West Chelsea Veterinary
West Chelsea Veterinary’s Team
Meet the veterinary team!
Dr. Michael Farber, D.V.M. Practice Founder
In February 1997, Dr. Michael Farber opened the doors of West Chelsea Veterinary. After working for eight years in a veterinary hospital in downtown Manhattan, Dr. Farber was ready to draw upon his ideas in creating a state-of-the-art, cutting edge, medical facility. He leads a team of accomplished veterinarians who passionately work to achieve his vision of providing our clients and their pets the highest quality of care.
His interest in veterinary medicine stemmed from growing up on his family’s dairy farm in upstate New York. Consequently, he set out to pursue a career as a large animal veterinarian. However, once he arrived at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, his interests evolved into a love for small animal medicine. Dr. Farber graduated from the Veterinary School at Cornell in 1989. After completing a yearlong internship in Connecticut at the Darien Animal Hospital, he returned to Manhattan to be close to his family and accept his first job as a veterinarian.
Dr. Farber’s calm demeanor and kind bedside manner have made him a client favorite for the entirety of his career. When not leading the charge at West Chelsea Veterinary, Dr. Farber spends his time raising his son. Together, they spend as much time as possible on the same family-owned dairy farm that was such a significant part of his upbringing.
Dr. Bridget Halligan, D.V.M., C.V.A.
Dr. Bridget Halligan joined the West Chelsea Veterinary team in 1997. She is a native New Yorker, growing up in Staten Island and attending Stonybrook University. Dr. Halligan has worked in the veterinary industry for almost four decades and in a variety of capacities. Before deciding to go to veterinary school in 1991, she worked as, both, a veterinary receptionist and licensed veterinary technician. After her first job in the veterinary field, Dr. Halligan graduated from Atlantic Veterinary College in 1995. She completed a yearlong internship at the Animal Medical Center (N.Y.C.) and worked in Staten Island for one year before coming to West Chelsea Veterinary. During her tenure at West Chelsea Veterinary, she earned a certification as a veterinary acupuncturist, providing an important treatment option for our patients with orthopedic, neurological, and geriatric issues.
Dr. Halligan dedicates her life outside of West Chelsea Veterinary to raising her daughter. Together, they live with their much-loved pooch, Sullivan, an 85lb mutt mix adopted from North Shore Animal League and Bumble, a twelve-year-old adopted cat. Dr. Halligan’s hobbies include renovating old houses and spending time outdoors.
Dr. Caroline Magasweran, D.V.M.
Dr. Magasweran graduated from SUNY Binghamton before studying veterinary medicine at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. She spent her clinical year of veterinary school at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. She completed a yearlong internship at New York’s BluePearl Veterinary Partners, a community of hospitals offering specialty and emergency medicine to New York City, and beyond.
Dr. Magasweran is fluent in French, which adds to the diversity of languages we can speak with our clients at West Chelsea Veterinary. These days, she travels for fun while calling Manhattan home. She shares her city home with her husband, daughter, and her rescued cats, Iron Hide, Gina, and Echo.
Dr. Robert Klain, D.V.M.
He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from The University at Albany where he graduated summa cum laude. He went onto earn his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, with honors, from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 2004. During veterinary school, Dr. Klain focused his attention on underprivileged Native American communities in Arizona and Ohio at Rural Area Veterinary Services. After veterinary school, Dr. Klain completed a yearlong internship at Animal Medical Center in Manhattan where he delved into a variety of veterinary specialties, including small animal surgery. Dr. Klain worked as a general practitioner in NYC before joining West Chelsea Veterinary in 2013.
Dr. Klain’s areas of interest include dentistry, oncology, cardiology, dermatology, anesthesia and pain management. He enjoys having the opportunity to work closely with a menagerie of different animals and to be part of solving complex medical issues. Dr. Klain currently shares a home with a gray and white tabby rescue cat named The Iceman and his black and white Pitt Bull mix named, Daryl. When not at work, Dr. Klain loves playing and following sports, including running, cycling, snowboarding, basketball, and dodgeball.
