Veterinarians
Robert Harris, VMD - Founder and Owner
Founder and owner Dr. Robert Harris worked in his first veterinarian's office in the 10th grade. His family always had dogs and pets. The area in which he grew up, in Woodbury, New Jersey, always gave him an opportunity to bring home turtles, snakes and injured birds. Moreover, before he went to veterinary school, Dr. Harris worked for a local practitioner for five years. Dr. Harris had great veterinary training both in and out of school.
Dr. Harris attended the University of Delaware and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Animal Science in 1973. He then was accepted into the the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and earned his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 1977. He graduated Magna Cum Laude.
Today, Dr. Harris has a special interest in soft tissue and orthopedic surgery. He is a member of the New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association, the American Veterinary Medical Association, and the American Animal Hospital Association. Dr. Harris also is a board member of the Gloucester County Habitat for Humanity, a member of the Mantua Township Planning Board and a leader for Habitat for Humanity's International Missions.
Dr. Harris is married and he and his wife Dorothy have two children. They have a dog named Pepper and a cat named Max. His hobbies include sailing, hiking, biking, rock and ice climbing and cross-country skiing.
Joshua Erde, VMD
Dr. Joshua Erde decided to become a veterinarian when he saw a particularly moving sight when he was very young. When he was six years old, he saw the heart of a dog that was infected with heartworms in a display jar. "I decided I wanted to be a veterinarian that day," he said. He started out as a kennel worker and receptionist in college and then as a technician and emergency technician through veterinary school.
Today Dr. Erde, who grew up in Cherry Hill, is a general practitioner. He attended Cook College at Rutgers University and received his undergraduate degree in Biology in 1992. He was a member of the Golden Key National Honors Society.
After his undergraduate studies Dr. Erde went on to the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine where he earned his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 1996. Today Dr. Erde has a special interest in ophthalmology, surgery and emergency medicine. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Dr. Erde shares his home with two cats; a stray named Ichabod and a rescued Siamese from Pittsburgh, Pa., named Sake. Dr. Erde enjoys spending time with his fiancée Julie. His hobbies include playing guitar, riding motorcycles, mountain biking, snowboarding and traveling.
Dana Fite, VMD
Dr. Dana Fite has been a general practitioner with us since June of 2000. She is originally from McKeesport, PA (near Pittsburgh), and she felt she had the best of both worlds when it came to animals while she was growing up. "My family always kept a variety of pets, and I was lucky enough to have a little horseback riding and horse care experience for a few years as a teenager," she said.
She also said she had many people and experiences inspiring her to become a veterinarian, "both real and literary."
Dr. Fite received her B.S. in Animal Bioscience from The Pennsylvania State University in 1991. After college, she worked as a laboratory technologist and lab animal technologist for 6 years at the University of Pittsburgh. She entered the University of Pennsylvania's Veterinary Medicine program in 1996 and earned her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2000.
Today, Dr. Fite has a special interest in internal medicine, animal behavior and "pocket pets". She is a member of the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association.
When asked what makes her job satisfying, Dr. Fite said, "Being able to help and relate to so many people and pets each day, learning from my clients and their pets, and developing relationships with them."
Dr. Fite shares her home with a Welsh Corgi named Perry; and three alley cats named Gray, Cheddar, and Spotty. She and her husband Mike have two sons. She enjoys camping, gardening, listening to music, playing and reading with her kids.
Kelly Giffear, DVM
Dr. Kelly Giffear grew up right here in South Jersey, and was inspired to become a veterinarian by the Disney princesses. She always wanted to have an animal friend and the ability to talk to animals, and since being a princess didn’t seem like a realistic job opportunity she figured being a veterinarian was the next best thing.
Dr. Giffear attended Elon University in North Carolina where she was a member of the Sigma Kappa sorority (sweetheart to Sigma Phi Epsilon.) She graduated from University of Pennsylvania veterinary school and started out at a small animal practice in North Carolina. In January of 2018, she relocated back to Philadelphia with her fiancé, five-year-old cat named Oakley and a one-year-old dog named Pliny.
Dermatology, preventative care, and dentistry are all of some of Dr. Giffear’s special interests in veterinary medicine. Her greatest passion is helping to improve the lives of animals in need, and she loves seeing her patients happy and thriving. She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association.
Dr. Giffear enjoys traveling, being with family, staying active, and of course Philadelphia sports. She is extremely excited to join Pitman Animal Hospital and take care of the community where she grew up!
