Veterinarians
Dr. Orr
Dr. Orr is a General Practitioner that began practicing at the Animal Clinic of East Avenue in 1996. She became the Clinic's owner in 1999.
"I have always wanted to be a veterinarian," says Dr. Orr when asked how she started down her current career path. "In middle school I tried desperately to save some baby bunnies that my sister's cat had brought home. Although I was unsuccessful, I never wanted to stop trying to help sick or injured animals. This includes a much loved Chihuahua with a heart murmur that my family had when I was a child. I took care of him and he was my best friend until he died at 15-years-old."
A native of Rutland, Vermont, Dr. Orr spent part of her high school years working for a local practitioner and for a Morgan horse farm.
After high school, Dr. Orr entered Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, where she began her formal studies in science. In 1989, she graduated Summa Cum Laude and with highest honors after earning a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and a minor in Biochemistry.
After college, Dr. Orr worked within the Biosynthetic Chemistry field, but after only a year the inexorable pull of her desire to become a veterinarian led her to the University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine. During her time there she earned the school's Large Animal Nursing Award and graduated with a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 1994. Dr. Orr's areas of particular professional interest include Ultrasound, Emergency Medicine & Critical Care, and General Surgery. She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, New York State Veterinary Medical Society, and the GVVMA.
Now that she has achieved her lifelong goal of becoming a veterinarian and owner of her own practice, Dr. Orr says she still gets great satisfaction from helping animals. "What I enjoy most are the patients and helping our clients' pets live a happy and healthy life and be a valued member of the family."
Not long after beginning her career, Dr. Orr married Scott T. Orr, her grade school sweetheart (they've known each other since third grade). She says that her husband has been a wonderful lifelong companion and supporter of animals and animal care, and that she could not have achieved all that she has without his help. The couple has two children: a son named Liam who is into soccer, skiing, and football; and a daughter named Lauren, who enjoys gymnastics, sewing and skiing.
Dr. Orr and her family also own a Quarter Horse named Tazz that she rescued after it was retired from barrel racing; a Chesapeake Bay Retriever named Remy; and Amber, a Jack Russell Terrier/Rat Terrier mix rescued from Rochester Animal Control. Her hobbies include horseback riding, skiing, orienteering, and dog training, which includes hunting and agility training.
Dr. Ragone
Dr. Ragone is a General Practitioner that has been practicing with the Animal Clinic of East Avenue since August of 2010.
Dr. Ragone was born on Long Island, New York, but grew up in Wyckoff, New Jersey, where she lived a very busy life dedicated to providing care to a range of animals. One of her earliest influences was a cousin who herself had become a veterinarian. She says that the few summers she spent working with her at the specialty care center in Virginia really had an impact on helping her form a desire to become a veterinarian.
As time passed, Dr. Ragone dove headlong into her desire to work with animals. "For a few summers," she says, "I would volunteer early in the morning helping at an all cats animal hospital. From there, I would take a bus into New York City to work at the Animal Medical Center. My job there was to recover all of the animals coming out of surgery. Many times I would have dogs lying next to cats recovering, but it always went smoothly. From there, I would catch a bus in the evening back to New Jersey and muck-out stalls and ride if time and light permitted. I was always exhausted, but I loved every minute of what I was doing and would do it all over again if I could."
After graduating high school, Dr. Ragone entered the State University of New York at Geneseo and received a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Chemistry in 2004. After graduation, she began work at an emergency care veterinary practice just outside of Madison, Wisconsin. However, after only a year Dr. Ragone began her veterinary studies at the University of Illinois' College of Veterinary Medicine at Urbana-Champaign. In 2009, she graduated with a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine.
Dr. Ragone's areas of particular professional interest include Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine. She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the New York State Veterinary Medical Society.
At home, Dr. Ragone has three cats. Oberon came to her as a kitten from a veterinary office in Medina, New York; Maverick is from a shelter in Madison, Wisconsin; and Newton has been with her since her fourth year of veterinary school. She also has a Dalmatian mix named Tisza that she adopted during her second year of veterinary school. Dr. Ragone's hobbies include running, gardening, fishing, hiking, reading, swimming, and horseback riding.
