stakeholders. SMS is also the home of the ASPCA’s Julie Morris Shelter Medicine Residency and the Practitioner Pathway Mentorship Program for veterinarians pursuing board certification in Shelter Medicine Practice through the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP). Dr. Berliner also leads the ASPCA’s Veterinary Training Initiative (VTI), which encompasses over a dozen training programs for veterinary and veterinary technician students.
Dr. Berliner is boarded in both Shelter Medicine Practice and Canine & Feline Practice through ABVP. She was a member of the organizing committee for the shelter medicine board specialty and is a former board member of the Association of Shelter Veterinarians (ASV). Currently, she serves on the ASV’s position statement committee and membership engagement committee. She is a co-author of the revised ASV Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters (2022) and numerous publications related to shelter and community medicine. She is an Executive Board Member for the NYS Veterinary Medical Society and recipient of the organization’s 2022 award for Outstanding Service to Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Berliner also holds an appointment as a Visiting Associate Clinical Professor at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Elise Gingrich DVM, MPH, MS, DACVPM, DABVP (Shelter Medicine Practice); Senior Director, Shelter Medicine
As Senior Director of Shelter Medicine, Dr. Elise Gingrich provides support and training in shelter medicine best practices for internal shelter programs and external shelter partners. She is board certified by the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine and by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP) in Shelter Medicine Practice. She currently serves as the Residency Chair for ABVP. Dr. Gingrich was a member of the organizing committee for the shelter medicine specialty and is a past president and former board member of the Association of Shelter Veterinarians. She is also a co-author of the revised ASV Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters.
Dr. Gingrich earned her DVM from Iowa State University in 2005 and completed a shelter medicine residency at Colorado State University, during which she earned her MPH (University of Iowa - 2007) and master’s in Clinical Sciences in 2010. Prior to joining the ASPCA, she served as served as the medical director at both municipal and private shelters in Milwaukee and Colorado.
Lauren Overman, DVM, DABVP (Shelter Medicine Practice); Senior Director, Shelter Medicine
Dr. Lauren Overman has worked in animal welfare for over 20 years and started as a veterinary assistant in an animal shelter before attending veterinary medical school. After graduating from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 2011, Dr. Overman went on to complete a shelter medicine internship at Oregon Humane Society. She then joined the Humane Society for Southwest Washington for 10 years as Vice President of Veterinary Services, where she oversaw the surgical and medical care of shelter animals and pets of people experiencing houselessness.
Dr. Overman is currently serving on the Board of Directors for both the Alliance for Contraception of Cats and Dogs (ACC&D) and the Association of Shelter Veterinarians (ASV). She is boarded in Shelter Medicine Practice through ABVP and her interests include community-centric sheltering, shelter infectious disease prevention/management, and a veterinarian’s role in shelter management.
Kathleen Makolinski, DVM, DABVP (Shelter Medicine Practice); Senior Director, Shelter Medicine
Dr. Kathleen Makolinski earned her DVM from Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine in 1996 and is board certified in Shelter Medicine Practice through the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP). She was a member of the organizing committee for the shelter medicine board specialty, is a former board member of the Association of Shelter Veterinarians (ASV), and a co-author of the 2016 ASV Veterinary Medical Care Guidelines for Spay-Neuter Programs. After working in private practice and in several animal shelters in Western New York, Dr. Makolinski co-founded Feral Cat FOCUS, Operation PETS (spay/neuter clinic), and Better Together Pet Resource Center. She was also a founding board member of the New York State Animal Protection Federation. Prior to joining the ASPCA, Dr. Makolinski served as an Assistant Professor at LMU’s College of Veterinary Medicine where she instructed 4th year veterinary students in Shelter Medicine.
Melanie Benetato, VMD, MS, DABVP (Shelter Medicine Practice); Director, Shelter Medicine Clinical Training
Dr. Melanie Benetato oversees the clinical training for the ASPCA's Julie Morris Shelter Medicine Residency Program. Dr. Benetato began her career in animal sheltering in the early 2000s. She began as a volunteer and then became a full-time staff member in a Washington, DC animal shelter. She completed a master's degree in Animals and Public Policy at Tufts University before attending veterinary school in Philadelphia at the University of Pennsylvania. After graduating from veterinary school in 2014, she moved to New York City and completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the ASPCA. Dr. Benetato continues to work in New York City animal shelters.