Geraldine Kaufman, DVM, Diplomat, ACVIM SA Internal Medicine
Dr. Geraldine McCall Kaufman was motivated to become a veterinarian by a variety of people when she was growing up in the 1960s. One such person was Dr. Olive Britt, who was an equine surgeon in Virgina "in the days when women weren't veterinarians." A personal mentor was Dr. Jack Finnegan, a local veterinarian from Williamsburg, VA, "who never said that girls couldn't become veterinarians. He mentored me and I rode with him in pig country in Southside, VA during high school and college."
Dr. Kaufman says she was apprehensive about starting veterinary school in the 1970s, but that her male counterparts in class were "great."
Dr. Kaufman received a degree in Biology from the College of William and Mary in 1971 as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She then went on to Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine and graduated – as a member of the Phi Zeta veterinary honor society – with her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 1975.
Dr. Kaufman is a member of the clinical faculty at Purdue Veterinary School, and is the former director of the intensive care unit at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Kaufman is a specialist in veterinary internal medicine and a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM). She has professional interests in internal medicine, endoscopy and ultrasound.
Dr. Kaufman is married and she and her husband David have two children and two grandchildren. They have a Golden Retriever named Tess and a Poodle named Micky. Dr. Kaufman's hobbies include reading, gardening, making homemade soup, playing with her grandchildren and hiking with the dogs.
Genevieve LaFerriere, DVM
Dr. Genevieve LaFerriere wanted to become a veterinarian for "as long as I can remember." She grew up in Cherry Hill, NJ. While her parents weren't really "animal people", she had a zebra finch named Frank who lived to be 13. She did shelter work and had jobs as a technician, kennel helper and receptionist during school.
Dr. LaFerriere went on to earn her undergraduate degree in 2004 from Cook College at Rutgers University, with a double major in Animal Science and Natural Resource Management. She earned her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine in 2008 as a member of Alpha Zeta Society of Animal Science. She joined Pitman Animal Hospital in July 2011.
Today, Dr. LaFerriere has special interests in exotic animals, animal behavior and reproduction. She is certified by PennHip, a non-profit group run by the University of Pennsylvania. PennHip is dedicated to reducing the frequency and severity of osteoarthritis caused by canine hip dysplasia. Dr. LaFerriere is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Dr. LaFerriere has several American Pitbull Terriers, one Presa Canario, and multiple reptiles and chickens. She and her dogs are active in Dock Dog events, weight pulls, Schutzhund and conformation showing. Dr. LaFerriere enjoys home improvement projects, woodworking, gardening, hiking and gourmet cooking – especially pasta dishes.
Sabra Olsen, DVM
General practitioner Dr. Sabra Olsen grew up on a small farm in Ponca City, Oklahoma. She has always been around animals. As a former mixed animal practitioner, she has helped animals as varied as alpacas, horses, dogs, cats, birds, rats, hamsters, and pot-bellied pigs. She has been with Pitman Animal Hospital since June of 2007.
Dr. Olsen earned her undergraduate degree from Oklahoma State University in Animal Science in 1998 and was a member of the Honor Society. She then received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2001.
Today, Dr. Olsen has special interests in preventive care, dentistry and soft tissue surgery. She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Dr. Olsen is married and shares her home with a rescued Pit Bull named Zoey, a half dozen cats, and two human children. She enjoys computer gaming, gardening, reading, and being a "hockey mom."
Andrea Shinn, DVM
General practitioner Dr. Andrea Shinn grew up right here in Pitman Animal Hospital. She started with us back in 1992 as a veterinary assistant and joined the veterinary staff in 2001. Her informal training as a veterinarian began on her grandfather's farm when she was growing up. She also "worked in animal hospitals whenever possible, every summer during high school," she said.
Dr. Shinn received her B.S. in Animal Science from the University of Delaware in 1996 and earned her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2001.
Today, Dr. Shinn has special interests in chiropractic medicine and acupuncture. She is a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist and a Certified Veterinary Chiropractor. She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association, and the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association.
Dr. Shinn has five pets at home: a Pekingese dog named Butterscotch, a Persian cat named Emmitt, a Himalayan cat named Purrsnickety, and Ranga and Tread, two domestic long hairs. She is married and enjoys movies, spending time with her husband and family, and collecting teddy bears.