Joe 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.

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.

Emilie Laston, DVM is a native of Vermont who graduated from the Atlantic Veterinary College at the University of Prince Edward Island in 2012. Dr. Laston worked in emergency medicine and as a shelter veterinarian prior to joining our practice. Dr. Laston joined Ellington Center Animal Clinic in the fall of 2014 and has since bought a house and added a dog to her family of animals. She currently has 3 kitties, Herriot, Ivy and Lucie Lou, and her German Shorthair Pointer Henry. Dr. Laston spends her free time maintaining her house, loving her cats, and competing with Henry both in the conformation ring and in the field. She has a soft spot for geriatric patients and enjoys working closely with clients to help improve the human-animal bond and overall quality of life of her patients.

Tina is a full-time veterinary receptionist.  She has worked with animals all of her life.  She is dedicated to caring for animals of all kinds, including her own horses, dogs, a pet rabbit, sugar gliders, and rats.  Tina loves helping pets stay healthy and enjoys working in a welcoming environment.  

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.'

Wendi is a Veterinary Technician who has been in the field since 2013. Wendi & her husband have 4 beloved pets, 2 dogs (a lab-boxer rescue named Cleetis and a French Bulldog-Pug cross named Riddim), 1 rescue cat named Autumn and a chinchilla named Cheech! Obviously, Wendi loves animals, but she especially loves happy tail wags and unconditional loving licks. Pets are wonderfully loyal and seem to have never-ending love and devotion.

Olivia enjoys her role as a Veterinary Assistant because she loves the interaction with furry patients and she is gaining a lot of experience and knowledge. Although she is a phlebotomist, she has chosen a career path working with animals. She lives with her dogs Mia and Tater, her cat Simba and a bunny named Lepus.

Mia and her family have two cats, Pip & Po. She has a Veterinary Assistant Certificate from Asnuntuck College. She enjoys working with companion animals, has a special fondness for Corgis, and loves that pets brighten up your day. Mia is an avid reader and movie watcher, but also enjoys physical adventures like hiking and soccer. At Ellington Center Animal Clinic, Mia enjoys working closely with the doctors and veterinary technicians and learning something new every day.

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.”