Meet Our Team

Dr. Gry Wildenstein

Veterinarian

“I love my work as a vet for all our furry pet friends: cats, furry exotics, and dogs; it is very fulfilling and makes me smile. I enjoy diagnostic challenges and I like to work with the pet owners to find solutions that work for them. I really enjoy internal medicine, behavior, feline medicine, soft tissue surgery, and dentistry.”

Dr. Wildenstein created Adana Veterinary Clinic, and opened its doors in 2004. She is originally from Denmark, hence the first name Gry, pronounced [gree]. Gry Wildenstein graduated from The Royal Veterinary College of Denmark in 1987, and then practiced in Denmark for 4 years.

In January 1992 she moved to the Ithaca-area from Denmark. Dr. Wildenstein worked at various local small animal practices (4) from 1992 to 2003. She decided to open her own practice and set out to plan and build Adana Veterinary Clinic using her wealth of experience in practice philosophy as well as in design. The clinic had its Grand Opening on Valentine’s Day 2004, it continues to thrive in developing great relationships with pets and their owners. The human-animal bond is extraordinary and one to be celebrated! Adana accepts new clients as our schedule and staffing allows. The objective at Adana is to have lasting and personal relationships while providing the best in pet care; she and the staff find great joy in knowing their clients and pets by name.

Gry Wildenstein lives in the community with her husband, Bob. Their combined crop of 5 adult children with 3 grandchildren, are spread all over the country, from Florida to Boston to Oregon, and California! They both enjoy the outdoors any season: hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing especially. They love to garden, cook, bake, and explore new places in the world together. Gry and Bob share their house with 2 dogs, 4 cats, a 10+ year old iguana, and their yard with a small bunch of hens.

Dr. Alice Marie Donnelly

Veterinarian

“I knew that I wanted to be a veterinarian for dogs and cats from the age of 7”.

Dr. Donnelly grew up in downstate New York. She spent 8 years at Cornell and graduated from the Veterinary School in 1996. She has 25 years’ experience in small animal general practice.

“I particularly enjoy soft tissue surgery and chronic disease management. I like working with devoted owners to help them understand what is going on with their pet, and what can be done to best manage their disease and enhance quality of life. I take pride in providing high quality, honest, practical medicine for my patients.”

Dr. Donnelly loves dogs of all sizes and has previously owned German Shepherds and Bullmastiffs and currently lives with a Boston Terrier and a French Bulldog. She recently lost her 15 year old cat, Muriel, who lived a long and pampered life with Dr. Donnelly

Tyler Totman

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Tyler joined our Adana team in August 2012, returning to her home state after having lived in Georgia for 3 years working at veterinary hospitals. She started with Adana as a Veterinary Assistant, but her skill set and dedication to the field made her pursue a degree as a Licensed Veterinary Technician and Tyler passed her exam in 2016.

Tyler loves working in a practice that combines a ‘small-town feel’ with state of the art technology, as well as one that stresses the importance of reducing its carbon footprint. She enjoys getting to know our clients and their pets. Tyler has an excellent rapport with all pets, she excels in helping the patients feel loved and safe.

Tyler is also our main Feline Advocate, she helps lead and maintain the program at Adana to assure all staff is trained in safe, compassionate handling guidelines for cats. She understands cat behavior and how to approach and handle cats in a gentle, empathetic and caring manner. Ask for Tyler if you have concerns about bringing a nervous cat to the veterinary practice.

Outside of the office, Tyler loves to spend time outdoors, either digging in the garden at home or exploring the local trails. She can also often be found crafting something or tackling home DIY projects. And if it’s football season, Buffalo Bills’ games will be heard somewhere around the house!

She shares her home with her husband, daughter, and fur kids: dog Knox and 2 cats Spyder and Wilson.

Emily Strack

Licensed Veterinary Technician

I was born and raised on Long Island and after spending the last four years out in Utah I am excited to be back in my home state of New York. I received my Bachelor’s at the University of Connecticut in 2018 and continued my education in a Vet Tech program. In 2020, I became a Licensed Veterinary Technician and have been working in small animal general practice since. I have always loved animals since I was a little girl and you could always find me in the corner with the dog when I went over to a friend’s house. I love being part of a team that cares so much for animals, their people, and each other. I am excited to get to know all of our clients and their furry family members.

In my free time, I love to read books (particularly fantasy and romance) and to care for my plants. I also love travelling and spending time in nature. Some of my favorite types of habitats are rainforest or cloud forest if I should be so lucky to go there. I love to go birding especially in the Spring when the beautiful warblers migrate through. I live with my partner, Jack, and the sweetest dog you will ever meet, Willow.

Amy Chrisman

Veterinary Technician

Ever since I was young, I have had a passion for animals, and I knew I wanted to work with them when I got older. I started as a kennel tech while we were stationed at Kadena Air Base in Japan in 2017, and have since worked my way up to being a vet assistant for the last 5 years. I am currently attending Penn Foster College to become a licensed veterinary technician. I live with my husband, David, and two teenage boys- Jayden and Carter. I also share my home with many animals- 4 cats, 2 dogs and a ball python. When i am not at work, I enjoy traveling, working on my flowerbeds, and relaxing at home with my family.

Samara Cathirell

Vet Tech Assistant, BS Student, Per Diem

Since the start of the pandemic, I have worked at animal hospitals in the DC area, and now upstate NY. I find purpose in providing pets the compassion they deserve, and indirectly, their owners. Previously working in emergency, I was able to help pets and their owners during their time of greatest need. Now working at a local, community-focused practice such as Adana, I find comfort in forming lasting relationships with clients and their pets. It is amazing and rewarding to watch pets grow up, as well as follow their lives from puppies to senior citizens.