Dr. Hyla Gayer, B.V.M. & S., M.R.C.V.S.
Dr. Hyla Gayer may be one of the most creative vets you’ll ever meet. This native New Yorker’s super virtuous family instilled in her a deep appreciation for performing and the arts. Dr. Gayer’s natural abilities and passion for gymnastics, dancing and singing landed her a spot at the famous LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts. This experience and her talent led to a multi-year touring gig throughout New England with Circus Smirkus (http://smirkus.org). Circus Smirkus is an international youth circus with a mission to inspire youth to engage in life-changing adventures in the circus arts. Dr. Gayer performed as an aerial acrobat (trapeze and tight wire) and as an equine stunt artist! Although steeped in creative talent and already working as a professional performer, Dr. Gayer surprised even herself when the pull of becoming a veterinarian heavily outweighed the need to be in the spotlight.
She followed the call (and her sense of adventure) to become an animal doctor by applying to veterinary school in Scotland. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in psychology (with a minor in chemistry) where she graduated with honors from Queens College in Queens, New York. Dr. Gayer attained her BVMS & MRCVS in the Graduate Entry Program with Academic Credit Honors from The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. She then returned to New York City and completed a small animal, rotating medical and surgical internship at Blue Pearl Veterinary Partners before joining West Chelsea Veterinary in July of 2014. Dr. Gayer shares her home with her two cats, Margot and Jayla and her little, 3-legged, Yorkie, Mojo.
Dr. Christopher Greco, D.V.M., Co-Medical Director
Dr. Greco is from a small town in Connecticut just outside of New York City. Growing up, Dr. Greco kept his room filled with cages of creatures of every size and shape. He also had a deep passion for aviation and became a private pilot at the age of 17.
He obtained his undergraduate degree in business administration from Northeastern University in Boston, where he graduated cum laude. Throughout college and afterward, however, he maintained his life-long passion for animals and realized veterinary medicine would be more fulfilling. He completed his pre-veterinary coursework at both Harvard and Northeastern University and gained invaluable experience as an emergency veterinary assistant at MSPCA Angell Animal Medical Center. He then headed south to the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, where he earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) in May of 2016.
Following graduation from veterinary school, Dr. Greco completed a yearlong internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the ASPCA Animal Hospital here in N.Y.C. During this experience, Dr. Greco provided exemplary veterinary care to underserved individuals and their pets while taking part in many animal abuse cases. One of the major lessons he learned from his experience at the ASPCA Animal Hospital is that the simple acts of kindness and caring for those in need make all the difference in the world.
Dr. Greco’s areas of interest include dentistry and internal medicine. He currently lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with a Great Pyrenees mix Sophie and an orange tabby cat Michelangelo. When Dr. Greco is not providing veterinary care at West Chelsea Veterinary, he can be found traveling the world, SCUBA diving, skiing, or trying new restaurants in the city.
Dr. Jennifer Chen, V.M.D.
She attended New York University where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology and a minor in psychology. She then obtained her Veterinarian Medicinae Doctoris (V.M.D) in 2017 at The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine where she served as Class Secretary and received a Veterinary Business Management Association certificate.
One of her most memorable experiences was during a summer when she volunteered at a low-cost animal clinic in the Galapagos Islands with Darwin Animal Doctors. While there she performed spays and neuters and helped educate the community on population control and the importance of preventative medicine.
After veterinary school, Dr. Chen returned to New York City and completed a one-year small animal medicine and surgery rotating internship at Blue Pearl Veterinary Partners. Dr. Chen’s special interests include internal medicine, cardiology, and dentistry. She is passionate about educating clients and providing options to help them make the best-informed decisions for their pet’s care.
Dr. Chen lives with her sassy calico cat, Scout, who was a “foster fail” from veterinary school. In her spare time, Dr. Chen enjoys being in the outdoors, hiking, playing volleyball, traveling, and exploring new restaurants in the city.
