Your Newport Veterinary Family
Meet Our Team
Veterinarians
Dr. Hailey Gentile
Dr. Hailey grew up in Utah, and completed her Bachelor of Science in Bioveterinary Science at Utah State University, in Logan, Utah. She moved to Pullman, Washington, and completed her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University in 2007. Dr. Hailey moved to Vermont after graduation, and has lived in the Northeast Kingdom ever since. She has worked with dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, and multiple reptiles and amphibians. Dr. Hailey’s passions are all things general practice and she has a special interest in dentistry and soft tissue surgery. Dr. Hailey spends a lot of time expanding her knowledge on the latest in small animal medicine, dentistry and surgery. Dr. Hailey will always offer you the best in veterinary care, but she understands each patient’s situation is different and will always work with you to create a treatment care plan that works for you and your pets. In her spare time, Dr. Hailey likes to travel, kayak, and spend time with her husband, Eric (the hospital handyman), and their three and four-legged children; Noodle the cat, and the Bow Dog.
Dr. Alexandra Murphy
Dr. Murphy is originally from Canada, but moved to Vermont at a young age. She completed her undergraduate degree from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario with a degree in biology. She received her degree in veterinary medicine at the Atlantic Veterinary College at the University of Prince Edward Island. She graduated in May, 2021 and moved back to Vermont to practice. She obtained Fear Free Certification to help minimize fear, anxiety and stress of patients in hospital. She practices in small animal medicine and has a special interest in exotic medicine, which includes rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, lizards, snakes and chickens. She has two dogs: a labrador named Addie and a pitbull/mix named Maggie, a cat: Piper, and two horses: Dan and Boston. In her free time she enjoys hiking with her dogs, riding her horses, and skiing in the winter.
Dr. Laura Audette
Dr. Laura Audette graduated from Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2019. She took a 21 year detour after graduating from Cornell University in 1998 with an undergraduate degree in Animal Science. During those 21 years, Dr. Audette explored living all over the west coast and worked as a Wildland Firefighter, a Biologist and a Geographic Information Specialist. After graduating from Veterinary College, Dr. Audette worked as a mixed animal veterinarian in Colorado before moving back East to Vermont. She has spent the last 3 years working as a small animal general practice veterinarian in Central Vermont before joining the team at Newport Veterinary Clinic. In addition to her time at Newport, Dr. Audette also works at VT-CAN, North Country Animal League and the Old North End Veterinary Clinic in Burlington. Her passions are surgery, shelter medicine, and creating great relationships with her patients and their owners.
Chiropractor
Dr. Josee Gerard, BA, DC, CVSMT Certified Animal Chiropractor
Dr. Josee has always been passionate about both chiropractic and animals, and it was only natural that she combine those two loves to become a Certified Animal Chiropractor. And thus began an 8 ½ -year education journey. Dr. Josee completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. She then graduated from Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington, Minnesota, in 2001 with a Doctorate in Chiropractic. In 2005, she obtained her Certification in Veterinary Spinal Manipulative Therapy (aka Animal Chiropractic) from The Healing Oasis Wellness Center in Sturtevant, WI. In 2018, she became the 2 nd Animal Chiropractor in all of Canada to be trained in Advanced Craniosacral Therapy for small animals. After operating several successful practices in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Alberta, Canada, Dr. Josee made the hard decision to retire in 2022, and move to southern Quebec to be closer to family. However, within a few months, Dr. Josee missed her life’s calling of helping animals, and decided to come out of retirement. She is now thrilled to be offering Animal Chiropractic for your pets at Newport Veterinary Hospital. Dr. Josee is passionate about educating clients and the community on the benefits of Animal Chiropractic Care. In her spare time, she enjoys golfing, hiking and spending time with her partner, and their two cats, Dani and Ruckus.
Practice Manager
Anne Bitar
Anne was born and raised in a small rural town in Maine. She attended college in Gettysburg, PA where she obtained a BA in biology and then completed an extra year at the University of New Hampshire with courses in animal science. She has been in the veterinary field for 25+ years, starting as a kennel assistant while in college and gradually working her way up to practice management. She managed a busy three doctor mixed animal practice in Maine for 16 years prior to joining Chronos and becoming a remote practice manager. She has three children, the oldest is a nurse, the middle one is studying to be an astrophysicist, and the youngest is studying electrical engineering. She has a Boston Terrier named Hemi, a cat named Marie Curie, and two Quarter Horses named Abby and Snippy. In her spare time, she enjoy scrapbooking, hiking, walking, biking, snowshoeing, reading, cooking, crafting, gardening and traveling. She loves getting to know new people and learning their stories. She enjoys fostering the human animal bond and she delights in helping people reach their goals, both personal and professional. She likes to keep her veterinary skills sharp so on Thursdays she works in a local clinic in Maine monitoring surgeries and cleaning cat and dog teeth. She is Elite Fear Free Certified and is working to help Newport Veterinary Clinic obtain Fear Free Practice Certification. She looks forward to continuing to help animals, clients, teammates and practices through her work as a remote practice manager.
Veterinary Technicians
Melissa Mount, CVT
Melissa graduated from Vermont Technical College in 1994 and has been a valuable member of the practice since 2000. She has always had a passion for animals – both large and small. She grew up helping her mom with breeding and showing Arabian horses and placed top 10 at the Arabian Sport Horse National in 2015. She has also been breeding and showing Siberian Huskies for over 20 years. She has had several AKC, UKC, and CKC champions with titles in rally, working dog and weight pull. In her free time, she leads a 4H canine club where she teaches kids about dog breeds, anatomy, training, and care.
