Meet our team!
Meet the veterinarians and team of Malvern Veterinary Hospital! We’re pleased to provide exceptional vet care for your pets!
Our Team
MEDICAL TEAM
In this field, it is veterinarians who receive the most attention, but it is our medical team who makes everything happen, from the highly technical role of delivering anesthesia to filling prescriptions to managing specialty foods. MVH would come to a grinding halt without them. We so appreciate their skill and hard work.
MANAGEMENT TEAM
Our management team works tirelessly to address client needs, streamline processes, and navigate any challenges that arise. Without their expertise and dedication, MVH would not be the thriving veterinary practice it is today. We are incredibly grateful for their leadership and commitment to excellence.
FRONT OFFICE TEAM
Whether you are an existing client or new, you will be familiar with our magicians. They are the ones who get your questions answered and get you into an appointment as fast as possible. They are also very patient with the rest of us when we tumble into their workspace with a large breed enthusiastic puppy.
Alanna
Nurse
Alanna’s journey started in 2016, volunteering at a non-profit cat rescue. She joined the Veterinary field in 2017 and continued to pursue her career at Penn Foster for Veterinary Technology. Alanna has worked both in general practice and emergency medicine. In 2021, she started fostering dogs through ACCT Philly, which is how she adopted her lovely Lola. Alanna has most recently started college for her Certification of Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT) in canine behavior, specializing in aggression and service animals. She has most recently got married and enjoys her adventures with her husband and dogs, Baxster, Blu, Lola, and Remi.
Akash
Nurse
Bio Coming Soon!
Susie
Practice Manager
Susie has been devoted to Veterinary Medicine for the past two decades. She started as a receptionist working her way up to management. In 2021, she received the CSR award with DVM 360 Veterinary Hero’s and was honored to participate in an award ceremony in San Diego, CA. Throughout her career, she enjoys monitoring surgical procedures involving Orthopedics and Caesareans (Susie’s favorite of them all!). She enjoys engaging team members minds to continue learning and witnessing the “Light Bulb” affect. Susie has been passionate about providing the best care for “our furry babies” and working with teams to boost morale. During her down time, she enjoys “her sanctuary” (the deck), reading books, exploring new places, lovely wine and creating artwork with her hands.
Sandy
Receptionist
Sandy recently started at Malvern Veterinary Hospital in January 2024 because she missed working at a veterinary office. She has always had a love of animals and, over the years, has had bunnies, cats, and dogs. She is married to her lifelong best friend, has 3 amazing grandchildren, and loves to cuddle often with her dog Beans, the Golden Retriever who doesn’t retrieve. She enjoys spending time on the Chesapeake as well as with her family and friends. She enjoys boating, gardening, playing with the neighborhood dogs, and music; especially live music.
Alexis
Receptionist
Bio Coming Soon!
Audrey
Receptionist
Bio Coming Soon!
Dr. Joseph Hyduke
Owner/Medical Director
“Doc” grew up in Palmerton, PA, where he spent summers working at the local steel mill and zinc factories, which taught him the value of hard work, which he brings to his calling. He is a graduate of the University of Miami and De La Salle Araneta University School of Veterinary Medicine in the Philippines. His choice of learning animal medicine in a tropical climate in a developing country gives him a unique knowledge of exotic species, a deep appreciation of other cultures, and an understanding of the value of maintaining a healthy, diverse animal population.
Following several years of pre-dawn appointments with cows, he moved to Malvern, PA, to practice with his uncle, Dr. Wiley Behler, and purchased the hospital from Dr. Behler in 1991. He is known for being a rapid diagnostician due to his history of “seeing it all.”
His 4 children were raised in the Great Valley school system, and he lives next to the hospital with his partner, his 92-year-old mother, a 35-year-old Macaw named Bubba, and his senior black Labrador Otis.
He loves his clients as much as his patients. He is known for his energetic presence in Malvern as a sponsor and promoter of local business events. Joe enjoys sailing, traveling, and spending time outdoors. He has been a past President of the Delaware Valley Veterinary Association. He serves on the board of directors for Harcum College Veterinary Nursing Program and the international non-profit Gorilla Guardians.
