Meet the caring and qualified veterinarians of West Chelsea Veterinary

Michael Farber, D.V.M., Practice Owner/Chief of Staff

In February 1997, Dr. Michael Farber opened the doors to West Chelsea Veterinary. After working for eight years in a veterinary hospital in downtown Manhattan, Dr. Farber was ready to draw upon his own ideas in creating a state-of-the-art, cutting edge, medical facility. He leads a team of accomplished veterinarians who work tirelessly to achieve his vision of providing our clients and their pets with the highest quality of care. Dr. Farber's interest in veterinary medicine took root as a result of the time he spent 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 got to Cornell, his interests changed, and he developed a love for small animal medicine.Dr. Farber graduated from the Veterinary School at Cornell in 1989. After completing a one-year long internship in Connecticut at the Darien Animal Hospital, he returned to Manhattan to be close to his family and to accept his first job as a veterinarian. His 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 Vet, 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 Dr. Farber's upbringing. (We're all hoping for a second-generation veterinarian!) Skiing and gardening are his favorite pastimes. His own pets include a yellow lab named Butter and four formerly stray cats named Squiddy, Beltran, Pedro and Johanna.

Jennifer Mlekoday, D.V.M., Co-Chief of Staff

Dr. Jennifer Mlekoday grew up in Andover, Minnesota just outside of Minneapolis. She attended the University of Minnesota for her undergraduate studies and, after graduation, took a job in landscaping. However, landscaping did not distract her from achieving her life-long dream of being a veterinarian. In 1997, Dr. Mlekoday returned to the University of Minnesota to attend their Veterinary School, and after graduating in 2001, moved to New York City to begin her career. She joined our staff in October of 2002. Her commitment to medical excellence earned her the position and title of Co-Chief of Staff in January of 2005. Dr. Mlekoday is an aquarium hobbyist and motorcycle enthusiast, and in her spare time enjoys camping, scuba diving and cooking. She lives in Manhattan with her two cats, Tarzan and Danial and her Pinscher Mix named Ernie.

Bridget Halligan, D.V.M., C. V. A.

Dr. Bridget Halligan joined the team at West Chelsea Veterinary in 1998. She is a native New Yorker, growing up in Staten Island and attending Stonybrook University for college. Dr. Halligan has worked in the veterinary industry for almost 20 years 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. She graduated from Atlantic Veterinary College in 1995. Dr. Halligan then completed a yearlong internship at the Animal Medical Center (NYC) and worked in Staten Island for one year before coming to West Chelsea Vet. During her tenure here, she has earned certification as a veterinary acupuncturist, providing an important treatment option for our patients with orthopedic, neurological and geriatric issues. Dr. Halligan’s life outside West Chelsea is dedicated to raising her daughter. Together, they live with their much loved pooch, Casey, a poodle-mix that they adopted from West Chelsea Vet. Dr. Halligan's hobbies include renovating old houses, running and taking karate classes.

Jillian Pagano, D.V.M.

Dr. Jillian Pagano knew she wanted to be a veterinarian from the time she was a little girl. She graduated from Cornell with a degree in Animal Sciences in 1998 and continued directly on to University of Florida Veterinary School, graduating in 2003. She then went on to complete a year long internship at Long Island Veterinary Specialists before joining us at West Chelsea Veterinary. Dr. Pagano lives in Brooklyn with her adorable dog, Zoe, a long-haired, miniature dachshund and with Speedie and Spot, two leopard tortoises she helped to hatch during veterinary school. When not on the job, Dr. Pagano likes to read, hike, cook and watch reality television.

Rebecca Shumaker, D.V.M.

Dr. Rebecca Shumaker came to West Chelsea Veterinary early in 2005. She attended college at Cornell University, graduating in 1999 and then went on to attend Tufts Veterinary School. After graduating in 2003, she completed a yearlong internship at a veterinary hospital just outside of Boston. From a long line of medical professionals, Dr. Shumaker cites her love for animals and her respect for medicine and the art of healing as the reasons she became a veterinarian. She shares her home with her husband and daughter and their sweet tabby cat, Phoenix, who Dr. Shumaker helped to recover from multiple pelvic fractures after being hit by a car. Following a phenomenal recovery, she was glad to offer Phoenix a permanent home. However, Dr. Shumaker believes that it was really Phoenix that adopted her.

Rosemary Burdon, B.V.S.c., M.R.C.V.S.

Dr. Rosemary Burdon was born and raised in Surrey, England. Her love for animals and dedication to their care and well-being spans the entirety of her life. By the age of 8, Dr. Burdon was sure she wanted to be a veterinarian when she grew up, and by the age of 11, she was sending away for prospectuses from veterinary schools around England (talk about advanced planning). Her eagerness and unwavering dream of becoming a veterinarian was well rewarded with her graduation from the University of Bristol in 1991. Dr. Burdon decided to "come across the pond" after volunteering for a veterinarian in Oregon while she was in vet school. She also worked as a volunteer veterinarian on the island of Mauritius (located in the Indian Ocean) for 6 months following vet school, and shortly thereafter accepted a position in Massachusetts at the Nantucket Island M.S.P.C.A. She spent twelve years there before deciding to move to New York City with her family. Dr. Burdon and her husband live in the city with their five children, and pets, two cats, Moon and Mars (adopted from the Nantucket shelter), and Stormy the Beta fish. Running, horseback riding and traveling are her favorite ways to spend her down time.

Courtney Maeda, V.M.D.

Dr. Courtney Maeda was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii. She left her island home for "the main land" to attend Beloit College, in Wisconsin, where she graduated in 2000, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry. Dr. Maeda went on to earn her veterinary degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine in 2004. After graduating, she entered directly into private practice in New Jersey, where she hit the ground running to care for her furry patients. Before joining the team here at West Chelsea Veterinary, Dr. Maeda worked for two years at The Humane Society of New York. While there, she greatly enjoyed the rewarding work of treating animals on their way to permanent homes. Her special interests include surgery and new puppy and kitten visits, where she has the opportunity to get to know a pet and their family early-on, and be a part of their treatment throughout their lives. Dr. Maeda's hobbies include hanging with friends, visiting family in Hawaii, finding good, new restaurants, and spending time with her own kitties. She lives in Manhattan with her three cats, Scooter, Patches and Lowell.

Jaclyn Homan, D.V.M.

Dr. Jaclyn Homan grew up locally, in Huntington, New York. She then moved south for college, completing her undergraduate degree in biology at Loyola College in Maryland. She received her veterinary degree in 2009 from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation, Dr. Homan returned home to the New York area to begin her career. Before joining us at West Chelsea Vet, she worked at a large, 24 hour veterinary emergency hospital in Valley Stream, New York. She now lives just across the Hudson in Hoboken, NJ. Her medical interests include small animal medicine, radiology and above all patient care. In her free time, she loves to travel, spend time with family and friends and spend time outdoors with her black lab mix, Jake.