Dr. Gabriela Canales, D.V.M., Co-Medical Director
Dr. Canales was born in Honduras but grew up right here in NYC. Her household was always full of animals ranging from dogs, cats, hamsters, turtles, and fish. She even rescued a pigeon and nursed her back to health as a child. She attended the City College of New York for her undergraduate degree, at which time she became interested in pursuing her love of helping animals. She began volunteering at cat rescue organizations, assisting at different practices throughout the city, and helping children with disabilities through horseback riding therapy.
Once accepted to Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, she continued her community outreach by applying the skills she learned in her coursework. This included participating in spay and neuter programs, community wellness clinics, and volunteering with a bereavement hotline. One of her most memorable experiences was a result of spending a week at an Apache Indian reservation in White Mountain Arizona. During that week, she helped to complete the vaccinations and spaying and neutering of over 300 owned and stray dogs.
After veterinary school, she completed a one-year internship in Medicine and Surgery at BluePearl Veterinary Partners, where she trained in emergency medicine, internal medicine, neurology, and surgery. Dr. Canales has a special interest in surgery and dentistry. Her hobbies include playing music (ukulele and beginner drums), gardening, sewing and crochet, and cycling. She is fluent in Spanish. She has two wonderful cats, Bert and Priscilla, who make excellent lap warmers and alarm clocks.
Dr. Kevyn Harer, D.V.M
In support of promoting the human-animal connection, Dr. Harer led an Ann Arbor-based group called PAWS (Pets Are Wonderful Support of Ann Arbor). PAWS sought to maintain the bond people share with their pets by providing assistance to elderly and disabled people to best care for their furry family members. PAWS provided those in need with pet food, supplies, veterinary services, and general pet-care. As a result, these animal lovers were able to keep their pets at home, instead of being forced to give them up. Dr. Harer went on to attend Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and after graduating, completed a yearlong Small Animal Rotating Internship at the ASPCA here in New York City. She lives with her Irish Golden Doodle named Dusty and loves to stay active by biking and running. She is a massive fan of concerts and movies and, if you’re lucky, she may even play you a tune on her ukulele!
Dr. Alyson Bradshaw, D.V.M
Dr. Alyson Bradshaw was born in a suburb of Chicago, but was raised in Palm Harbor, Florida. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry as well as a minor in Zoology from the University of Florida. Following her undergraduate degree, she went on to work for two years at the National Institute of Health doing full time research on liver disease and microbial translocation. While working with human clinicians at the National Institute of Health, she fell in love with the field of medicine. However, her true passions lie in animal and environmental health, which inspired her to pursue a Doctor of Veterinary degree at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.
After graduation, she was awarded an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Blue Pearl Veterinary Partners in Tampa, Florida. During her internship, she developed a strong interest in internal medicine and chronic case management. She then went on to work for several years as an associate veterinarian at a small animal general practice in Tampa, Florida where she developed further interests in soft tissue surgery and feline medicine.
Dr. Bradshaw continues to enjoy working in small animal general practice in NYC. She lives in Manhattan with her fiance and their three cats (Pickle, Clover, and Marty). When she is not working, Dr. Bradshaw enjoys reading, hiking, crafting, and exploring new restaurants in the city.
Dr. Sarah Hessen-Schmidt V.M.D.
Dr. Rachel Price, D.V.M.
After veterinary school, she completed a one-year internship in Medicine and Surgery at Veterinary Emergency and Referral Group (VERG) Brooklyn, where she trained in emergency medicine, internal medicine, neurology, dermatology, and surgery. Dr. Price has a special interest in feline medicine. Her hobbies include traveling, hiking, reading, and trying new restaurants in NYC. She has two sassy cats, Ollie and Jamie.
Krissy Mendoza, Supervisor of Client Services
Jose Lopez, LVT, Director of Nursing
Denise McClutchy, Inventory Manager
Katrina Magalong, LVT, Supervisor of Assistant Team
Kat Laboy-Rivera, International Travel Specialist
