General Landing Page | Yalesville Veterinary Hospital

322 Church Street, Wallingford, CT 06492 • (203) 265-1646

322 Church Street, Wallingford, CT 06492
(203) 265-1646

Meet Our Yalesville, CT Veterinarians

Each of our vets brings a unique blend of skill, compassion, and dedication to their work, ensuring the best care for your pets. We’re honored to have these outstanding professionals as part of our family, ready to serve you and your pets with the utmost empathy and expertise.

Lisa Saravis Padro DVM holding a yellow and white cat

Dr. Lisa Saravis Padro

About Dr. Saravis Padro

Dr. Lisa Saravis Padro is proud to have been a full-time member of Yalesville Veterinary Hospital since 2005. A Connecticut native, she obtained her Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry, graduating cum laude from Connecticut College. She graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in 1994, having been inducted into the Society of Phi Zeta, the Honor Society for Veterinary Medicine, and winning the Westminster Kennel Club Scholarship while attending veterinary school.

Dr. Saravis Padro went on to practice small animal medicine in North Haven for the next eleven years before joining Yalesville Veterinary Hospital. She is the past president of the New Haven County Veterinary Medical Association. Dr. Saravis Padro enjoys practicing all aspects of medicine and surgery and is excited to be able to perform minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery for her patients. She is committed to maintaining a close relationship with her patients and guiding their families throughout her patients' lives, providing the best care with whatever challenges they may face.

She enjoys spending her free time with her family, riding and driving her two horses Beau and Oliver, reading, and hiking.

Frank Kostolitz DVM with arm around black dog

Dr. Frank Kostolitz

About Dr. Kostolitz

Dr. Frank Kostolitz attended the University of Parma in Italy where he received his DVM. He started practicing veterinary medicine in Middletown in 1984, providing care to both small and large animal medicine and surgery, and in 1990 he established Yalesville Veterinary Hospital in Wallingford, CT.

Dr. Kostolitz's believes in providing a stress-free environment which is at the core of Dr. Kostolitz's holistic approach to veterinary medicine. His belief in maintaining the human/animal bond is evident in both the way he practices as well as communicating this belief to all the staff here at Yalesville.

Dr. Kostolitz is committed to the Yalesville standards of keeping both advancements in medical technology and staff training as key areas of focus at the practice. This allows the Yalesville team to provide optimum care not often found at privately owned hospitals.

Dr. Kostolitz shares his home with his wife, 3 children, their greyhound, Stella, and 2 cats. His outside interests include travel, theater, food, and motorcycles.

Dr. Catherine Donewald

About Dr. Donewald

Dr. Catherine Donewald grew up in Wallingford, CT and is very excited to be back 'home' at Yalesville Vet. Prior to and during college she worked at Yalesville Veterinary Hospital, starting in 2006, in a variety of positions including Veterinary Technician. Her love for working with and helping animals directed her to UCONN where she received her bachelor's degree in Animal Science, Dr. Donewald then went on to Kansas State University and graduated from their College of Veterinary Medicine. Her special interests include animal dermatology and internal medicine. Dr. Donewald is also a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

While Dr. Donewald is very passionate about veterinary medicine and providing the best care to her patients, she seeks to always make every visit to Yalesville positive for her clients as well.

When she is not caring for patients at Yalesville, Dr. Donewald enjoys spending time with her family and friends, watching movies, and going to the beach. She shares her home with her family including their cat, Motzi, and their dog, Leo.

Resa Mclellan DVM smiling for self portrait

Dr. Resa McLellan

About Dr. McLellan

Dr. Resa McLellan is a native of the Naugatuck Valley and is fulfilling her lifelong dream of serving as a veterinarian. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biological Sciences from Connecticut College. She then attended the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, where she obtained her VMD degree.

During the course of her education, Dr. Resa was passionate about cancer research and participated in several programs, including fellowships at Yale Medical School and Penn Medical School. She also engaged in a wide variety of animal experiences, including rehabilitation of seals and beluga whales at the Mystic Aquarium, veterinary care at the Beardsley Zoo, and performing pregnancy ultrasounds on alpacas and llamas in the Andes Mountains of Peru.

Dr. Resa’s clinical interests include soft tissue surgery, oncology, and exotics medicine. She would be more than happy to meet your guinea pig, rabbit, ferret, or hamster! Apart from the hospital, she enjoys art, singing, and playing various musical instruments. She also participates in running road races in the community, alongside members of the Yalesville Veterinary Hospital staff.

Molly Chirunomula DVM holding fluffy brown tabby cat

Dr. Molly Chirunomula

About Dr. Chirunomula

Dr. Molly Chirunomula grew up in Connecticut, where she spent her childhood dreaming of joining the veterinary profession! She received her bachelor’s degree in biology from Tufts University and completed her veterinary education at Cornell University.

During her undergraduate and professional schooling, Dr. Molly was fortunate to travel and work with wildlife abroad in east Africa, Costa Rica, and Belize. She also worked in shelter environments around the country, learning to perform high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter surgery.