AFFILIATIONS
- American Veterinary Medical Association
- American Animal Hospital Association
- Association of Feline Veterinarians
- Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians
- Avian Veterinary Association
- Delaware Valley Veterinary Association
- Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association
Dr. Amanda Podgurski
Associate Veterinarian
Dr. Amanda grew up in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania where she wandered around the mountain behind her house studying the local wildlife. Her family housed a variety of pets as they tended to take in any stray pet that wandered into their yard. So, when Amanda’s roommate brought home a stray cat during her senior year of undergraduate study at Immaculata University, Amanda was thrilled to take in a new friend. Then, to their surprise, they learned the little cat was pregnant and gave birth to 5 kittens right in their apartment! Unfortunately, the little cat had Feline Leukemia, and the girls learned the heartbreak that follows this disease.
However, rather than feeling helpless, Amanda found inspiration from this experience. She then went on to get certified as a Veterinary Assistant, obtained an AA in Biology, then graduated from the Dick Vet at the University of Edinburgh in 2022. While in Scotland, she developed a passion for behavior medicine and how pain and behavior relate. She also has a passion for feline companions and their loveable quirkiness.
When she’s not at the clinic, Dr. Amanda enjoys reading, music, gaming, and walking in nature. She also has a love of learning new things that she shares with her husband and daughter. They live in West Chester and share their home with 2 sassy felines, Freya and Sheba, and a poodle-mix brought home from Scotland, Nikita.
Dr. Nancy Lefavour
Associate Veterinarian
Dr. Nancy Lefavour grew up in a pet-loving family in central New Jersey, surrounded by various pets and enjoying weekly horseback riding lessons as a teenage horse enthusiast. She pursued her passion for animals at Cornell University, earning a degree in Animal Science in 2002. After spending two years working on an educational farm and at a small animal veterinary clinic in Massachusetts, she decided to attend vet school, obtaining her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2008.
Following veterinary school, Dr. Lefavour worked at a mobile veterinary practice in New Hampshire, gaining experience with a wide variety of small and large animal species. She then joined a mixed animal practice in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, where she worked for eight years. From 2017 to 2022, she contributed her expertise to a small animal practice in Southern California while her husband pursued graduate studies.
Now back on the East Coast, Dr. Lefavour enjoys gardening, outdoor activities, soap-making, and spending quality time with her husband and daughter. Her cherished family members include her red Labrador, Babar, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Bea and her cats, Boomerang and Boston.
Shannon
Head Nurse
I have been in the veterinary field for 20 years. I started my career as a PT receptionist and have worked for MVH for the last 15 years as a technician, recently gaining the title of lead veterinary nurse.
In my spare time, I keep busy with my 3 daughters, and my new granddaughter. I also stay very busy as my youngest is an All-Star Cheerleader, so we travel for competitions all over the country.
When I am not at work, or at a cheer competition, I enjoy warm climates with sandy beaches and clear water with my significant other Michael. While I love all furry critters, like my cat, Lasagna – my favorites are ones with all the hair, or no hair at all. You can find me at MVH helping your furry family member whether it be in a wellness exam, sick or surgery, you can be sure I am treating your pet with all the love and cuddles as I can, as long as he/she will let me.
Sophia
Nurse
Sophia graduated from West Virginia University with a bachelor’s degree in Animal and Nutritional Sciences. She has always had a passion for caring for animals, big or small, which inspired her to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. Outside of work, she enjoys baking and spending time with her family and two guinea pigs, Finley and Remy.
Allison
Nurse
Allison began ‘working’ at veterinary hospitals at the age of 10 (not at MVH; our commitment to avoiding child labor remains intact) and feels that she was raised by the animals. This often makes sense to both us and her human family. Everyone is excited to see her give herself away next year to her fiancé, Nick. So far, her dowry includes Flash the Cheweenie, Jaeger the Rottweiler, and Gizz the Guinea Pig.