Kristina Gauvin, CVT
Kristina grew up in the beautiful Northeast Kingdom. She has always had a passion for animals, beginning at a young age. Kristina graduated from Vermont Technical College in 2016 and has been working in the field ever since. She recently joined our team in January of 2023. She will always treat your pets like her own, making sure they are comfortable during any visit and filled up with treats before they leave! Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, fishing, and snuggling with her three cats Pepper, Obi and Willis.
Zachary Skene
Zachary grew up in Quebec and graduated from the veterinary technician program at the Cegep de Sherbrooke. He grew up intrigued by the wonderful world of animals and wanting to be a zoologist until he decided to become a vet tech. He always cares for each patient as if they are one of his pets. Outside of work, he enjoys reading, gardening, baking, fishing, hanging out with his dogs, Hazel, Greta and Mildred, and his cat, Elijah.
Ayla Bousquet, CVT
Ayla is a native Vermonter who has always felt drawn to animals. She graduated from Vermont Technical College with a degree in Veterinary Technology in 2009, and has worked in the veterinary space in some capacity ever since. Ayla has a special interest in veterinary dentistry and is passionate about pet rescue. She shares her life with her husband, Tom, as well as two senior cats, Ollie and Rue, and a super-mutt named Kobi. When not at work, Ayla and Kobi can usually be found exploring in the woods or climbing a mountain.
Alyssa Hilliker
Alyssa earned her bachelor's degree in animal science at the University of Vermont and now attends veterinary school at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. She helps us out in the summer and does some remote work behind the scenes. Outside of work and school, she enjoys traveling around the world, playing tennis, fostering dogs, and baking. She has a special interest in surgery and hopes to one day own her own practice.
Veterinary Assistants
Kirby McMann
Kirby joined our practice in March of 2022. She has always had a great passion for animals and a desire to work in the veterinary field and decided our practice was a great fit for her. She always makes sure your pet gets plenty of love and treats during their visit, so that they leave with happy faces and full bellies. Outside of work, Kirby enjoys dancing and going hiking. She has three dogs at home, the smallest being 7lbs and the largest at 180 lbs!
Jo-Ann Johnson
Jo-ann has been a member of our team since 2009. She is very dedicated to making sure all of the patients are content and is the first to give warm blankets after surgery and provide comfort to nervous patients. Outside of work, she loves to garden (both flowers and veggies), spend time with her grandkids, and go antiquing. Jo-ann has loved animals since she was young and has owned many pets over the years from guinea pigs to horses and even a pet skunk!
Ryleigh Rainville
Ryleigh joined our practice in May of 2024. She recently graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelors Degree in Animal Science and is actively applying for vet school! She is a lover of animals and will always greet you and your pets with a warm smile and lots of love! Outside of work she enjoys spending quality time with friends, family, and her 5 pets!
Kennedy Falconer
Kennedy joined our practice in October of 2024. She has graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelors Degree in Zoology with a Minor in Animal Behavior! She has always been passionate when it comes to animals and decided to come and work with us. Outside of work, Kennedy loves to read and spend time with family. That includes both her furry and scaly babies, from her beloved dog, Ryker, to her gecko, Echo!
Client Service Representatives
Chantelle Cole
Chantelle joined our team in 2022. She earned her associates degree in business in 2019 in hopes of eventually owning her own dog rescue in the future. She enjoys being one of the first people to greet you and will always make sure your pet gets lots of love and pets throughout the visit! Outside of the veterinary hospital, Chantelle enjoys dog grooming because she can’t get enough of spending time with furry friends! She also likes to spend time with her family and do some baking.
Laura Mount
Laura was born and raised in the area, developing a deep love for animals from an early age. Growing up surrounded by both small and large animals, she gained hands-on experience assisting her parents with their Siberian Husky breeding business and working with her grandmother’s horse farm. Her passion for horseback riding and building strong bonds with animals has been a lifelong journey. A dedicated dog enthusiast, Laura personally finished her own dog Draco’s championship and actively participates in showing her Siberian Huskies alongside her mother, traveling across different states for competitions. At home, she not only cares for her Huskies but also adores her two Pitbulls, Naberius and Astraea. Beyond her love for animals, Laura has a strong background in athletics. In high school, she broke barriers by playing football as the only girl on an all-boys team and competed in track and field to build strength for the season. With years of customer service experience, Laura takes pride in creating a welcoming environment at our clinic. She enjoys greeting clients and their beloved pets, ensuring they leave with a smile. Outside of work, she channels her creativity into drawing and painting while staying active with her furry companions—whether it's hiking, swimming, or enjoying snow-filled adventures with her Siberian Huskies on a sled. Looking ahead, Laura dreams of establishing her own animal-focused business, continuing her lifelong dedication to caring for and working with animals.
Goldie the Resident Clinic Cat
Goldie is our resident clinic cat and the boss man. He lives for snuggles and pets and never fails to let us know when it’s time to eat! Goldie came to us as an older kitty and was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. We surgically removed his thyroid glands and now he is good as new! Don’t forget to give him some love if you see him!
