Doctors

Dr. Vera Calpeno- Owner, DVM

Before her medical career, Dr. Vera (as she prefers to be called) served in the U.S. Navy, acted as an administrator, and was a Delta Air Lines flight attendant. After the devastating events of 9/11, Dr. Vera left the airline industry to rekindle her childhood dream of becoming a veterinarian, working as a Middle Eastern dance teacher to support her studies.

Upon receiving her DVM degree from the University of Georgia in 2009, Dr. Vera began practicing in the Annapolis area, which brought her closer to family and friends. She worked as an associate veterinarian for four years at Greater South River Animal Hospital (formerly Reichart Animal Hospital) in Edgewater, and at Chesapeake Animal Clinic in Owings, Maryland.

While planning to establish her own practice, Dr. Vera worked as a relief veterinarian for Anne Arundel, Calvert, and Howard County area clinics, and practiced emergency medicine at AVPES in Calvert County. Her search for a vibrant and client-convenient location led to the busy Pasadena crossroads, now the home of Happy Tails.

Dr. Vivien Kraselski-Associate Veterinarian

Dr. Vivien Kraselski grew up in sunny Southern California, and as you might

be able to tell by her last name, she is Polish (and proud of it)! She earned her DVM from Ross University where she graduated magna cum laude in 2016. When Dr. Kraselski was deciding what she wanted to be when she grew up, she was torn between a pediatrician or a veterinarian, both of which treat patients who cannot speak for themselves. One summer during college, she decided to shadow a local veterinarian in her hometown and became forever hooked on the vet life. It was not a surprise to anyone that she took this path as she had grown up pet sitting for all of her neighbors, even hatched chicks in an incubator as a science fair project, and would somehow always find stray pets and save them off the streets of Los Angeles County. We can blame, or thank, I’m not sure which, her husband Michal, as to how she ended up living in Maryland. The two of them live in Anne Arundel County with their two FIV kitties Remi & Figaro, who know more tricks than some people’s dogs do. They also currently have one dog, a “Doberwoman” Kira, who keeps them very active. Outside of the vet life, Dr. Kraselski and her husband love getting away for ski trips, or for any outdoor activity really, exploring new cities, and enjoy experimenting in the kitchen and cooking up healthy delicious meals, often complete with home-made dessert to appease Dr. Kraselski’s sweet tooth. After working at a few different practices around the Baltimore area, Dr. Kraselski is thrilled to have found Happy Tails, which also shares her number one goal of providing high quality comprehensive veterinary care. She is looking forward to meeting you and your furry pets of all sizes so that she can help keep them in the best of health so they can live out their longest, and happiest lives as a cherished part of your family.

Our Team

Adriana: Practice Manager

Melissa: Front Desk Receptionist

Adriana joined our team in September 2016. She graduated from University of Maryland, College Park with a Bachelors of Science degree. Passionate about working with horses, the segue to a small animal veterinary hospital was a natural fit. She loves getting to know all our the clients and greeting their wonderful a pets with tasty treats when they walk in the door. In her free time, Adriana loves to cook and restore vintage furniture.

Melissa: Front Desk Receptionist

Coming soon.......

Cortney: Front Desk Receptionist/ Tech Assistant

Melissa: Front Desk Receptionist

Cortney: Front Desk Receptionist/ Tech Assistant

Cortney joined our team in November 2019. She joins us with a background of working with horses. Cortney has plans on going to school to become a veterinary technician. In her free time, she enjoys hiking with her dog and working at the barn with her two horses.

Allison: Technician Assistant

Austin: Technician Assistant

Cortney: Front Desk Receptionist/ Tech Assistant

Allison joined our team in October 2017. She comes to us with years of experience training horses and breeding English Cream Golden Retrievers. Allison is currently in college and plans to attend Medical School to become a doctor. In her free time, Allison enjoys giving riding lessons, hiking, and painting. We are so excited to have Allison on our team!

Austin: Technician Assistant

Austin is a part-time student who is interested in going into veterinarian studies. Austin joined our team in February 2018. In Austin’s free time, he breeds reptiles and creates vivariums to house all of his reptiles. He also enjoys playing Bass at shows with his band Caraway in Baltimore.

Hannah: Technician Assistant

Austin: Technician Assistant

Hannah joined our team in June 2018. She joins us with a background of working with horses and works at a local farm in her free time. In addition to working with horses, Hannah enjoys swimming and spending time outside with her 3 dogs. Hannah has been a great addition to our hospital and has become an asset to our team.

Arianna: Technician Assistant

Danielle: Technician Assistant

Arianna: Technician Assistant

Arianna joined our team in February 2019. She has a passion for helping all animals, but has a soft spot in her heart for turtles. She has 4 of turtles, with one of them being a rescue that was brought into the hospital. In addition to caring for animals, Arianna also enjoys Photography, Scuba diving, and Horseback riding.

Timothy: Technician Assistant

Danielle: Technician Assistant

Arianna: Technician Assistant

Tim started working at Happy Tails as a vet assistant in June of 2019. Tim is very interested in computers, taking care of pets and being in the outdoors. He loves dog walking and pet/house sitting as a way to further connect with animals.

Danielle: Technician Assistant

Danielle started with us in October 2019. She graduated from Towson University in 2019 with bachelor’s degrees in both biology and psychology. Danielle spends her free time with family and friends, and caring for her reptiles. Her interests include exotic animal care and disease prevention.

Happy: The Hospital Mascot

New Employees Coming Soon....

Danielle: Technician Assistant

As Dr. Calpeno's second in command, Happy takes great pride in coming to work with Dr. Calpeno everyday. Happy loves sniffing around the yard and barking at the occasional pup in the clinic. At 16 years young, Happy loves showing her feisty side and has no problem telling the techs how displeased she is when she gets her nails trimmed. Follow Happy on instagram @beinghappyvc or click on the instagram symbol at the bottom of the home page!