OUR
PRACTICE
Why Are We Different? We think it's three things:
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(1) Our One Team Approach. At Vet At Your Door, our 'One Team Approach' stands out as a hallmark of exceptional pet care. This unique approach involves a dedicated team consisting of a veterinarian, veterinary nurse, and client liaison, working together seamlessly to ensure the well-being of your pet. The continuity of care, strong relationships built over time, and proactive adjustments based on deep familiarity with your pet create an unparalleled level of personalized and compassionate care. This approach extends beyond medical expertise, fostering trust and enhancing the overall pet-owner experience. With our 'One Team Approach,' you can trust that your pet receives not only the best medical attention but also the warmth and support they, and you, deserve.
(2) Everyone is less stressed. Being at home, you and and your pet are in your favorite, most comfortable place. Additionally, your veterinary team is truly happy practicing this way. Not only do we love the closer connections we make with you and your pets innately, but we also have a practice who prioritizes a good work-life balance. So you can know that your veterinary team will have a relaxed, focused, motivated mindset to practice their best medicine and provide the best counsel and care for your pet's individual situation.
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(3) Our focus is on you and your pet - 100%. Being in one place at one time means that we are dedicated solely to you and your pet, which makes us best able to connect with you. We can pick up on subtle signs and and go deep with difficult decisions if warranted. We enjoy getting to know both you and your pet as individuals and the connection becomes genuine.
OUR
TEAM
Deirdre Frey, VMD
CEO, FOUNDER, VETERINARIAN
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Dr. Frey earned a BS in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering from Cornell University in 1999. After working for a few years as a computer programmer, she decided to fulfill her life-long dream of becoming a veterinarian. She obtained her doctorate in veterinary medicine from University of Pennsylvania in 2008 and completed an internship at the New England Animal Medical Center in West Bridgewater, MA. In 2011, she achieved her other life-long dream of living in Maine.
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After working at traditional brick-and-mortar veterinary practices, she witnessed first-hand how stressed animals can be at the veterinary office. She started Vet At Your Door, P.C. in 2015 in order to be able to connect on a less stressful and therefore deeper level with her patients and their parents. She enjoys getting to know each animal and working with their dedicated owners to maximize their quality of life, minimize pain, and keep them healthy for as long as possible. And when it becomes an animal's time to leave this earth, she feels it is a gift to be able to help both the owner and pet through this difficult, yet peaceful and oftentimes beautiful process.
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Dr. Frey moved from Durham, Maine to Carrabassett Valley, Maine in 2017 and opened up a Vet At Your Door branch there as well. She lives with her husband, three children, and standard Poodle Greta. When not working, she enjoys mountain biking, running, and chasing after her children who are chasing the dog, yes you get the idea. Her special work interests include internal medicine, and particularly geriatric feline medicine.
Abigail Messina, DVM
VETERINARIAN
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Dr. Messina had dreamed of being a veterinarian since she was 7 years old. After she earned a BS in Biology from Mount Holyoke College in 2005, she went on to fulfill that dream and graduated from Mississippi State University - College of Veterinary Medicine in 2009. For 7 years she worked in a very busy brick and mortar practice in North Dartmouth, MA where she developed a love for acupuncture, behavioral medicine, and hospice care; however, she always knew she wanted to live and work in Maine. Finally, after years of waiting, she and her family made the move in 2016.
Dr. Messina believes wholeheartedly in the benefits of lower stress home visits for routine vaccines, euthanasia, and everything in between. She has a strong passion for geriatric and hospice care, and believes that being able to offer compassionate care for both owner and pet in the difficult times of illness and end of life is the most rewarding part of veterinary medicine. She also loves practicing the art of acupuncture, and is continuously amazed at the wonderful benefits this can bring to many different cases.
Dr. Messina lives with her husband - Scott, twin sons - Finnegan and Oliver, daughter Hazel, Great Dane Agnes, and cat Kingston in Woolwich. Outside of work she enjoys spending quality time with her family, hiking, camping, and relaxing on the beach.
Heather Crispell, DVM
MEDICAL DIRECTOR, VETERINARIAN
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Dr. Crispell earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at Saint Michael’s College in 2006. She spent the next 3 years in biomedical research in both Downeast Maine and in Fairbanks, Alaska. She had always loved veterinary medicine and in 2013 she graduated from Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. After graduation she worked at traditional brick and mortar veterinary practices in both Maine and Massachusetts. While working at a busy practice in West Gardiner, she developed her love of (then rare) house calls.
