Dr. Heidi Bassler  Medical Director Dr. Bassler lives in West Newbury with her husband and children.  She has three furry family members, a black lab named Opus, and two pampered housecats, Marmalade and Jefferson.  In her spare time, she is an avid gardener and enjoys cooking and hiking. "I am grateful for the opportunity to help people in the community with their pets.   I enjoy getting to know my patients and their owners, and seeing them year after year.  I am always happy to bump into clients when I'm out and about in town." As medical director, Dr. Heidi Bassler oversees the hospital, including its policies, training, and standards, and ensures the medicine is top-notch. On a daily basis, Dr. Bassler is a clinician practicing medicine, performing surgery, and educating clients.  She has special interests in dental surgery, internal medicine, dermatology, and senior care. Dr. Bassler received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) in 1993 from Atlantic Veterinary College, Canada.  She graduated with several awards, including Outstanding Clinical Conference and Excellence in Bacteriology and Mycology.  Her veterinary studies included a dermatology externship at Cornell University. After receiving her DVM, Dr. Bassler performed post-doctoral research in veterinary public health (the study of disease from animals to people) at Cornell University.  She was a pioneer in the development of a modified polymerase chain reaction test called Real-Time PCR.  This highly sophisticated test uses computer technology to detect DNA from pathogens.  Real-time PCR is widely used today in veterinary and human labs to diagnose disease.  Dr. Bassler published the results of her ground-breaking research in the scientific journal, Applied and Environmental Microbiology.  Click here to read her publication. Dr. Bassler's passion for animal care has been lifelong.  She was raised on a family farm in Newfoundland, Canada, where she helped care for a variety of livestock, including Jersey dairy cows, chickens, ducks, geese, and pet dogs and cats.  During her undergraduate years, she majored in biology and spent a semester abroad at the Universität Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Germany. Before moving to Massachusetts in 2001, Dr. Bassler practiced in Washington, D.C., where she was medical director for a well-respected animal hospital. Presently, Dr. Bassler is licensed to practice veterinary medicine in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.  Her professional memberships include the American Veterinary Medical Association, American Animal Hospital Association, Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association, and American Veterinary Dental Society.  She is active in various local groups, and is a member of the Newburyport Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Bassler shares her expertise in a monthly newspaper column, Paw Prints, for the Newburyport Daily News.  See her articles by clicking here.   Dr. Katarina Reilly Associate Veterinarian   "As a veterinarian, I see feline and canine patients for routine wellness visits and any other concerns owners may have about their pets. The most rewarding part of my job is getting pets through an illness and seeing pets and their owners come back for their wellness exams." Dr. Katarina Reilly received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) in 2007 from Atlantic Veterinary College, Canada. She loves treating all animals but has a particular interest in small exotic mammals. Ever since she can remember, Dr. Reilly has always had a strong love and interest for all animals. She began as a volunteer at the New England Aquarium in Boston. After graduating from Boston University with a degree in biology, she became an employee at the New England Aquarium. Her focus was on fish and reptiles, but she particularly loved working with stranded juvenile sea turtles. Part of her job role was SCUBA diving once a week in the Giant Ocean Tank to perform weekly medical rounds. It was while working at the New England Aquarium that Dr. Reilly decided to pursue veterinary medicine. Dr. Reilly attended Atlantic Veterinary College. While in school, she took leadership roles in the student AVMA and represented the school at two annual conferences. She organized a group that helped facilitate beagle adoptions by ensuring the dogs were properly house trained. She completed a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the prestigious Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston. Working near 100 hours per week for a full year, Dr. Reilly learned how to deal with a wide variety and multitude of emergencies. She particularly enjoyed a specific rotation with board certified avian and exotic veterinarians. This added to her passion and provided experience in treating small and exotic mammals. Dr. Reilly has two dogs: Oliver, a cocker spaniel, and Chloe, a beagle/sheltie cross; two rabbits named Acorn and Pinecone; and Romeo, a bearded dragon.  When she's not at work caring for pets, Dr. Reilly enjoys walking with her husband and their two dogs. She's also an accomplished ballroom dancer and loves to run.     Gretchen DesAutels Practice Manager and Head Technician Gretchen became a Certified Veterinary Technician in 1995. In 2000, she became a Certified Veterinary Dental Technician. Gretchen grew up in the Amesbury/Newburyport area and graduated from Amesbury High School. She majored in biology and chemistry at Salem State College and graduated in 1995 from Essex Agricultural and Technical Institute. At the Animal Specialty Group in Los Angeles, Gretchen focused on veterinary anesthesiology. She was trained by the head veterinary anesthesiologist at the University of Pennsylvania. Among her special interests are anesthesia and pain management--including epidurals. Outside of work, Gretchen is an accomplished pianist and likes to spend time with her dog, Isabella, an Italian Greyhound/Chihuahua mix and her two cats, Willow and Zeus. She especially loves spending time with her 12-year old daughter, Megan.   Gretchen was recently published in a nationally circulated veterinary publication called Companion. Companion is the quarterly journal for the Veterinary Technicians and Assistants Resource Center. Gretchen contributed a case study that highlighted the importance of properly monitoring a patient while under anesthesia. This is a big honor, and she did such a terrific job!  Click on the document pictured to the left to read her article.      Dawn DiNocco Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT) Dawn graduated from Essex Agricultural and Technical Institute with a degree in Animal Health Science, tailored specifically for veterinary technicians. She is a certified veterinary technician through the American Association of Veterinary Boards. Dawn has been working at our facility since 1997. She enjoys getting to know people and their pets. She feels it is important to be an advocate for animals since they cannot help themselves. As a child, she collected and cared for stray animals. She believes tending for sick animals and strays contributed to her desire to work as a veterinary technician. After the many years of caring for countless animals, she settled down with just one special dog--a Cairn Terrier named Dewey.     Desiree Wentworth Veterinary Technician Desiree started in Ipswich as a veterinary technician. She spent her whole life around animals. Since the age of 3, she worked in a horse barn. While she was growing up, she got to watch her step-father work as a dog trainer. Currently, Desiree serves as the main veterinary dental hygienist and has special training to contribute to the excellent dentistry offered at Veterinary Center of Greater Newburyport. Desiree loves to horseback ride, take long walks and hang out with her pets. Her pet family consists of a Pomeranian named Suchi, a cat named Jezzebelle and two rabbits, Indigo Montoya and Wesley. Her favorite part of the job is assisting with dental procedures. She loves coming to work and appreciates the fact that animals do not talk. She calls them silent soldiers who can express everything without using words.         Donna Rainha  Receptionist   Donna attended Boston University to become a dental technician. Shortly after graduating, Donna became a flight attendant. She worked for TWA for 16 years and got to travel the world.  Two of her favorite places she has visited are Hawaii and Italy. With a strong background in customer service, her experience paired with her education is beneficial for Veterinary Center of Greater Newburyport and our clients. Donna lives in Newbury with her husband and two cats named Skittles and Freckles. During her free time, she loves spending time with her daughter, going to the beach, visiting with friends and gardening. The favorite part of her job is working with the doctors and clients. She has no problem devoting herself to animals because of the unconditional love she gets in return.