ASPCA Shelter Medicine Services Team
Meet the people behind ASPCA® shelter medicine programs and initiatives.
Stephanie Janeczko, DVM, MS, DABVP (Shelter Medicine Practice; Canine & Feline Practice), CAWA; Vice President, Shelter Medicine Services
Dr. Stephanie Janeczko is the Vice President of Shelter Medicine Services at the ASPCA. She leads the organization’s national shelter medicine work and provides leadership for the ASPCA’s initiative to expand access to veterinary care and leads the organization’s national shelter medicine work, including training and mentoring future shelter medicine specialists through the Julie Morris Shelter Medicine Residency and the ASPCA Practitioner Pathway Mentorship program. Dr. Janeczko completed her DVM in 2004 and shelter medicine residency and master’s in epidemiology in 2009, all at Cornell University. She was a founding member of the Shelter Medicine Practice board specialty and is also boarded certified in Canine & Feline Practice through the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP), and she is a Certified Animal Welfare Administrator. Dr. Janeczko currently serves in several leadership roles, including with ABVP, the Veterinary Medical Association of NYC, and the New York State Veterinary Medical Society. She is a former board member and past president of the Association of Shelter Veterinarians, and received the organization’s Meritorious Service Award in 2020. Dr. Janeczko is a co-author of the revised ASV Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters and co-editor of Infectious Disease Management in Animal Shelters textbook.
Elise Gingrich DVM, MPH, MS, DACVPM, DABVP (Shelter Medicine Practice); Senior Director, Shelter Medicine
Dr. Elise Gingrich is a Senior Director of Shelter Medicine with the ASPCA. She earned her DVM from Iowa State University in 2005. After 2 years in private practice, she completed a shelter medicine residency at Colorado State University. During her residency, Dr. Gingrich completed her MPH (through the University of Iowa) in 2007 and earned her MS in Clinical Sciences in 2010. After her residency, Dr. Gingrich worked in municipal and private shelters in Wisconsin and Colorado for nine years before joining the ASPCA in 2019. She is board certified in Shelter Medicine Practice by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners and also board-certified by the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine. 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.
Elizabeth Berliner, DVM, MA, DABVP (Shelter Medicine Practice; Canine & Feline Practice); Senior Director, Shelter Medicine Training Programs
Dr. Berliner is the Senior Director of Shelter Medicine Training Programs at the ASPCA. She leads 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 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. She is also 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 a courtesy appointment as an Associate Clinical Professor at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Lauren Overman, DVM; Senior Director, Shelter Medicine
Dr. Lauren Overman has worked in animal welfare for over 15 years and her involvement in and commitment to shelter medicine runs deep. She 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). 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 (Animals and Public Policy); 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 while pursuing board certification in Shelter Medicine Practice through the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP).
Daniela Lopez Goicochea; Resident, Shelter Medicine
Dr. Dani Lopez Goicochea is the second resident in the ASPCA’s Julie Morris Shelter Medicine Residency Program. 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. As a veterinary and public health student, Dr. Lopez volunteered in monthly community cat clinics and completed projects related to community medicine and access to veterinary care. After graduating, Dr. Lopez completed a Shelter Medicine internship at Cornell University in 2022, where she provided direct care to the animals at the SPCA of Tompkins County and completed rotations at the Cornell University Hospital for Animals.
Eme Chan; Resident, Shelter Medicine
Dr. Eme Chan is a resident in the ASPCA's Julie Morris Shelter Medicine Residency Program. 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 year long 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 the animal shelter environment, worked in community medicine, and handled animals in cruelty cases. She decided to continue her training with the ASPCA for her shelter medicine residency.
Cassidy Piskorick; Administrative Manager, Shelter Medicine
Cassidy Piskorick has been working professionally in the field of animal welfare since 2015. She has experience working in direct animal care, feline adoption, canine adoption, and program development. In addition to this, Cassidy is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) and has worked both in shelter animal behavior as well as public behavior consulting. She is passionate about collaboration across departments within shelters to improve animal welfare. Cassidy has a deep interest in shelter medicine and provides administrative and logistical support to the Shelter Medicine Services team and the ASPCA’s Julie Morris Shelter Medicine Residency Program.
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.