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Dr. Crispell is very excited to be a part of Vet At Your Door to be able to provide high quality, low stress veterinary visits to all her patients and clients. Dr. Crispell loves providing individualized care to each of her patients to provide the best quality of life. She finds geriatric medicine and hospice care as some of the most rewarding aspects of veterinary medicine. She enjoys providing compassionate care at all stages of life, from puppies and kittens to making sure that senior pets as comfortable as possible.
Dr. Crispell lives with her husband Eli in Durham with their wild and crazy cat Baxter. She loves being outside exploring. From skiing and skijoring to kayaking and stand-up-paddle boarding, she enjoys getting outside year round. When she isn’t off on an adventure you can find her gardening and spending time with family and friends.
Julie Greenlaw, BVMS
VETERINARIAN
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Dr. Julie Greenlaw was born in Maine and has lived here most of her life. She was lucky enough to have a dear friend and mentor who inspired her to become a veterinarian. It took her a while, but after raising a family she finally got up the courage to go after her dreams, and with the support of her family she pursued veterinary school. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Maine at Orono and moved to Scotland where she pursued her veterinary degree and graduated from the University of Edinburgh. She has mostly worked as a mixed animal practitioner working with both small and large animals. She owned and operated her own mobile veterinary practice on the coast of Maine, which was primarily for farm animals and horses, where she specialized in small ruminants, but also provided at-home euthanasia for family pets.
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Five years ago, her husband’s job took her to Florida where she worked for an at-home hospice and euthanasia veterinary practice. While the job was rewarding in many ways, living in South Florida was not a good fit for her. She has returned to the state she loves and is now living near her family. She has always lived near the coast, but is truly enjoying the mountain life. Dr Greenlaw prefers to see patients in their own home and environment. She feels she gets a better snapshot of each pet’s health and living situation so she can better help them stay healthy. She especially enjoys meeting the local families and their much-loved pets and farm animals.
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On her days off she spends time with her grown children and her two grandchildren that have been growing up in Carrabassett Valley. Dr Greenlaw and her husband especially love ocean kayaking off the coast of Maine. They also spend time hiking, biking and travelling. She is truly happy and excited to be working for Vet At Your Door and serving the people and pets of Maine in their homes.
Nina Petersen, DVM
VETERINARIAN
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Dr. Nina Petersen grew up riding horses on Mount Desert Island, completing her undergraduate degree at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine before attending veterinary school. Dr. Petersen graduated from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in 2018 and completed a one year internship at Tufts University before returning to her home state of Maine to practice medicine. She is a certified peaceful euthanasia veterinarian through the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy (CAETA). When not on the road, she enjoys rock climbing and hiking around Maine, as well as playing boardgames and spending time with friends.
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The opportunity for at-home care, as well as the focus on patient comfort and the relationships between people and their pets, drew Dr. Petersen to Vet At Your Door, and she joined the veterinary team in the spring of 2021. Dr. Petersen is dedicated to making every visit as low-stress as possible, and focuses on end of life care and at-home euthanasia. While always an emotional and challenging time, she is honored to be able to help people and animals in a peaceful and familiar environment.
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Jesse Robinson, VMD
VETERINARIAN
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Dr. Jesse Robinson earned a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from the University of Virginia in 2003, but he soon realized that the tech industry was not where his heart lay. He moved to Portland, ME after graduation and eventually found a passion for working with animals. He started taking required courses at USM and in 2014 he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Robinson began his veterinary career doing a mix of large and small animal medicine in Pennsylvania. In 2021, he had the opportunity to move back to southern Maine to work at the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland. After 2 years working in shelter medicine, Dr. Robinson found that he missed the personal connection of working directly with clients and their animals and decided to go back into general practice.
Dr. Robinson believes that in-home care is a great option to reduce stress for animals and their owners; he also cares deeply about helping owners and their pets navigate the challenges of end of life care and understands how important it is to be able to do this in the comfort of a pet’s own home.
Dr. Robinson lives in Scarborough with his wife and fellow veterinarian Megan, their daughter Dagny, 4 dogs (Cosby, Poppyseed, Bagel and Egg) and 3 cats (Spike, Ooly and Fig Newton). They love to spend time at the many breweries, restaurants, beaches and trails that the area has to offer. Dr. Robinson also enjoys playing soccer and disc golf and following New England sports and international soccer.
Tina McKeon, LVT
IN-FIELD MANAGER
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Tina is a 1992 graduate of the University of Maine at Orono with a degree in Veterinary Technology and has been working in the veterinary field for over 30 years. She has worked in general practice and orthopedics and is happy to be able to help provide veterinary care in an at-home setting. Tina’s special interests include feline medicine and behavior.
Tina was born and raised in Maine and currently lives in Freeport with her fiancé, Billy, and their cat, Iris. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, mountain biking, gardening, baking, and visiting with her now-grown children.
