Dr. Klemenger completed her undergraduate studies at Adelphi University, and started her career in the world of finance as an executive at Money Magazine. She left her successful 13 year career in this field to follow her lifelong dream of becoming a veterinarian. She was accepted to Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, and graduated in 1995. Dr. Klemenger had worked as an associate veterinarian at a small animal hospital in Queens for 11 years before co-founding Companions Animal Hospital.

Dr. Klemenger enjoys all aspects of small animal medicine and surgery, and has a special interest in geriatric medicine. She is the proud owner of a happy mixture of geriatric and younger canine and feline companions, all of them having special medical needs. Several of them were adopted as hospice patients, but pets that enter Dr. Klemenger’s home have a history of doing well and living longer than expected! On her free time, Dr. Klemenger enjoys gardening, cooking, and going to the beach.

Education: Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Marghoob completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Vermont and was then accepted to Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. She graduated in 1995 with honors and went on to complete a competitive internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the Oradell Animal Hospital, a large referral and emergency hospital in New Jersey. She stayed on at Oradell Animal Hospital as a staff doctor before moving to Long Island. She joined the staff at North Shore Animal League as a shelter veterinarian, and became supervisor of technician continuing education during her tenure there. Missing small animal practice, in 2000 she joined Dr. Klemenger as an associate at a small animal hospital in Queens. After years of dreaming and planning, Dr. Marghoob and Dr. Klemenger finally completed a true work from the heart, the creation of Companions Animal Hospital.

Dr. Marghoob was an active board member and past president of the New York City Veterinary Medical Association. She was honored to be named 'Veterinarian of the Year' by the New York City Veterinary Medical Association in 2007.Dr. Marghoob's special interests include internal medicine, soft tissue surgery and dermatology. Her absolute passion is acupuncture and traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Marghoob is a certified veterinary acupuncturist. The infinite and unrecognized (by Western Medicine) ways in which the living body can heal is what drives her passion in acupuncture and herbal medicine.

Dr. Marghoob's photo companion is a 1 year old pit bull named Panda. The doctors and staff at Companions Animal Hospital do not believe in discriminating against dogs based on breed. As you can see, Panda is a happy-go-lucky girl who loves people, dogs, and love!

Education: Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Barnable joined the Companions Animal Hospital team in June 2018 after achieving his lifelong aspiration of becoming a veterinarian. He attended the University of Maryland for his BA in Animal Science and Ross Veterinary School where he graduated with his DVM degree. He went on to complete his clinical training at Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, where he earned the exclusive honor of Excellence in Outstanding Patient Care, Knowledge, Teamwork and Clinical Proficiency.

Dr. B, as he is known at Companions, is passionate about staying on top of what's new in animal medicine. He actively seeks out CE classes so he knows he's practicing the highest possible standard of veterinary care. Working at Companions Animal Hospital provided Dr. Barnable with the insight that developing personal relationships with patients and clients is integral to continued success.

Dr. Barnable's photo companion is his hound mix, Bonnie, who frequents Companions as an unofficial mascot. He also shares his home with his wife, Gina, his daughter, Lily, their cat Eevee, the one-eyed princess.

Education: Ross University, College of Veterinary Medicine

Irene left a successful career as the head of training for individuals with disabilities at a large not-for-profit organization called Abilities and has been with Companions Animal Hospital since before it opened in 2006. She was an instrumental part of the establishment and construction of the hospital, which started in 2005. Today, she is a critical part of the day-to-day business operations of the practice. 

Her life-long dream was always to work with animals, and working at Companions has allowed her to do just that. In between her long hours working in front of the computer and on the phone, you can often find Irene visiting and comforting sick or recovering patients in the hospital. Irene lives with her 19 year-old dog, Mini, who uses a wheelchair to get around, and her 8 year-old Wire Fox terrier, Duffy. 

With over 30 years of experience as a licensed veterinary technician (LVT), Carolyn has been a staple of the Companions staff since its inception in 2006. Ever since she was 12 years old and walked around Poppy’s Pet Town with a baby ball python around her neck, Carolyn knew she was destined to work with animals. She’s worked at multiple animal hospitals during and after completing the SUNY Farmingdale’s Vet Tech Program in 1989 - including A&A Animal Hospital, Village Animal Hospital and West Hills Animal Hospital. Her AAS degree in Veterinary Science and LVT experience eventually landed her a job at Bellerose Animal Hospital in 1993. During her ten years of employment at Bellerose, she would cross paths with Dr. Marghoob and Dr. Klemenger, who would remember her kindness, work ethic, and expertise when they later opened Companions Animal Hospital. After working at Companions for a few years, Carolyn paused her career in animal medicine to focus on mothering her three kids, but when she was ready to return to work in 2011, Companions welcomed her with open arms and she’s remained a permanent figurehead ever since. 