Dr. Molly is very excited to be back home in CT, serving the community through her work here at Yalesville. She strives to provide the highest standards of care and compassion to each of her patients, and to the people who love them.

Dr. Molly's hobbies include dancing and playing her violin and guitar. She lives with her family and her two accidentally adopted cats, Sarah and Estrella.

Dr. Jill O'Callaghan

About Dr. O'Callaghan

Dr. Jill O'Callaghan is a Connecticut native. She grew up in New Canaan, CT and graduated from Wake Forest University in North Carolina with a degree in Biology in 1997.

She then attended Kansas State University where she received her D.V.M. degree in 2002. Upon graduation she worked at a small animal hospital in New London for seven years before joining the Yalesville staff in August 2009.

Her clinical interests include internal medicine, surgery, and acupuncture. She is a certified veterinary acupuncturist through the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society.

Marjorie Oneill holding fluffy orange cat

Dr. Marjorie O'Neill

About Dr. O'Neill

Dr. Marjorie O'Neill grew up in Wallingford, CT. She obtained her B.S. from Quinnipiac College in 1979 and subsequently accepted a position at Wake Forest University where she provided medical care for various species of nonhuman primates, dogs, cats, sheep, goats, and pigeons. After leaving Wake Forest University, she attended veterinary school at North Carolina State University, graduating in 1991.

Following graduation, she moved to New Jersey and spent 20 years practicing general and emergency medicine. She also volunteered as a first responder with the New Jersey State Office of Emergency Management as the Middlesex County Veterinary Coordinator for 15 years. She was responsible for organizing the search and rescue of pets and wildlife during times of disaster. In 2010, she returned to Connecticut to be closer to her family.

When not working Marjorie enjoys pursuing her favorite hobbies including gardening, bird watching, sewing, and knitting and enjoying the company of her cats, Gus, Gracie and Ruthie.

Dr. Kayla Sands

About Dr. Sands

Dr. Kayla Sands returns to her roots in Connecticut, joining Yalesville Veterinary Hospital in May of 2022. Her love for animals and science led her to earn her B.S. (hons) in Zoology from The Ohio State University in 2014. Her journey to vet med continued in Scotland, where she attended the R(D)SVS at the University of Edinburgh to earn her BVM&S in 2018. Throughout her veterinary education and career, she has pursued a passion for exotics medicine (primarily mammals and reptiles) as well as animal behavior across all species.

Dr. Sands strives to provide a high standard of care and client communication for cats, dogs, and exotics and aims to always put patient welfare first through a Fear Free approach. Her favorite part of veterinary medicine so far is educating clients. Being able to share and channel her enthusiasm for everything from basic training to complicated medical cases; nothing gives her job satisfaction like helping owners understand their pet.

When not at the clinic, Dr. Sands enjoys reading, skiing, hiking; movie and board game nights with her husband; and is hoping to pick her viola back up and get back into practice with local music ensembles. All this, that is, when she's not busy entertaining or cuddling with her Pittie, Roslin.

Dr. Christina Leung

About Dr. Leung

As a native New Yorker, Dr. Christina Leung cultivated her love for animals through her experience with wildlife and companion animals. After receiving a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Stony Brook University, she continued to develop her veterinary journey by working at a small animal practice and volunteering with horses for therapeutic riding. She obtained her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University, where she developed her professional interests in soft tissue surgery and internal medicine.

After graduating, Dr. Leung initially practiced in New York City, and later moved to Connecticut in hopes of having access to more personal space. She is excited to be part of the stellar team at Yalesville Veterinary Hospital, where she strives to provide comprehensive veterinary care and excellent client communication.

In her free time, Dr. Leung enjoys running outdoors, kayaking, and trying different cuisines. She also enjoys spending time with her two kitties, Hudson and Cole.

What Our Clients Are Saying

"The best vet in CT! I wouldn't think of ever going to anyone else. They have taken care of both my cat and dog and my families cats for over 20 years! They are very kind, gentle, and understanding. Highly recommend them!"

- Jess Hubbard

"First time at Yalesville Vet and it was a lovely experience. Wonderful Vets and staff! Everyone was super welcoming, attentive, and happy to answer any questions I had. Would highly recommend!!"

- Jen Rau

"Staff and doctors are so compassionate and really love what they do which translate to better care for your pet and communication with pet owners."

- Christy Carmosino Palumbo

Meet Our Yalesville, CT Veterinarians

Dr. Lisa Saravis Padro

Dr. Frank Kostolitz

Dr. Catherine Donewald

Dr. Resa McLellan

Dr. Molly Chirunomula

Dr. Jill O'Callaghan

Dr. Marjorie O'Neill

Dr. Kayla Sands

Dr. Christina Leung

What Our Clients Are Saying

Veterinary Services

Exotic Pet Care

Integrative Medicine

Laparoscopic Surgery

Advanced Diagnostics

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