Veterinarians
C. Christian Benyei, DVM
Dr. Benyei’s interest in animals was initiated by his mother who had attended an agricultural finishing school as a young adult, as well as many excursions into the woods and fields around his childhood home in Stuttgart, Germany, where he encountered wildlife of many varieties. And, after immigrating to the U.S. Dr. Benyei helped care for the 300 chickens whose eggs supplemented the family income.
In his teens, Dr. Benyei worked on a dairy farm where he learned about the care of dairy cows. Helping the visiting veterinarians during farm calls instilled in him a desire to follow suit and practice veterinary medicine. Subsequently he undertook pre-veterinary schooling at the University of Connecticut, and then went on to obtain his medical degree at the New York State Veterinary College at Cornell University. During his time at Cornell, Dr. Benyei worked summers for a local vet cleaning cages for $1.25 an hour and while at school cared for the Beagle colony used in nutrition research.
After graduation in 1968, Dr. Benyei moved with his wife, Candace, to Redding, CT where they raised two children and currently have one cat, six chickens, two dogs, and fifteen horses, which they breed, train, and board on their farm.
Dr. Benyei’s interests include preventative and complementary medicine – especially nutritional, herbal and laser therapies – as well as carpentry, welding, tractor repair, vegetable gardening, and hikes in the mountains of northern New Mexico.
Dr. Benyei is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Fairfield County Veterinary Medical Association, the Holistic Veterinary Medical Association and the Connecticut and New Mexico Farm Bureaus.
Anna Di Cicco, DVM
Dr. Anna Di Cicco is a General Practitioner who has been with Schulhof Animal Hospital since 2001. She has been a practicing veterinarian since 1984.
A native of Italy, Dr. Di Cicco says that her desire to become a veterinarian was born with a job she held as a young girl. "I worked for many years with an old-time veterinarian in his tiny office where we took care of all sorts of pets and doing farm-calls for cows and other large animals," she says. "He was an old friend of my father's and I worked with him throughout my childhood until I graduated from veterinary school."
Now that she is a veterinarian, Dr. Di Cicco says one of her most memorable moments was helping to deliver a calf in the middle of a cold and snowy night. Another important experience was coming to the United States for what was supposed to be a relatively brief visit. "After graduating from veterinary school in Italy, I came to the United States to spend the summer working with and learning about racehorses," she says. "However, I met my husband Vincent, an Equestrian Veterinarian, during my visit, and, obviously, never left."
In 1978, Dr. Di Cicco entered the University of Turin Italy where she earned the equivalent of a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 1984. Her areas of particular professional interest include Surgery, Dentistry, and Internal Medicine. She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Fairfield County Veterinary Medical Association, and the Academy of Feline Practitioners.
Dr. Di Cicco and her husband are the parents of two boys. The family has two cats named Pickles and Bob, and an Irish Jack Russell Terrier, Gigi, that she helped deliver one night at the hospital and was brought to her eight weeks later as a present. Dr. Di Cicco also enjoys gardening, carpentry, yoga, horseback riding and traveling.
Irwin J. Lebish, DVM
Dr. Irwin J. Lebish is a General Practitioner who has been on the Schulhof Animal Hospital medical staff since 2004. He has been a practicing veterinarian since 1954.
Asked what originally influenced his decision to become a veterinarian, Dr. Lebish says, "My dad was one of the original small animal practitioners in the Bronx." Since becoming a veterinarian, he says he has had a number of professional highlights, which include training for his Diplomate status in Pathology, directing his own small animal practice for many years, working in the atomic weapons project in Nevada, and working on the original cosmic radiation project in the armed forces.
After completing high school, Dr. Lebish entered Fordham University in 1945 and received a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy in 1949. Then in 1950, he enrolled in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University and received his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 1954. During his veterinary studies, Dr. Lebish was honored with induction into the Phi Zeta Veterinary Honor Society.
His areas of particular professional interest include Internal Medicine, Dermatology, Surgery and Pathology. Dr. Lebish is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, has Board Certification in Pathology, and served in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps.
Dr. Lebish and his wife Cathy, a nurse at St. Vincent's Hospital, are the parents of seven children and have two cats named Sweet-Pea and Benny. His non-veterinary interests include tennis, skiing, golf, piano, and bicycling. He is also president-elect of the Westport Rotary Club and a volunteer with the Norwalk Mentor Program.
Lindsey K. Westerfield, DVM
Dr. Lindsey K. Westerfield is a General Practitioner who has been a member of the veterinary medical team at Schulhof Animal Hospital since February of 2009.
A native of Redding, Connecticut, Dr. Westerfield has had a love for animals since she was a young child. "My parents helped motivate my love of animals by allowing my siblings and I to have a multitude of pets while growing up." She has owned cats, dogs, horses, fish, rabbits, and chameleons.
Now that she is a practicing veterinarian, Dr. Westerfield says the day-to-day challenges and joys of providing care to animals gives her great satisfaction. "There are so many wonderful memories and stories to tell about pets overcoming disease," she says, "but there are also many heartwarming memories and stories that owners relay to me after a loved one has passed away. With every day comes both sadness and joy, and I think that each, in its own way, creates a memorable experience for me."
Dr. Westerfield graduated from the University of Connecticut with her Bachelor of Science, and later from Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine with her doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. In 2007, Dr. Westerfield was the recipient of the World Animal Care Foundation Award for Animal Compassion.
Dr. Westerfield's areas of particular professional interest include Soft Tissue Surgery and Endocrinology. She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Connecticut Veterinary Medical Association, Fairfield County Veterinary Medical Association, American Animal Hospital Association, and the American Association of Feline Practitioners.
She and her fiancé, Damian, a Pharmaceutical Research Scientist, have several pets: a cat (Samantha), two Miniature Schnauzers (Sara and Ginger), and a Panther Chameleon (Jack). Dr. Westerfield's other interests include home renovating, gardening/landscaping, baking, and reading,