Eme Chan, DVM; Resident, Shelter Medicine
Dr. Eme Chan is a resident in the ASPCA's Julie Morris Shelter Medicine Residency Program (2024-2027). She grew up volunteering at local animal shelters in New York City. She then went to Cornell University where she obtained her bachelor's degree in Animal Science and her DVM degree. After graduating, she completed a rotating internship at the ASPCA Animal Hospital where she provided accessible urgent care to pets and developed her clinical and surgical skills. While at the ASPCA, she also gained experience in shelter medicine and community medicine and handled animals in cruelty cases. She decided to continue her training with the ASPCA for her shelter medicine residency.
Meredith Bleuer, DVM; Resident, Shelter Medicine
Dr. Meredith Bleuer is a resident in the ASPCA's Julie Morris Shelter Medicine Residency Program (2025-2028). She earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Oregon State University in 2019 with her senior project focused on veterinary forensic medicine. After graduating from veterinary school, she worked in small animal general practice where she developed a passion for increasing access to veterinary care.
Dr. Bleuer transitioned to shelter medicine and began working towards a Master of Science in Veterinary Medical Sciences with a concentration in Shelter Medicine through the University of Florida. As a shelter veterinarian, she gained experience in a variety of shelters throughout Virginia and Utah. She decided to pursue formal shelter medicine training to expand her ability to make meaningful impacts in the animal shelter community.
Cassidy Piskorick, CPDT-KA; Administrative Manager, Shelter Medicine
Cassidy Piskorick is the Administrative Manager, Shelter Medicine at the ASPCA. In this role, she supports the SMS team's work to advance shelter medicine expertise across the ASPCA and the broader animal welfare field - including the Julie Morris Shelter Medicine Residency Program, the Practitioner Pathway Mentorship Program, and the annual ASPCA® Cornell Maddie's® Shelter Medicine Conference. Cassidy oversees multi-program budget management and serves as a key operational and logistical resource for the team and its veterinary leadership.
Cassidy has been working professionally in the field of animal welfare since 2015, with hands-on experience spanning direct animal care, feline and canine adoption, behavioral rehabilitation, and intake coordination. A Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA), she has applied her expertise in both shelter animal behavior and public-facing behavior consulting. She joined the ASPCA in 2020 as an Animal Behavior Specialist before transitioning into administrative roles within SMS, where she has continued to grow her contributions to the team. Cassidy is passionate about cross-departmental collaboration as a driver of meaningful improvement in animal welfare outcomes.
Program Alumni
Biana G. Tamimi BVM&S, CVA, Resident, Shelter Medicine
Dr. Biana G. Tamimi was the first resident in the ASPCA’s Julie Morris Shelter Medicine Residency Program, and is now in her third and final year of the program. She completed her degree in veterinary medicine at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland in 2017. As a vet student, Dr. Tamimi undertook shelter medicine externships at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley, Santa Fe Animal Shelter, and the Dogs Trust (UK). She founded a free student-run clinic for the pets of people who are vulnerably housed in Edinburgh. She spent 3 years working in general practice and volunteering with community medicine organizations before completing a rotating internship in Edinburgh in 2021. Dr. Tamimi also holds a certificate in Veterinary Acupuncture and served as a representative in the Scottish Branch of the British Veterinary Association. Outside of her residency she co-leads the Street Dog Coalition team in New York City providing accessible care to unhoused people and their pets.
Daniela Lopez Goicochea, DVM, MPH, DABVP (Shelter Medicine Practice)
Dr. Dani Lopez Goicochea was the second graduate of the ASPCA’s Julie Morris Shelter Medicine Residency Program, completing the program in 2025. Originally an anthropology and media studies major at Brown University, her experiences volunteering and later working at her local animal shelter led her to pursue a career change. Dr. Lopez attended Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and obtained her DVM and MPH degrees in 2021.
After graduating, Dr. Lopez completed a Shelter Medicine internship at Cornell University in 2022. As a resident, Dr. Lopez completed research on cats from hoarding environments and had a special interest in feline health and welfare in animal shelters. After residency, she supported the Shelter Medicine Services providing consultation support part-time, and provided clinical support to the ASPCA Kitten Nursery and Adoption Center, and the Animal Care Centers of NYC. She will begin a new role at the Oregon Humane Society as a Shelter Medicine Specialist and internship/residency advisor in the spring of 2026.