Dr. Edward Funk, Veterinarian and Owner
Dr. Funk’s life with animals started in eastern Kansas, where he grew up on the family’s 1,400 acre beef farm. He first attended Kansas State University where he obtained a BS in Animal Science. He would end up returning to KSU to obtain his DVM. As he said later, an encounter with a veterinarian on his family farm as a young boy left a strong impression on him, one that he decided to act upon as an adult.
Graduating in 1973, he entered the U.S. Army where he was put in charge of the veterinary clinic. He later would act as the veterinarian for the post. The Army was responsible for sending Dr. Funk to Fort Devens in Massachusetts, where he would end up putting down roots. Upon leaving the U.S. Army, he worked at the MSPCA hospital in Springfield, and ultimately went on to purchase the practice he owns today.
Over the years he has been gratified to serve families up to four generations, caring for the pets and their people.
When he isn’t in the clinic, he enjoys many hobbies. Over the years he has raced cars, ridden motorcycles, and lately has trained for and is competing in weight lifting competitions.
Marcia, Manager, Veterinary Technician
Marcia has been involved in the care and well-being of animals for over 40 years as a Certified Veterinary Technician and then became the practice manager here at Brookside Animal Hospital. Marcia was born and raised just up the road from Brookside and began her career by working after school. Her early days included volunteering at the Greenfield Area Animal Shelter and showing her whippet at local dog shows.
Now, as the manager, her focus on caring for pets has transformed into running a hospital that can provide the best possible compassionate quality care. She also volunteers her time with the Franklin County Regional Dog Shelter; It’s easy to see that staying involved in the care of animals is truly a passion of hers.
Outside of work, Marcia enjoys spending time with her husband, their 2 daughters, 3 granddaughters, their dogs Pearl (a beagle), Edie (a beagle/basset cross), their cat Gigi, and her “ladies” (chickens!) She loves being in nature, collecting cool rocks, gems, and crystals as well as snowmobiling and all it entails to keep the sport alive.
Denise, Veterinary Technician
Denise has been a Veterinary Technician for 46 years, 42 of which have been spent happily working at Brookside Animal Hospital. What she loves most is working with and helping clients’ pets. Denise has a sweet lab named Kenzie and a cat named Gabe, both rescues. When she isn’t working, you will find her walking or hiking with Kenzie, or reading a good book!
Polly, Veterinary Assistant
Polly has had dogs, cats, and horses as a teenager and has worked since high school for local veterinarians.
After graduating from the Vet and Animal Science program at Holyoke Community College she started working in South Deerfield. Polly has been with us since 2022.
She also has bred, trained, and showed Akitas and French Bulldogs up to present day!
Sarah, Veterinary Assistant
Sarah has been working at Brookside Animal Hospital since 2018. While at work, Sarah has a passion for teaching new staff members, performing laboratory tests as well as snuggling the animals in our care. Her favorite part of the day is interacting with clients, both on the phone and in the clinic, to provide comfort and excellent patient care.
When not at work, Sarah enjoys going on hikes, baking, and visiting local ice cream shops, yes, even in the winter! She shares her home with her husband Cody, as well as a Border Collie named Ollie and a Jack Russel Terrier named Jaxson. Additionally, she has a very needy orange cat named Rosie and one rabbit named Bugs.
You may see Sarah a little less at Brookside as she welcomed a new human member to her household, a daughter named Delilah, who was born at the end of 2024.
Jill, Veterinary Technician
Jill has been working as a veterinary technician since 2019, driven by a lifelong love for animals. From the start, she knew this was the field for her; combining her passion with the desire to make a difference in animals’ lives.
Cara, Veterinary Technician, DVM in progress…
Cara started working for Brookside in 2019 where she cultivated her love for veterinary medicine. Since her time with us, she has begun vet school with plans for graduation in June of 2026.
Cara is a compassionate and skilled soon-to-be doctor who is just as concerned about the well being of her patients as she is her fellow co-workers. She loves to share what she has learned with her peers and help them grow. Her career goals include becoming a small animal practitioner in the Western MA area.
Cara has 5 animals; 3 dogs named Millie, Georgie, and Ricky as well as 2 cats named Phil and Patsy.
When she is not working on charts and studying, she enjoys shopping and taking her dog, Ricky, a devilishly cute and energetic pup to the beach.
Tricia, Veterinary Assistant
Tricia started her career here in 2021 as a Veterinary Assistant. Her love and respect for animals has only grown since starting at Brookside and she has since rescued a dog named Blue, a 6 year old corgi/mini-aussie mix who is now obsessed with his mom and his bed. Tricia loves learning new things and being a part of the team.
She values time with her friends and family, spending time with her dog, and taking care of her father who has Lewy Body Dementia. She has been married to her husband, Jason, for 23 years. When she’s not at work you will probably find her with friends and family, snuggling with her dog, taking photos, or doing puzzles.