Ryan
Nurse
Ryan has a serious photo, but we never see him without a smile. Beloved by our team, clients, patients, and mentors at Harcum School of Veterinary Nursing, we agree that his awards and merit scholarship are well earned. Ryan is 23 and says of himself, “I’m so grateful my parents allowed me to have a miniature zoo in my room growing up because if they hadn’t, I would’ve had to run away and live in the woods to satiate my desire to be around, study, and love animals. My personal menagerie includes 5 snakes, 4 lizards, 3 tarantulas, and 2 frogs, all of which are my noncuddly babies. Photography, modeling, performance arts, and creative arts all occupy my hobby list, and I hope to add travel to that as well to see the world for all its beautiful habitats and biomes and, of course, the food!”
Mark
Medical Volunteer
Mark is pursuing his dream of entering veterinary school and spends an appreciable amount of time helping us on weekends. His other life involves a successful marketing career without copious amounts of pet hair. Until we have a photo of Mark, he will be represented by the reproachful puppy look, which will play a large role in his future.
Miranda
Nurse
Miranda started at Malvern Veterinary Hospital as a veterinary technician in April of 2023. She began her career as a veterinary assistant at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. She has since dedicated her life to furthering her knowledge and skills to become a veterinary technician. Miranda hopes to one day go back to school to become a certified technician. Her areas of interest include geriatric/senior animal medicine and hospice care, inspired by a senior kitty named Daisy, whom she rescued from her first hospital. When Miranda is not at the hospital, you’ll likely find her reading, taking walks in the park with her family’s Cocker Spaniel, Lucy, or discovering new music and movies with her partner Marco and their black cats, Sunny and Cher.
Julie
Front Office Manager
Julie is Doc’s right hand. When she is not at Malvern Veterinary Hospital, she spends time with her husband, 4 children, and 2 grandchildren. During her 20 plus years at MVH, Julie has wowed our clients with her helpfulness and ability to mend all things. She does this with good grace, despite the fact that at any point, she could be visiting her place in Aruba.
Susie
Minister Without Portfolio
Susie is too busy to do social media full-time, or so she claims. The real reason is that she is not at all versed in the subject, but she does have a decent camera. When she is not at MVH, she is a consultant with a stock market software firm, and she has a small fair-trade import company—a hangover from her days working in the developing world. Susie is active on the board of several charities, wrangles the hospital garden, and is happy to return to Malvern after several decades away.
Bubba
Mascot and Chief Mimic
You may know him as the big bird who barked at your cat, meowed at your dog, or made trouble for the front office by imitating the phone ringing. The most famous member of our hospital team is a 37-year-old feisty blue and gold macaw who likes shoulder rides, fruit, and ripping up newspapers. He has been with the hospital almost as long as his best friend, Dr. Hyduke.
Mother Nature
The Garden
When you visit MVH, you may notice our multiple planters and garden beds, which look overgrown- but we assure you that is on purpose! We abut the beautiful 125-acre woods of the Malvern Retreat Center; we are across the street from the meadows and ponds of Malvern Preparatory School. We work alongside them to encourage a healthy animal, pollinator, and wild bird population. This effort includes native or edible plants, integrated pest management, organic fertilizers, and letting the garden go “au natural” in the winter season.
Mary Kate
Receptionist
Mary Kate has been with Malvern Veterinary Hospital since January 2022. She graduated from West Chester University in 2016 with a Bachelor in Music Education but has always been an animal lover. In her free time, she loves attending Philadelphia sporting events, boating, and spending time with family and friends. She recently adopted her best boy, Zeus, from Providence Animal Center and couldn’t imagine her life without him!
Kelly
Receptionist
Kelly started part-time in January 2022 while still in high school. She loved it so much that she became one of our full-time receptionists in September. Her passion is welding, and we aren’t really sure how that translates to animal care, but we will take it! In her spare time, she enjoys her ‘farm life,’ as her friends call it. She has Cosmo, her beloved cat; Nova, a Rottie mix; Bristol, a mini-Dane; Axl, the Gecko; and 9 chickens at home in Malvern.