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Staff Role: Veterinarian - Specialist

Jennifer Perkins, VMD, DACVIM (Neurology)

Veterinarian - Specialist

Dr. Jennifer Perkins has been a neurologist at Pieper Veterinary since 2016, and has special interests in seizure management, as well as spinal and intracranial surgery.

She received her veterinary degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 2011, and completed a rotating small animal internship at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in Tinton Falls, New Jersey. Dr. Perkins then completed a specialty internship and a residency in neurology/neurosurgery at Pieper Veterinary before becoming one of our staff neurologists.

At home, Dr. Perkins lives with her two dogs Sebastian, a standard poodle, and Kirby, a miniature dachshund. She also loves her thoroughbred horse, Connor, who goes hand-in-hand with her secondary passion, horseback riding. When she isn’t riding, Dr. Perkins enjoys hiking with her dog pack; even the dachshund keeps up! At the end of the day, Dr. Perkin’s love for animals and the ability to meet and care for all different types of dogs and cats, while meeting the challenges of their neurologic disorders, are what make her a passionate veterinarian and a valued member of the Pieper family.

Special Interests:

  • Intervertebral disc surgery
  • Seizure management

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Sarah Winzelberg, VMD, DACVIM (SAIM)

Veterinarian - Specialist

Dr. Sarah Winzelberg is a Board-Certified Small Animal Internal Medicine Specialist who has worked at Pieper Veterinary since 2017. Originally from Pittsburgh and Manhattan, Dr. Winzelberg received her VMD from the University of Pennsylvania and completed her residency at the Animal Medical Center in New York, NY, where she took special interest in the study of infectious diseases.

Her other medical interests include renal disease, hematology, and gastroenterology. When not working, she enjoys biking, yoga, gardening, cooking, and spending time with her two cats.

Special Interests:

  • Renal disease
  • Hematology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Infectious diseases

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Nicole Belward, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM)

Veterinarian - Specialist

Dr. Nicole Belward is a Board-Certified Small Animal Internal Medicine Specialist at Pieper Veterinary. Born and raised in Stamford, she graduated from Gettysburg College and received her doctorate from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. She completed her residency at the Veterinary Medical Center of Long Island. Dr. Belward has wanted to be a veterinarian for as long as she can remember, and has special interests in immune-mediated diseases, hematologic diseases, and infectious diseases.

A member of the ACVIM and AVMA, she lives in Connecticut with her husband and their two children. When not working, she enjoys CrossFit, DIY projects, knitting, sewing, and gardening. Dr. Belward enjoys the challenging cases that come in to internal medicine that require detective work and putting together puzzle pieces, and her favorite part of her job is seeing patients leave the hospital feeling better than when they arrived.

Special Interests:

  • Immune-mediated diseases
  • Hematologic diseases
  • Infectious diseases

Ben Olson, DVM, DACVIM (Neurology)

Veterinarian - Specialist

Dr. Ben Olson is a neurologist and neurosurgeon who joined Pieper Veterinary in 2017. He received his DVM from Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. He is a member of the ACVIM and AVMA, and completed both a rotating internship and a residency in Neurology/Neurosurgery from The Animal Medical Center in New York, NY. Dr. Olson has special interests in spinal surgery, traumatic brain injury, inflammatory brain disease, and caudal occipital malformation syndrome.

Special Interests:

  • Spinal surgery
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Inflammatory brain disease
  • Caudal occipital malformation syndrome (also known as Chiari-like malformation)

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James Hammond, DVM, DACVIM (Neurology)

Veterinarian - Specialist

Department Head – Neurology

Dr. James Hammond is a board-certified veterinary neurologist trained extensively in both medical and surgical neurology.

He received his veterinary training at Cornell University and graduated in 2005. Following his education, Dr. Hammond completed a rotating internship in medicine and surgery at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in New Jersey, staying on to complete an internship in Neurology and Neurosurgery, and then a three-year residency. In 2010, Dr. Hammond received his board certification from the ACVIM.

Dr. Hammond’s areas of interest include intracranial and spinal surgery, as well as diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory disorders of the central nervous system.

Special Interests:

  • Intracranial surgery
  • Spinal surgery
  • Inflammatory disorders of the CNS

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Sean Freer, DVM, DACVR

Veterinarian - Specialist

Department Head – Diagnostic Imaging

Dr. Sean Freer has been a Radiologist at Pieper Veterinary since 2011. He has a special interest in abdominal, cervical, and musculoskeletal ultrasonography, as well as CT angiography.

Dr. Freer received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University in 2001 and his DVM from the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2005. He completed a rotating internship at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in 2006 and his diagnostic imaging residency at the Cornell University Hospital for Animals in 2009. Dr. Freer received his board-certification from the ACVR in 2009.

Dr. Freer grew up in northeastern Pennsylvania and has always been an avid outdoorsman. He enjoys spending time fishing and kayaking.

