Veterinarians & Staff

Dr. Jake Zaidel lives his lifelong dream of serving his community as a veterinarian each and every day. After pursuing an undergraduate education at Michigan State University’s Lyman Briggs School, Dr. Zaidel earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) degree at Cornell University. He has served his profession as a Leader in the New York State Veterinary Medical Society’s L2K program and is Past-President of the Capital District Veterinary Medical Society.

Dr. Zaidel co-founded and for several years, served as Treasurer of Eastline Romp & Play, a non-profit corporation that has partnered with the Town of Malta to develop and maintain a dog park within the community.

Dr. Heather Gilkes Zaidel graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Vermont with a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science. She continued her education at Cornell University, where she earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree.

In addition to her numerous professional associations, Dr. Heather Gilkes Zaidel serves on two committees for the New York State Veterinary Medical Society: the College Liason and New Graduate Committees. Both opportunities provide a simple means for Dr. Gilkes Zaidel to make a positive difference within the profession.

Dr. Michelle Bombard is a Capital region native. She graduated from Galway High School in 1993, then completed a double major at Binghamton University, where she graduated with a BS in Biology and Environmental Studies in 1997. She continued her education at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, earning her DVM degree in 2002.

Dr. Bombard has been practicing companion animal medicine in the Saratoga area for over 20 years. Her primary interest is in preventive medicine, helping her clients to achieve a higher quality of life for their pets as long as possible.

Dr. Bombard is a member of the local, state, and national veterinary medical associations. She served as the Capital District Veterinary Medical Society’s Continuing Education Chairperson for three years, for which she was recognized with a CDVMS service award for her efforts to bring continuing education to local veterinarians. She co-chairs the regional grassroots legislative network for the CDVMS to help foster communication between veterinarians and their legislators on topics that may affect the welfare of animals, the practice of veterinary medicine, and interaction between veterinarians and their clients.

Michelle and her husband Mark live in Galway where they have begun building their home on a few acres (so they’ll always have room for a few horses for trail riding). They have two boys, who will grow up constantly surrounded by animals. Dr. Bombard’s personal interests include horseback riding, skiing, camping, and spending time with family.

Dr. Alex Kent grew up in southern New York state but did his undergraduate degree at the University of Massachusetts. He then moved to beautiful Prince Edward Island in Canada to attend the Atlantic Veterinary College to complete his veterinary degree. This was followed by a one-year internship at Michigan Veterinary Specialists in Southfield, MI. He has worked as a veterinarian in Ohio, Quebec, and Connecticut but has settled in the Capital region.

When he is not working to keep pets healthy, he is spending time with his wife (who is also a veterinarian), two young daughters, and their dog Posie and cat Frankie. 

Dr. Jane Farrell (Neidhart) has been a practicing veterinarian in Saratoga County
for the past 15 years. She graduated from the University of Florida with a BA in 1983, and studied in the Masters of Philosophy program. Dr. Jane went on to graduate in the top ten of her class from the University Of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in 1989.

Dr. Olivia Gliserman grew up in Round Lake and attended SUNY New Paltz for her undergraduate degree. After earning her DVM from Ohio State University, she returned to the Capital region after graduation in order to be closer to her family.

Throughout her veterinary education, Dr. Gliserman developed a special interest in surgery, internal medicine, cardiology, and clinical pathology. She also enjoys behavioral medicine. During her spare time, Dr. Gliserman enjoys hiking, cooking, reading, and spending quality time with her husband Mike and her cat Hobbes.

JoAnn has been a contributing member of the veterinary community since 2001. She graduated from SUNY Delhi with a degree in Veterinary Technology and earned her Veterinary Technician license in 2006. 

JoAnn joined our team at Malta Animal Hospital in 2010. She has been Head Tech since 2012. JoAnn brings her diverse experience in veterinary care to each client and patient. This is her dream job, and she strives each day to ensure patients receive the highest quality of care available. JoAnn’s veterinary interests include anesthesia, surgery, radiology, oncology, critical care and rehabilitation. She especially loves working with senior patients! 

Kendra has been working with animals since 2012 as an assistant. She graduated from SUNY Canton and received her Veterinary Technician license in May 2019. Kendra joined our team in 2018. She has an American pit bull named Bentley, a miniature dachshund named Otto, and a cat named Mel. Kendra loves all of the animals that come into our office, but has a soft spot for pit bulls.

Kelsey has been working in the veterinary field since 2016, graduated from SUNY Canton in 2019, and received her veterinary technician license soon after. She has a special interest in dentistry and working with exotic animals. Kelsey shares her home with a terrier mix named Monty and a miniature dachshund named Maisie.