Tayla, Veterinary Assistant
Tayla has been working at Brookside Animal Hospital as a Veterinary Assistant since 2022. At Brookside Tayla enjoys doing dental procedures, running lab work, including ordering in house test supplies, administering care and restraining animals. Tayla is currently working on her degree to eventually become a licensed Veterinary Technician.
When she’s not at Brookside, Tayla enjoys, taking her dog Lily for walks, traveling, and being around family and friends. She is currently living with her mom, dad, younger sister, hound mix named Lily, and a spunky cat named Bruiser.
Lindsay, Veterinary Assistant
Lindsay has absolutely loved animals her whole life. Recently, she was lucky enough to find employment doing something that she loves! She is on break from teaching elementary school to further her education and has been at Brookside since July 2024.
She has a cat named Waylon and a brand-new puppy named Alphie, a mini-australian shepherd! When she isn’t at Brookside, she is playing with her pup, spending time with her family, or studying. She also loves whitewater rafting and being outdoors as much as possible.
Abby, Veterinary Assistant
Abby is a co-op student in her final year at Franklin County Technical School studying in the Veterinary Science shop. She is planning on going to college (to be decided which one, although she has received over 10 acceptance letters so far!) where she will be pursuing a degree in Veterinary Medicine to become a licensed Veterinary Surgeon.
She has four cats, one guinea pig, two birds, lots of fish, a bearded dragon, 2 ferrets, and a lizard. Her favorite things to do outside of work include going on walks with her friends, sports (swimming, volleyball, and basketball), and playing with animals.
Hana, Veterinary Assistant
Hana joined the Brookside team in 2024. She fell in love with the area while attending the University of Massachusetts, and after graduating in 2010, she decided to make this area home. After many years in outdoor leadership and management Hana realized she needed a change. In 2020 she started working as a Veterinary Receptionist, moving into a Veterinary Assistant position soon after, and even spent some time at a veterinary urgent care center helping critical and oncology patients. She feels at her best when helping patients and clients feel comfortable, performing dental procedures and laboratory tasks, as well as working on making things more efficient.
Hana and her husband, Andy, have two Australian Shepherd dogs, a 5 year old girl named Sky and a 1 year old boy named Bumi. When she isn’t at work, Hana can be found spending time with her dogs and creating art; she does pet portraits, paintings, and dabbles in graphic design. On weekends you’re sure to find her out hiking, paddling, swimming, mountain biking, or skiing. If she’s not out enjoying nature or creating, her next love is cooking!
Donna, Veterinary Assistant
Donna has been caring for animals for most of her life! She started off working at Greenfield Area Animal Shelter in 1991 and was there for 9.5 years. She then went on to work here at Brookside in 2000 for about 3.5 years. She just “restarted” her career with us at Brookside this April 2025. Her favorite part of working here is interacting with the patients and working in the lab.
When she’s not working, you can find her with husband, 3 kids, 2 granddaughters, and her pets; 2 dogs (Kyah and Bojangle), 2 cats (Lil Bit and Keiko) and 2 rabbits (Poppy and Bungie). Donna enjoys going for walks, tending to her flower gardens, and working on her landscape paintings.
Gus, Historian
Gus started his tenure here at Brookside in 2018. He was discovered in a feral cat colony in Albany and came right up to his rescuer, chatting away, but sick. He was nursed back to health by Dr. Funk. While he is an indoor kitty, he does one day dream of traveling the world. He has a particular interest in ancient Rome and wants to visit the colosseum one day. Just think about all of the pillars one could perch atop!
When he’s not working on stopping staff from doing their work more efficiently, he enjoys napping on his purple bed, visiting clients in the lobby and chasing Rosie around the hospital.
Rosie, Novelist
Rosie is wise beyond her years (she’s only 6!) but she has already mastered the art of Tae-kwon-do, has written 5 dystopian novels (a series) about fall of humanity, loosely based on H.G. Wells War of the Worlds, but with cats. Her favorite things to do are writing, obviously, accepting treats from her human servants, and knocking expensive equipment onto the floor.
She has won 3 body building competitions and recently has decided to take up knitting as a hobby. When she’s not being chased by Gus, she is trying to consume as many sweatshirt strings and cotton balls as possible. Paperclips and staples are also not out of the question.
Lindy, Food Critic
Lindy came to Dr. Funk through the Franklin County Regional Dog Shelter in 2023 . Lindy’s favorite thing about working at Brookside is hanging out with her co-workers, sitting on the scale for treats, and shaking hands. She doesn’t really know what she is agreeing to when she does this but she takes her job seriously. Speaking of which, you would never guess it but Lindy’s real job is actually that of a world-renowned food critic. You might catch some of her reviews in the New York Times if you’re lucky!
One day she hopes to become a pet food taste-tester. When she’s not working, she is napping in her bed, or sitting directly behind whoever is at the computer.
Brookside Animal Hospital 