Carolyn’s favorite parts of her job include complicated surgeries, dentals, new puppy visits, and giving animals a better quality of life. When she’s not donning her Companions scrubs, you might find Carolyn practicing yoga, working out in the gym, skiing with her family, or relaxing with her cats, Luke and Leia, a dual sibling rescue, and her Toller Retriever, Rusty.

Education: SUNY Farmingdale

Michele, like all of her Companions colleagues, has always been an animal lover. However, she was deterred by a high school science teacher from pursuing veterinary medicine, so she decided to major in Art History and English Literature at Fordham University. Even with that degree, she was drawn to helping others, and she got a job working in healthcare assistance. She enjoyed the nursing aspect of the job, but knew deep down it still wasn’t the right path for her. 

One day, she discovered an injured pigeon. She took the pigeon home and attempted to nurture it back to health, but was unable to do so. Despite what could be viewed as a failure, Michele felt good that she was able to do something, and it was in that moment she reevaluated her life path with science. She thought of her old science teacher who told her “you can’t”, to which she finally countered, “actually, I can.” 

Shortly afterwards, she attended Mercy College to become an LVT. She then worked as a technician at Bellerose Hospital where she met Dr. Marghoob & Dr. Klemenger. Years later when she found out her old colleagues were opening Companions, she brought her pets there as patients, where they offered her a position. The rest, as they say, is history.

Michele enjoys reading and taking trips into the city to see Broadway shows with her family. She has a dog, Sparky, and three cats, Dalton, Sushi, and Olive (the one-eyed wonder in the photo!).

Education: Fordham University; Mercy College

Carey joined the staff of Companions in 2007 as a veterinary assistant, and has been a crucial member of the team ever since. She recently became our newest LVT through Suffolk Community College and is excited to continue working in new ways as a Licensed technician.She has been a big help to new assistants as they begin at the hospital, and is always willing to go the extra mile when it comes to our clients and their needs.

When Carey isn't involved in creative DIY projects, she can be found horseback riding and fostering litters of kittens. She shares her home with her two loving dogs Lucy Bones and Miley, as well as many cats she has rescued and adores!

Carey shares her home with her canine companion Lucy Bones, and her cats Lily, Riley and Butters.

Education: Suffolk County Community College

Madison started working with animals in 2016 as a veterinary assistant.  She stayed there until 2019 and then began her education at Alfred State College.  She obtained her LVT in 2023 while working full time at Companions.  

She spends time at home with her dog Red who was rescued from a kill shelter.  She also has a 19 year old Chinchilla named Buttercup!

Education: Alfred State College, LVT & Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Minor in Agriculture

Alara has been part of the Companions family since 2020. Although she is a veterinary technician in training, she’s no stranger to medical emergencies or how hospitals operate. At the age of 15, Alara was riding in the back of ambulances as a junior emergency medical technician, eventually getting her official EMT license at 17. She volunteered at an ambulance agency until she interned at Companions in her senior year of high school, where she realized that she wanted to pursue animal medicine instead. Alara appreciates the close knit environment, welcoming atmosphere, and constant flow of opportunities she experiences daily at Companions as she works towards becoming a DVM.

When Alara isn’t caring for animals or studying, she’s attending as many concerts as she can with her friends or giving her love to her dog, Pixie, and her canary, Lokum. Her kitty companion in her bio photo is Spice!

Education: LIU Post

Before Kristen started working as a veterinary assistant at Companions Animal Hospital in 2013, she was on a different career track. She always wanted to be in a career where she could help others, so she studied criminology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice to become a police officer. But when her dog became incredibly sick and had to be put to sleep, she had an epiphany. Kristen saw the care that went into helping her pet find painless peace, and realized that veterinary medicine was what she was meant to do. 

She started her animal medicine journey at Penn Foster to become a veterinary tech in 2013, but took a break after getting a full-time job to work at Companions and starting a family. Kristen plans to continue her education to become a licensed veterinary technician and specialize in rehabilitation, which she has already learned so much about while employed at Companions. As an added bonus, she gets to spend time with her sister, Lisa, who works as one of the Companions receptionists!

