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Archives: Staff

Cheryl Brienza, DVM

Veterinarian - Primary Care

Cheryl Brienza, DVM

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Dr. Cheryl Brienza has been a veterinarian with the Pieper Family since 2004. She is a graduate of Albertus Magnus College and received her DVM in 2000 from Iowa State University.  She has practiced at both Pieper-Olson Veterinary Hospital in Middletown and Essex Veterinary Hospital. 

She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Connecticut Veterinary Medical Association and New Haven County Veterinary Medical Association.  At home in Haddam, CT, Dr. Brienza lives with her husband Chip and daughter Johanna.  She currently has one dog, Tyrion. 

Through the years at Pieper Veterinary, she has enjoyed forming bond with many clients and helping with the care of their furry family. 

Special Interests:

  • Internal medicine
  • Preventative Care

Ben Olson, DVM, DACVIM (Neurology)

Veterinarian - Specialist

Ben Olson, DVM, DACVIM (Neurology)

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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)

James Hammond, DVM, DACVIM (Neurology)

Veterinarian - Specialist

James Hammond, DVM, DACVIM (Neurology)

Department Head – Neurology

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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

Krystian Dabrowski, MA, DVM

Veterinarian - Primary Care

Krystian Dabrowski, MA, DVM

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Dr. Krystian Dabrowski is the Primary Care Medical Director and a veterinarian at Pieper, with special interests in dentistry, dermatology, endocrinology, and ophthalmology. He graduated from UCONN with a Master’s degree in education, and later obtained his doctorate from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. He is a member of the AVMA, CVMA, and the Foundation for Veterinary Dentistry.

Dr. Dabrowski has dreamed of being a vet ever since he was a child, and his favorite aspect of his job is being able to help clients make informed decisions about their pet’s health care. Client education – helping them understand what ailments may be affecting their pets, and making sure they know all of the available treatment options – allows pets to receive the best care and helps strengthen the human-animal bond.

Originally from Poland and Germany, Dr. Dabrowski has called Connecticut home since the early 90s. He is married with two children and lives with his family, their pet boxer, and a betta fish. He is fluent in Polish, and when not working he enjoys traveling and watching Bundesliga soccer games.

Special Interests:

  • Dentistry
  • Dermatology
  • Endocrinology
  • Opthalmology

Sean Freer, DVM, DACVR

Veterinarian - Specialist

Sean Freer, DVM, DACVR

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

Bronwen Childs, DVM, MS, DACVR

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

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, DCAVIM

Veterinarian - Specialist

Adam M. Kane, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology)

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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

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

Veterinarian - Specialist

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

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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