Welcome to Ellington Center Animal Clinic, P.C.

Joseph Prichard, DVM is a native of Ellington. Dr. Prichard earned a bachelor of arts degree in zoology from Miami University and a bachelor of science degree in animal science from the University of Connecticut. He also attended post-graduate studies in reproductive physiology at Louisiana State University before attending veterinary school. Dr. Prichard graduated from Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1993 and practiced both mixed animal and companion animal medicine and surgery in New Hampshire and Massachusetts prior to returning to Ellington to open the clinic in 2000.

James Clevenger, DVM earned a bachelor of science from The Ohio State University before earning his doctorate in veterinary medicine from the University of Illinois.  He is originally from Ohio, but now lives in Connecticut with his wife and 2 children (and 2 cats and a dog).    He has more than 17 years experience working primarily with dogs and cats.   

Ruth Ann M. Valli, DVM earned her DVM at Cornell University in 1989. She is a graduate of Earlham College in Richmond, IN and attended UCONN prior to vet school. Dr. Valli has been practicing medicine for over 25 years. She has worked in North Haven, Durham, Manchester, and Hebron before joining our team. Dr. Valli has a Siamese cat and Lady Gouldian finches. She is an experienced beekeeper and has a special fondness for older, more experienced feline patients and all sighthounds, particularly greyhounds.

Dylan is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and has been working on our team since May 2010. He was promoted in March 2018 to Technician Supervisor, providing leadership, training and supervision to our veterinary support staff. He has 2 cats (Whisper & Fenster), an Amazon parrot named Timmy, , a duck named Delores and occasional wildlife guests while they rehabilitate. He enjoys assisting the veterinarians, trying to improve and enrich the lives of the patients. “I enjoy observing and experiencing the special bond between man and animal. Every personality is unique and each animal has personal adaptations. Although not all personalities are agreeable, for the most part, animals are more agreeable than humans, at least to me, most of the time.'

Kristin is a certified technician and graduate of the Becker College Vet Tech Program.   She is married and a mom of 2 teenage boys.   She has been involved with breeding and showing dogs for well over 30 years.   Her family has a cat named Waldo and many, many Schipperke dogs - all with their own unique personalities.  Kristin believes that animals have a way to see your soul and know what you need instinctively - whether that be a quick cuddle or a full embrace or even that sweet look from across the room.  Kristin is an important part of the Ellington Center Animal Clinic team and enjoys working in the team / family environment. 

Jeff and his family have 2 dogs (Polly and Lil Ricky) and a turtle named Hank.    He earned his veterinary assistant certificate from Asnuntuck Community College and joined our team in January 2020.   Jeff's favorite thing about animals is their lack of judgement and their ability to live in the present.   Not surprisingly, Jeff enjoys meditation and yoga as well as juggling, cycling and music.  

Katelyn has been a Veterinary Assistant with our technical team since September 2020.   She is friendly and enthusiastic about pets.  She has worked in puppy day care and veterinary kennels since 2014.  

Tracy has lead our front desk team since January 2019.  She is a long-time Ellington resident with a lot of community experience and a great love for animals.  In addition to work, Tracy enjoys camping and loves the seasonal camper community at a local campground.  She lives with a beautiful husky x lab mixed breed dog named Piper that she refers to as her 'grand-pup'.   

Maria joined our reception team in March 2019 with more than 25 years experience in the veterinary field.   She has been a technician and worked in a variety of hospital settings.  She has a lot of knowledge and experience, but mostly enjoys helping people with their beloved pets.  

Melissa works hard to keep our clinic spotless!  She has her own cleaning business, but works with us part-time and is an important member of the team, as we strive to maintain a healthy and clean environment.  

Ron is our practice manager. He is responsible for overseeing client services, human resources, community relations, payroll, inventory, bookkeeping, and website development. “We are very fortunate to have clients who view their pets as members of the family. Our staff works hard to make the experience at the veterinarian's office to be as comfortable as possible - for both people and their pets.”