Kristen spends the majority of her time going on walks with her daughter, Harper, frequenting garage sales with her husband, Mike, and giving the rest of her love to her pets, her two dogs, Lexi and Chelsea, and her two cats, Forest, and Callie. Kristen’s photo companion is Beauty, a sweetheart black kitty rescue. 

Education: Penn Foster

Sydney’s tenure at Companions as a veterinary assistant has been ongoing since 2018. Call it fate or family history, but it’s no surprise that Sydney has a career in medicine. It’s been her lifelong dream to become a veterinarian, so she began her journey balancing high school and the Veterinary Science program at BOCES. However, her family lineage of RNs influenced her undergraduate plans and she attended SUNY Delhi for two years to see if studying human medicine was in her blood. Luckily for Companions, it wasn’t. 

She decided to refocus on her veterinary aspirations and continue her education at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical, where she graduated with a BA in Animal Science and Lab Animal Science in 2019. Shortly after, she joined the Companions Animal Hospital team as a veterinary assistant, where she is encouraged to follow her path to become a veterinarian. Her family full of nurses supports her too - especially because her mother is a Companions client and sees firsthand that they have a higher quality standard of care. 

When Sydney isn’t working with animals, she’s still working with animals. On her off hours, she pet sits for friends and strangers alike and gives the rest of her love to her two dogs, Lola, and Milo and her tabby cats, Denver and Eggnog, who is pictured in Sydney's arms.

Education: North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University

Sam began working at Companions Animal Hospital in October of 2021 while still attending LIU Post for her undergraduate degree.  Sam always wanted to work with animals but decided to get a Bachelor's degree in Health Science.  However, it didn't take long for her to transition to a veterinary path, gaining experience in wildlife rehabilitation, emergency medicine, farm animal medicine and general practice.

Sam is now attending veterinary school at Long Island University College of Veterinary Medicine and plans to earn her DVM in 2028.  When she's not studying or practicing her veterinary skills, she loves to explore Long Island and hang out with her dog Theodore.

Education: LIU Post

Heather has been working in the veterinary medical field for over 20 years. Her years of experience and great sense of humor have been an amazing addition to our team. Outside of her Companions family, her animal family includes Roman, a bull mastiff and Luca, a French bulldog. Her full time job after hours is keeping them out of trouble.

Kaitlyn has been working with us since the summer of 2024, while going through EMT training. We are so proud of her that she is now a licensed EMT! We are lucky that for now, we still have her part-time. Kaitlyn loves all animals and has shared her home with dogs, cats, rabbits and guinea pigs.  

Valerie joined our family in the fall of 2013 and has proven to be one of our most valuable team members. She was originally introduced to Companions by her daughter, Gillian, a former CAH receptionist (who now has her doctorate and is practicing physical therapy in Boston). After a former career as a full-time 'Mary Poppins,' Valerie had moved to retail for 23 years - and is now very excited about her venture into the animal field. She thoroughly enjoys meeting and getting to know all the pets in the Companions Animal Hospital family.

Valerie shares her home with her husband, Donald. In her free time she enjoys traveling and tandem biking, and is an outstanding cook. Although her and her husband don't have pets of their own, they frequently care for Dr. Marghoob's pets and Irene's dog, Duffy.

Valerie's photo companion is Elsie, Dr. Marghoob's rescued Cavalier King Charles spaniel. When Dr. Marghoob originally rescued Elsie, she had been plagued with crippling socialization issues that the staff at Companions helped her work through and overcome.

Education: N.N.E.B. East Croydon, England

Lynn has been a member of the Reception team at Companions since 

Lisa joined the Companions receptionist team in early 2020 after a much desired career change. After graduating from Adelphi University in 2007, she worked in banking and retail management, searching for a career that would bring her fulfillment. It wasn’t until her sister, Kristen, a longtime Companions employee, told her there was a job opening. Lisa, who had always loved animals and has trusted Companions with her pets care since 2009, jumped in feet first. The closeness of the staff and the perpetual positive atmosphere has made her feel right at home.

Besides her human family of 6, Lisa currently shares a home with three dogs, Duke, Charlotte (the sweetheart in the picture) and Madelyn.

Education: Adelphi University, Bachelor's in Psychology & Minor in Business

Dylan joined us in 2025 as a much-needed relief for our hard-working front office. His quiet and calm demeanor are helpful when things get busy! He has learned a lot about what goes on in the treatment area, even though he spends most of his time in the office or at the front desk and he is intrigued. We are happy to have him as part of the Companions family.