Dr. Ian Ostrover, DVM
Dr. Ostrover grew up in Easton and Trumbull. He earned a biology degree from Eastern Connecticut State University. He attended Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and completed his clinical rotations at Colorado State University. In 2010, Dr. Ostrover moved back to Connecticut and started working at Trumbull Animal Hospital. He purchased the practice from Dr. Kellner in 2014.
Dr. Ostrover’s interests are surgery, injuries and treatments associated with athletic/working dogs, medicine, exotic species, ultrasound and just about anything else that is challenging or out of the ordinary. His goal as a practice owner is to provide the best medical care to his patients. He strives to create an environment at Trumbull Animal Hospital that allows for a cohesive enjoyable work experience for the entire staff and ultimately builds a strong animal care team.
Dr. Ostrover’s interests include playing guitar, mountain biking (you’re likely to see him in the valley with his dog Jax), hiking, snowboarding and working on everything from cars to the animal hospital’s landscaping. He loves spending time with his awesome wife, Kate, and their two totally crazy children, Aine and Greta.
Dr. Wendy Robertson, DVM
Dr. Wendy Robertson, an associate small animal veterinarian at Trumbull Animal Hospital, already knew as a ten-year-old growing up in Ridgefield, CT, that being a vet was her dream. That’s the year she became involved with the local dog shelter and a non-profit cat rescue organization. From her volunteer work there with homeless dogs and cats, her true passion and desire to become a veterinarian sprang.
Early on her mother warned her that veterinary medicine is not an easy job of “playing with kittens and puppies all day.” Taking hold of that challenge, Dr. Robertson found a local veterinarian who allowed her to volunteer in his practice at the age of 14. She has worked in small animal veterinary practice ever since.
After her growing up years in Ridgefield, Dr. Robertson moved to Virginia during high school followed by undergraduate studies in microbiology at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VA Tech). A standout student with, by then, multiple years of experience working in veterinary clinics, Dr. Robertson was one of an elite group of students admitted to the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg, VA, after only her sophomore year. She was awarded her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1995.
Initially after obtaining her DVM, Dr. Robertson practiced primarily equine medicine in southwestern Virginia. In 2000, family circumstances brought Dr. Robertson home to Connecticut and back to small animal medicine.
After working in both small animal general practice and small animal emergency medicine, Dr. Robertson found her home at Trumbull Animal Hospital in 2008. Dr. Robertson’s professional interests include small animal internal medicine particularly cardiology and endocrinology, geriatric medicine, pain management and feline medicine.
When not working at Trumbull Animal Hospital, Dr. Robertson enjoys spending time with her husband, Darryl, daughter, Emily, their dog (Bailey), four cats (Isabelle, Gracie, Chloe and Simba) as well as nine fire-bellied toads (Spotty Dot, Croak, Toad, Hop, Sally, Plunk, Chunk, Dude and Murray). Bailey is often seen during her time filling in as a receptionist at Trumbull Animal Hospital.
With 13 marathons and an ultra (Bimbler’s 50K 2018) under her belt, Dr. Robertson is an active runner, equestrian and outdoor enthusiast often frequenting the Trumbull Rail Trail.
Dr. Melissa DeFabrizio, DVM
Dr. De Fabrizio attended Rhodes College in Memphis, TN where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in biology while also volunteering at local animal hospitals and shelters. She worked as a veterinary assistant in her hometown of Toronto, Ontario before attending Tufts University, where she received her doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. Dr. De Fabrizio has always had a passion and love for veterinary medicine as well as animals of all shapes and sizes. It has always been her dream to work in a small animal general practice where she can build long term relationships with not only her animal patients, but with her clients as well. Her main areas of interests include dentistry, preventative medicine, geriatric care, pain management, and feline medicine. Dr. De Fabrizio currently lives with four cats, a rescue dog, and her husband, Jeffrey, who is also a veterinarian.
Dr. Katherine Tarsi, DVM
Dr. Tarsi grew up in upstate New York and graduated with commendation from the University of Glasgow School of Veterinary Medicine. She has a special interest in the human-animal bond and a passion for helping people take the best care of their pets. She had the pleasure of participating in the foundation of a program to assist homeless owners take care of their dogs while at Glasgow. Her other interests include diagnostic imaging and soft tissue surgery. Dr. Tarsi lives at home with her husband Grant, her daughter Eloise and their 12-year-old Brittany Spaniel named Hunter.
Dr. Danielle DeMatteo, DVM
Dr. DeMatteo grew up in Trumbull, CT before attending Stockton University in New Jersey, where she graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in biology. During school breaks, she worked as a veterinary assistant, and also coached gymnastics at the local YMCA. She then went on to pursue her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Missouri. After graduating she moved back to Trumbull, where she now lives with her cat, Maya.
Dr. Rachel Finneson, DVM
Dr. Finneson was born and raised in Stamford, CT. She graduated from the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor’s of Animal Science in 2016. She went on to attend Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine on the beautiful island of St Kitts. She completed her clinical training at Oregon State University while enjoying the hiking and scenery the Pacific Northwest has to offer. She graduated with her DVM in 2020 and returned back to Connecticut with her two rambunctious Kittitian Coconut Retrievers, Steve, and Lily. She has a special interest in oncology, pathology, and shelter medicine. In her downtime, she enjoys reading, cooking, and traveling.
Dr. Tara Francis
DVM, MS
If you’ve been coming to Trumbull Animal Hospital for a while, Dr. Francis might look familiar. She spent five years here as a veterinary assistant before and during vet school, and liked it enough to stick around. She earned her DVM and Master of Science in Conservation Medicine from Tufts University’s Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and has been part of the team ever since.
She has a passion for cytology (yes, she really does get excited about looking at cells under the microscope), ophthalmology, and soft tissue surgery. Above all, Dr. Francis cares deeply about making sure every owner leaves feeling informed and confident about their pet’s care. Outside of the hospital, Dr. Francis is happiest with a good book, playing games on her PC, or finding new fun places to eat. She shares her home with her fiancé Justin and her two cats, Percy and Harper; the latter of whom Dr. Francis spayed as a stray before deciding Harper simply had to come home with her.