Lisa Pickford
CHIEF CLIENT LIAISON
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Lisa has been working in the Veterinary Industry for over 14 years. She has worked both on the Client Service Teams and the Veterinary Assistant Teams of some busy local veterinary hospitals . Prior to that she worked at a popular doggie daycare where she discovered her love for animals and made the decision to dedicate her professional life to helping pets and their people. Lisa is a Fear Free Certified Professional and a Client Service Superstar.
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Lisa was born and raised in Maine and currently lives in Brunswick with her husband John, daughter Lucy, son Charlie, her 2 dogs Rusty James and (sometimes naughty) George, and her 2 super cute guinea pigs Nubs and Pickles. She likes spending her free time going on bike rides with her awesome kids and relaxing at the family camp.
Maggie Smith
CLIENT LIAISON
DR. JULIE GREENLAW'S TEAM (MAINE HIGH PEAKS)
Maggie was a veterinary assistant for over 10 years before deciding to become a client liaison because after years of hands on work, she wanted to continue helping owners and their pets behind the scenes. She has been with VAYD since August of 2021 and she believes VAYD is a dream team. She has two dogs, Stryker and Pua, and a polydactyl cat named Blue (Maggie is a huge Jurassic Park fan). She volunteers with a neonatal dog rescue and is always bottle feeding foster puppies.
Maggie enjoys hand making crystal charms for pets, watching movies, hiking, and spending time with her family.
Morgan Saunders, LVT
CLIENT LIAISON, LICENSED VETERINARY TECHNICIAN
DR. ABIGAIL MESSINA'S TEAM
Morgan has been a Licensed Veterinary Technician for nearly 10 years, working at multiple veterinary practices across the state. She's decided to trade in the hands on animal handling for a seat behind the scenes as a Client Liaison with Vet At Your Door. Morgan enjoys hiking and most outdoor activities, has a passion for exercise and is obsessed with cats, owning four nearly identical tuxedo cats and one goofy Labrador.
Missy Adams
CLIENT LIAISON
DR. HEATHER CRISPELL'S TEAM
Missy has worked with animals for the past 20 plus years. From a very early age she knew that she wanted to work with animals in some capacity. She started at a local boarding facility while in high school, then moved to a receptionist at a busy veterinary clinic in her home town. She took a year and a half off after the birth of her last child, and came back into the field as a veterinary assistant at a clinic close to her home in Somerville. With all of the changes in the world, the opportunity to work for Vet At Your Door has become a blessing.
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In her free time you will find Missy spending time with her husband Scott, two children Hunter and Brooke doing anything outside. At their home, they have a small farm with cows, donkeys, chickens, 4 cats and a pack of hound dogs. She enjoys camping with her children, fishing, and spending time at the family’s camp in Milo.
Amy Phillips
CLIENT LIAISON
DR. DEANNA ANDERSON'S TEAM
Amy has been working in the veterinary field since she was a teenager. She has worked as a Technician for multiple hospitals in the mid coast region over the past 20 years. She is beyond excited to join the Vet At Your Door team as a Client Liaison.
She shares her life with her boyfriend and their 4 dogs. In her spare time, you can find her exploring the North Maine Woods or simply relaxing at her home on Moosehead lake.
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Élise Bolduc
VETERINARY ASSISTANT
FLOAT - HELPS EVERYONE!
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Élise grew up in the small town of Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce, Quebec, Canada. From as far as she can remember she was spending all her free time in her mother's veterinary clinic. She moved to Maine in 2013 and graduated from UMA in 2018. Although getting a degree in Architecture, her true passion lies within the field of veterinary medicine. She did her final thesis on how to improve farms for the betterment of dairy cows. In her spare time, she restores old houses with her husband Ben. They live in Hallowell with their dogs Hamilton and Radar, cat Cecelia and bunny Rupert. When Élise is not working, she enjoys skiing, running, and drawing animal portraits.
Karen, LVT
LICENSED VETERINARY TECHNICIAN
TECH TEAM LEAD
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Karen graduated from New Hampshire Community Technical College in 1997 with an Associate's Degree in Veterinary Technology. She has worked in a small animal practice for the past 24 years as a veterinary technician and practice manager. And now she is excited to join us in spreading the love of at-home veterinary visits.
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Karen was born and raised in Wells, and shares her home with her dog Alburt and her 2 cats Bachi and Peanut. As far back as she can remember she always knew a career working with animals was her destiny.
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In her spare time she and Alburt participate in Dockdogs , Therapy Dog visits, hikes and beach walks. She also enjoys researching her genealogy and spending time with family.