Robin received her Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from Wells College. After working for several years at the Cornell University/New York State Diagnostic Laboratory and becoming a veterinary assistant, she returned to school. Robin received her Veterinary Technician degree from SUNY Delhi College of Technology in 2004 and is a member of the New York State Association for Veterinary Technicians. As an LVT, her favorite aspects of her job at Malta Animal Hospital are patient comfort and geriatric care. Every day she is doing what she loves–making a difference in the lives of pets and their people!

Robin and her husband Victor share their home with their handsome sons Kylan and Tennyson, 3 rescue cats, and 1 rescue dog. In her spare time, she is a dedicated ballroom dancer and yogi.

Jean is a Licensed Veterinary Technician who joined our team in February of 2012. She attended Purdue University in 2006 and relocated to upstate New York in 2007.  She enjoys the variety her profession brings to each day and working with a great team that provides high-quality patient care. Her areas of special interest include canine/feline dentistry and animal behavior. Jean enjoys meeting new pets and their families and knowing that she has played a part in educating owners and caring for their four-legged family members.

Jean shares her home with her husband, Bruce, son and daughter, Brantley and McKenna, and a Lab mix named Hazel.

Mary began her career at Malta Animal Hospital as a student pursuing a degree in veterinary technology. She recently completed her degree in veterinary technology and licensure. Mary has a big heart, full of compassion which helps her deliver excellent patient care.

She shares her home with husband Justin, their 3 cats, Bane, Aurora and Ogi and 2 Labrador Retrievers, Zola Bear and Kelly.

Marilyn has been with our family since the fall of 2008. She brings over 22 years of professional animal care experience to Malta Animal Hospital, having graduated from Suny Cobleskill with an Associate’s degree in Animal Science. Marilyn especially loves those “big dogs” and rabbits that come into our practice, and will take care of your pets as if they were her own.

She likes to spend her free time with her furry family (2 dogs and 3 cats) as well as her husband and two beautiful children.

Joining the team in January of 2020, Megan brings 2 years of experience in veterinary assisting from her home island of Oahu where she worked in a busy emergency and specialty clinic. 

Megan‘s love for animals began as a young child helping her mom take care of their family of furry, fluffy, and feathery misfits. That passion for helping animals in need lead her to volunteering at the local humane society and eventually working as a veterinary assistant where her interest in veterinary medicine was piqued. 

Megan is excited for all that Upstate New York has to offer and is happy to share this new adventure with her own furry family of 4.

Kristine has been in the veterinary field for just a short time, but has been amongst different varieties of animal care for 7 years. Kristine has been a zookeeper, managed a dog walking business, and volunteered at local animal shelters. She has one dog, “Moose” and two ball pythons “Kubo” and “Kiwi.” Kristine likes to train and go hiking with her dog in her spare time. Her favorite part of veterinary medicine is watching puppies grow into loveable adult dogs!

Colleen worked as a licensed cosmetologist for many years before finding her way into the veterinary world. For her, everyday satisfaction always came from her love of helping people, and she has extended that passion to her role as a veterinary receptionist for over 17 years. Colleen’s favorite part about her job is getting to meet and help out so many pets and owners every day – this job always keeps her smiling!

Outside of MAH, she likes to spend her time with her daughter Abby, and their Sheltie: Sybil. She fondly remembers her past pets- Saber, an Australian shepherd mix, and Switch, a sheltie mix.

After a long career in retail management, Deb realized that her favorite part of her job was building relationships with her customers. Joining MAH has enabled her to build relationships with clients and their pets all day. Being able to share their happy times and offering support in the difficult times makes her job rewarding. Deb spends her free time enjoying her family especially her grandchildren and Sylvester the cat.

Nixie joined the Malta Animal Hospital family in the fall of 2021 with 12 years’ experience in the veterinary field. She always has a smile on her face and enjoys interacting with our clients and patients with her bubbly personality. Her favorite breed of dog is a Chihuahua. In her free time Nixie loves cruising around town on her moped and enjoys spending time boating and playing video games with her Fiancé Steven.

Alayna obtained her degree from Plattsburgh State University, majoring in cellular biology with a minor in math. Alayna saw a career in the veterinary field as an opportunity to combine her areas of expertise and learn more about what she already loved. She enjoys building relationships with clients and their pets: sharing the excitement of new family members, listening to owners’ stories, seeing the love they share, and helping them through the hard times.

Cassandra has been in the animal field since 2007. Before starting at MAH, Cassie worked with a wide variety of dogs and cats as a kennel assistant and receptionist at a Doggie Daycare and boarding facility. Cassie enjoys Inventory Management, ensuring compliance with new protocols and focuses on managing administrative processes. Her love for animals is what makes this job very rewarding for her. In her free time Cassie loves to horseback ride and spend time with her Son and Hound Mix Petey.