Dr. Alissa Fairlie
Dr. Fairlie (Practice owner of Creature Comforts Animal Hospital, P.C.) has practiced veterinary medicine and surgery in the Hudson Valley since 2006, working with dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, ferrets, rabbits, and a variety of other exotic pets. Dr. Fairlie’s career of working with animals, however, dates back to 1991 when she began working and volunteering at animal shelters, animal hospitals, pet stores, farms and in research. Her work with animals continued throughout college, where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Small Animal Science with a focus on Research and Biotechnology from Delaware Valley College of Science and Agriculture.
Furthering her special interest in exotic animals, Dr. Fairlie completed a preceptorship at the Baton Rouge Zoo, as well as an externship at one of Long Island’s premier referral centers for birds, reptiles, and other exotic pets. Dr. Fairlie has also at one time, taught and developed the courses of Exotic Animal Medicine and Care as well as Animal Handling and Restraint, at Ulster County Community College, for their Veterinary Technician program. Dr. Fairlie is currently a member of the American Animal Hospital Association, American Association of Feline Practitioners, American Veterinary Medical Association, the Association of Avian Veterinarians, the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians, the Association of Amphibian and Reptilian Veterinarians, the Veterinary Information Network, the New York State Veterinary Medical Society and the Hudson Valley Veterinary Medical Society which she has also held the positions of Vice President, President, Past President and currently, Treasurer. Dr. Fairlie has also had the honor of being a recipient of the 2017 40 Under 40 Mover and Shaker Award bestowed upon her by the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce for her contributions to the Hudson Valley Community.
Dr. Fairlie is the proud parent of 2 rescued cats, a collection of giant millipedes, fresh water fish and some salt water invertebrates as well as her adorable son. Throughout her life, Dr. Fairlie has also owned other dogs, cats and exotic pets including a uromastyx lizard, a cockatiel, a severe macaw, a chinchilla, leopard geckos, guinea pigs, hamsters, rats, mice, frogs, emperor scorpions, giant African millipedes, a crayfish and many more. Dr. Fairlie is thrilled to use her lifetime of knowledge and experience with all sorts of creatures to now care for yours at Creature Comforts Animal Hospital.
Dr. Kathrene Barker
Dr. Kathrene Barker is a native New Yorker who grew up in the beautiful Hudson Valley and has been working with animals for the past 20 years. Prior to attending veterinary school, Dr. Barker received a bachelor’s degree in veterinary management from SUNY Delhi and worked as a licensed veterinary technician in various areas of the veterinary medical field, including small animal, exotic animal and animal cancer practices, for over 10 years. With this experience, she excelled at St. George’s University School of Veterinary Medicine, where she received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. Dr. Barker completed her clinical year at the University of Tennessee Veterinary School and is excited to be back in the Hudson Valley and joining the team at Creature Comforts.
Dr. Barker lives the Creature Comforts mission of “All Pets, All Better”. She takes tremendous pride in being part of the veterinary field and loves the constant growth and knowledge that it has to offer. She offers warmth and compassion as well as heartfelt care to every patient and client she meets. She loves animals of all kinds and has owned all sorts of pets including cats, rats, dogs, hamsters, budgies and gecko lizards. Turning that love into a profession, Dr. Barker now practices the medicine and surgery to make “All Pets, All Better”.
Dr. Barker is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the New York Veterinary Medical Society and the Hudson Valley Veterinary Medical Society. Her professional interests include companion animal medicine, exotic animal medicine and helping wildlife. Currently she resides with her fiancé, beautiful new baby, two cats named Charlie and Pretty Girl, and when she is not taking care of your family, she loves to read, watch football, take in some music festivals and spend time in the great outdoors with her friends and family.
Creature Comforts Animal Hospital could not be more proud to have Dr. Barker as a part of our team.
Dr. Melissa Duggan
Dr. Duggan has always been drawn to animals. She is the person in the corner at a party petting the host’s dog, and has been cuddling up to her four-legged friends since she could walk.
Though originally from Westchester NY, Dr. Duggan has spent every summer of her life in the Hudson Valley at her family’s summer camp, Camp Eagle Hill. First as a camper, Dr. Duggan grew into a counselor and opened a nature room with all sorts of creatures to teach kids about animals and how to care for them.
As a young adult, Dr. Duggan spent school breaks working and volunteering at small animal hospitals, goat and alpaca farms, and at Guiding Eyes for the Blind. She graduated from Binghamton University with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology before attending Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in St. Kitts. It was there that Dr. Duggan rescued her first child Sarge, a coconut retriever. She finished her veterinary education at Louisiana State University. Since graduating, Dr. Duggan has practiced as a small animal veterinarian, eventually becoming chief of staff at her previous hospital. In that time she has adopted another dog, Ennis, fondly known as the chocolate piglet.
Dr. Duggan recently moved to Dutchess County with her husband and welcomed their first human child. When not practicing, learning and dreaming about veterinary medicine, Dr. Duggan enjoys spending time with family, hiking or anything outdoors, traveling, gardening, watching movies, and re-reading Harry Potter.
Dr. Duggan is thrilled to join the Creature Comforts team and looking forward to treating your furry, feathery, scaly family members like her own.
Dr. Amanda Fuhrmann
Dr. Fuhrmann is a native New Yorker and no stranger to our beautiful Hudson Valley. She has loved animals of “all shapes and sizes” from a very young age. She grew up with dogs, bearded dragons and even had hermit crabs and shares our interest in exotic pets. She has travelled far and wide, much like all of our doctors, to follow her dream of becoming a veterinarian. No matter where life takes her, she keeps ending up back in good ole’ New York.
Dr. Fuhrmann attended Florida Gulf Coast University where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. During her time there she volunteered at Kowiachobee Animal Preserve where she cleaned enclosures for their various types of animals. After college graduation, she moved back home and started working at Creature Comforts Animal Hospital as one of our wonderful Client Service Representatives (you knew she looked familiar, didn’t you?). During her time with us, Dr. Fuhrmann had learned all that she could about dogs, cats and all exotic pets and applied to Veterinary School. Dr. Fuhrmann attended Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in St. Kitts and loved her time there. While in school, she was Adoption Coordinator for their Shelter Medicine Club where she adopted her very own coconut retriever, Tootsie. She completed her final clinical year at Kansas State University where she gained additional exotics experience as well as an externship with one of Long Island’s prestigious exotics animal specialty hospitals. She then moved back to New York to join our Creature Comforts Animal Hospital team once again as a Veterinary Doctor. Creature Comforts is so proud to have been a part of Dr. Furhmann’s journey and we are excited to welcome her back.
In her free time, Dr. Fuhrmann loves to snuggle with her dogs, Tootsie and Layla, play board games, spend time with family and friends and travel to new places.