Special Interests:

  • Vascular ultrasonographic imaging
  • Musculoskeletal imaging
  • CT imaging
  • Ultrasound-guided biopsy procedures
  • Parathyroid ethanol ablation

Bronwen Childs, DVM, MS, DACVR

Veterinarian - Specialist

Dr. Bronwen Childs is a board-certified specialist in diagnostic imaging at Pieper Veterinary. Dr. Childs graduated from Cornell University in 2007 with a Master’s degree Biomedical Sciences with research in 3D kinematics and biomechanics of joint motion, and she received her DVM from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in 2013. After an Equine Internship in California, she completed a Small Animal Rotating Internship at Pieper Memorial from 2014-2015. Dr. Childs then went on to a Diagnostic Imaging Residency at the University of Georgia and worked at Tufts Veterinary Emergency Treatment & Specialties hospital before returning to Pieper as a board-certified radiologist. She is a member of the AVMA and the American College of Veterinary Radiology, and has a particular interest in sports medicine.

Dr. Childs grew up on a hobby farm, surrounded by a variety of pets from small wildlife rescues to her eventing horse. She currently lives in Norfolk with her husband and two daughters, along with her dog, Bandit, and horse, Monty. Dr. Childs’ favorite aspect of her job is is the variety of cases and the intellectual challenge of finding the patient’s diagnosis, and being able to work along passionate, kind people.

Special Interests:

  • Musculoskeletal imaging
  • Sports medicine

Ryan Kalish, DVM, DACVP

Veterinarian - Specialist

Dr. Ryan Kalish is a Clinical Pathologist who works for Antech, a veterinary diagnostics company whose reference laboratory is located inside our Middletown emergency and specialty hospital. Originally from Westchester, New York, Dr. Kalish graduated from SUNY Geneseo and later obtained his doctorate from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2018, finishing his clinical rotations at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He completed his three-year residency at Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine and became a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathology in 2021.

Dr. Kalish lives in Connecticut with his wife, their two dogs Bobsy and Zoey, and their cat siblings Appa and Momo. When not working he enjoys playing basketball, watching television, and hiking. Dr. Kalish has always loved animals ever since he was very young, and in addition to his work as a clinical pathologist is also passionate about teaching veterinary students and fellow doctors about pathology concepts.

Special Interests:

  • Teaching veterinary students and DVMs clinical pathology concepts
  • Clinical cytology and hematology
  • Interpreting blood work (including CBC, chemistry, coag, acid-base data)
  • Renal physiology

Adam Kane, DVM, DACVIM

Veterinarian - Specialist

Dr. Adam Kane is a board-certified veterinary Cardiologist at Pieper Veterinary. Originally from Syracuse, New York, he graduated from the University of Rochester in 2003 and obtained his doctorate from Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine in 2008. He completed a residency at Angell Animal Medical Center and received his board certification in Cardiology in 2014. Dr. Kane has special clinical interests in electrophysiology and canine myocardial disease, and in addition to veterinary medicine he has also studied molecular genetics and Spanish. He is a member of the AVMA, ACVIM, and RIVMA, and his accomplishments include providing continuing education to veterinarians in China, research on the canine model for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, and a chair on the maintenance of credentials committee for the ACVIM.

Dr. Kane grew up in a house with many pets and has always been interested in biological sciences. His favorite aspect of being a veterinarian is being able to see unique and interesting cases every day, in addition to helping care for his patients and their families. He lives with his wife and their mixed-breed rescue dog, Rowdy Roddy Pupper. When not working he enjoys cheering for Syracuse Orange basketball, watching movies, martial arts (Jeet Kune Do, Muay Thai), and exercising and outdoor activities such as hiking, kayaking, and scuba diving.

Special Interests:

  • Electrophysiology
  • Canine myocardial disease

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Peter A. Sojka, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice)

Veterinarian - Specialist

Dr. Peter A. Sojka is an Exotic Animal Veterinarian specializing in Avian practice at Pieper Veterinary. Originally from Omaha, Nebraska, he graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2013 and the Iowa State University Professional Program in Veterinary Medicine in 2017. He has completed courses in microsurgery and endoscopy for avians, reptiles, and exotic mammals, and was a co-instructor for an externship at the Belize Zoo. Dr. Sojka completed an American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP) Avian and Exotic Companion Mammal Dual Residency at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine in 2021. This residency allowed Dr. Sojka the opportunity to work with both privately-owned animals as well various zoos, aquariums, and animal sanctuaries.

Dr. Sojka is a member of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, the Association of Avian Veterinarians, and the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians. He has published multiple scientific journal articles and has presented at the American Association of Fish Veterinarians Annual Conference and the Association of Avian Veterinarians Annual Conference.

After volunteering at the Omaha Zoo during high school and witnessing the complex veterinary care that they provided to their animals, Dr. Sojka has always been fascinated by working with amazing exotic animals. His favorite part of his job is the variety of patients that he gets to work with – whether it’s an invertebrate, fish, amphibian, bird, reptile, or mammal, getting to diagnosis and treat the problem and improve the quality of life for both the patient and the owner is always the most important thing. When not working he enjoys hiking, biking, traveling, planning his wedding with his fiancée, and visiting theme parks. He and his fiancée (along with their dog Elsa and their fish) are new to Connecticut but excited to explore the area and see all that there is to offer.

Special Interests:

  • Endoscopy
  • Microsurgery
  • Cancer diagnosis and treatments

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