Originally from the DC area in Maryland, I am pursuing my B.S. in Animal Science with a pre-veterinary concentration at Cornell. I previously attended community college and got my associate’s degree in Maryland. Outside of school, you can find me hiking Ithaca’s beautiful trails, swimming, camping, taking care of my plants, or at local dairy farms with cows performing research.

I have one rescue back home in Maryland, named Kano. He is a large, silly goofy guy with a personality about as big as he is. He is a simple fellow who doesn’t like too much affection – all he asks for is your company.

Jen Smalls

Vet Tech Assistant, Vet Student class of 2026, Per Diem

Growing up, I enjoyed being around animals and helping them. I knew since I was younger that I wanted to be a veterinarian and fell in love with the medicine behind it all. Working at Adana Veterinary Clinic, I am able to continue to compassionately aid in caring for animals and communicate with their owners.

I am from Long Island, NY, and am currently in Ithaca attending Cornell Veterinary School. I have previously volunteered with horses, wildlife and farm animals. I have a passion for general practice medicine and shelter medicine, and have extensive experience in both of these fields.

In my free time I enjoy hiking around Ithaca with my service dog in training, Noah. I enjoy volunteering with different shelter organizations in Ithaca but mainly spend my days in the library studying. I hope one day to be a general practice veterinarian and work with local shelters.

Posie Price

Vet Tech Assistant, BS Student, Per Diem

I love connecting with owners through their pets. Hearing about each pet’s quirks brightens my day. I was drawn to Adana by their wonderful staff and compassionate care.

I grew up in Maine but am currently pursuing a B.S. in Animal Science at Cornell. I have my sights set on attending vet school. From as early as I can remember, I knew I wanted to be a vet. I grew up with cats and finally convinced my parents to let me get a dog at 14. When I was 5, I started riding horses and haven’t stopped since. Much of my free time is spent at the barn as I’m on the varsity Equestrian team at Cornell. Outside of school, I love being outside and enjoy hiking, swimming, and skiing.

At home in Maine, I have a wire fox terrier, Margo, and a cat, Pepper. Like any terrier, Margo is stubborn and smart. She loves sniffing things on walks and bothering Pepper, who has no interest in Margo. Pepper enjoys taking up most of the bed and sleeping on fuzzy blankets.

Claire Conklin

Vet Tech Assistant, Vet Student class of 2028, Per Diem

I grew up with dogs and cats, and have loved learning about all kinds of animals since I was young. I trained and competed with my dogs in the local 4-H dog club, where I became involved with teaching youth about dog training, health, and sports. My family has been bringing our pets to Adana for years, and has always treated them with a high level of care and kindness. I am very excited to work here and share that kindness with more families and their pets!

In the Spring of 2024 I learned that I had been accepted into the veterinary medicine program at Cornell. I am super excited to start classes in August 2024. I have loved my past 15 months with Adana, but plan to take a break this first semester to focus on getting into the exciting studies of Vet Med!

I grew up in Dryden, NY and studied at Ithaca College for my Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. I worked as a research lab technician in Birmingham, AL for a couple years after graduating, and decided to move back to the northeast to pursue veterinary school. Outside of work, I love camping and hiking with my dogs. I also enjoy jewelry-making and baking!

I have 2 windsprites named Honey and Simon, and a leopard gecko named Banana. I compete with Simon in conformation, agility, rally obedience, and racing, and hope to do dock-diving with Honey when she’s older. Banana prefers to lay on warm rocks and eat crickets.

Melissa Hine

Office Manager

From a young age, I’ve always been fascinated by animals, both pets and wildlife, and science. I am very grateful for the opportunity to work in the veterinary field and have been a dedicated member of the Adana Veterinary Clinic team since April 2011. Throughout my many years in veterinary medicine, I’ve gained experience in various positions, including veterinary assistant, receptionist, and inventory manager, before stepping into my current role as hospital manager. I’m always happy to help with any questions you have, and if I don’t know the answer right away, I’ll make sure to find it for you! My passion for helping others, including pets and their owners, shines through everything I do.

Outside of work, I cherish time with my family, my partner Bill, and my three adult children. I also enjoy tending to my indoor plants and outdoor garden. On nice days, I love walking local trails or spending time at the park with my two dogs: Trucker, a playful chocolate lab, and Bender, an energetic Australian cattle dog

Alexis Gillett

Receptionist

I enjoy working at Adana because I value working on a team that cares so deeply for their patients. I love working with animals and the people that love them.

Since moving to Ithaca from New York City, I’ve enjoyed exploring the lake and gorges that make this place so beautiful. I spend a lot of my free time with my cats, Rose and Little Man and dogs Xena and Oyster. We like to hike, garden, and work on our 130 year old house. I’m a lifelong cat lover with a newly found passion for dogs after fostering many rescues. I’m particularly interested in learning about canine genetics, history, structure, and polishing my training skills.

I’ve had our sweet girl Rose since she was a kitten. Xena and Little Man are a mischievous senior dog and cat bonded pair that we foster failed while living in NYC. They were both quite chunky when they arrived, but they’ve become much healthier and active since we adopted them… though they occasionally still team up to sneak into the treat stash! Oyster, our year-old Icelandic Sheepdog, is the newest member of the family and very enthusiastic about all things. He also enjoys intercepting Xena and Little Man’s food heists. Oyster and I have been exploring the world of dog sports and conformation showing. He’s also become a great hiking and fishing buddy!