Aly Monfiletto, LVT
LICENSED VETERINARY TECHNICIAN
DR. HEATHER CRISPELL's TEAM
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Alyssa grew up on a small farm and knew from a young age that working with animals was her passion. She attended the State University of New York and graduated with her Associates degree in Veterinary Technology in 2015. Since becoming a licensed technician Alyssa has worked in specialty practice and general practice. She loves getting to know all her patients and their humans and is excited to be working among the Vet At Your Door team.
Alyssa lives in Dresden with her husband, their pack of three crazy pups, and four snuggly cats. When not caring for your furry family members Alyssa enjoys hiking and trail running with her dogs, baking treats for her family and friends, and curling up with the cats to read. She can't wait to meet you and your pets!
Holly Billings, LVT
LICENSED VETERINARY TECHNICIAN
DR. ABIGAIL MESSINA'S TEAM
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Holly graduated from Cazenovia College, NY with an associates degree in Equine Science and received her second associates degree in Animal Medical Technology from Cedar Valley College, TX.
Holly has been working in the veterinary industry for over 25 years. Her special interests include canine and feline behavior and using stress free methods for handling and care. She is a certified Fear Free professional.
Holly grew up and continues to live in Yarmouth with her fiancé Chris and their three dogs (Popsicle, Rahl, and Seven), and their small flock of chickens. She enjoys gardening, snowmobiling and boating on Casco Bay. After working in a clinic setting for years she is excited to be part of a house call practice.
Melissa Bonney
CLIENT LIAISON
DR. JESSE ROBINSON'S TEAM
Melissa is a graduate of Windham High school and started working in the Veterinary field in 1999. She has enjoyed many roles throughout the years. Veterinary Assistant, surgical assistant, customer support, and a kennel/boarding assistant. She is excited to work at VAYD as a client liaison.
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Mel has known from a very early age that she wanted to work with animals. She has had many pets throughout her life. She also has a soft spot for disabled pets and has had many in her life. She also loves pocket pets, reptiles, and keeps fresh and saltwater fish tanks.
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She lives with her husband, daughter, and their two cats, Daniel Tiger and Meeko. When she is not working she loves camping with her family, doing arts and crafts with her daughter, hiking and canoeing.
Christin McKenzie Boyington
VETERINARY ASSISTANT
FLOAT - HELPS EVERYONE!
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Christin is a Maine native, and has returned to her home state after many years living in Colorado where she attended Vet Tech School and began a petsitting business.
She and her partner Ken now own Boyington Farm in Richmond where they rescue livestock including horses, donkeys, goats, and chickens. They also have 5 rescue dogs named Chloe, Ezekiel, Loki, Odin, and Sofie, and two rescue cats named Lilith and Lazlo. They breed Nigerian Dwarf goats and produce organic goat cheese and goat products like lotions and soap. They also grow enough produce year round to feed their family and donate to local food banks. Within the next few years they plan to turn their farm into a rescue organization of their own.
When not busy on the farm caring for their animals, gardening, cooking and reading, Christin loves to travel and spend free time in the woods, on a hiking trail, or out the water.
Sara Powers
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VETERINARY ASSISTANT
DR. JULIE GREENLAW'S TEAM
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Sara has lived in Maine her entire life. She grew up on my parents small farm in Farmington where she showed cows and pigs in 4-H at the local fairs. She previously worked at a busy small animal clinic for 5 years and is thrilled to be joining the VAYD team.
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She still lives in Farmington with her husband Levi of 11 years and two boys. They are still very active at her parents' farm but in their spare time they enjoy camping, fishing, and really anything outdoors! She currently has two labradors, two cats, some chickens, ducks and fish.
Cassy Bois, LVT
LICENSED VETERINARY TECHNICIAN
DR. JESSE ROBINSON'S TEAM
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Cassy has always had a deep passion and understanding for animals of all sizes and species. She decided to make a career out of it and graduated from York County Community College with a degree in Veterinary Technology in 2022, earning her licensure the following year.
Cassy has worked in small animal general practices for the past few years and is thrilled to be able to provide the same outstanding quality of care to patients in the less-stress comfort of their homes. Surgery assisting and phlebotomy are two of her favorite parts of veterinary medicine. While she loves cats and dogs, Cassy is fascinated by the larger and smaller species and hopes to one day work in exotic and zoo medicine.
Cassy is a Maine native and currently resides in sunny Wells with her partner Cole, two dogs Hank and Lucy, four cats Moo, Zee, Ala, and Sky, and six goats Mango, Raspberry, Peach, Cherry, Banana, and Kiwi. When not tending to her fur children, Cassy enjoys reading, cooking, spending time lost in the woods, and sunning herself by the water.