Veterinarians in Westport, CT
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 USDA Federally Accredited Veterinarian. He is also a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Fairfield County Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Feline Practitioners, the Holistic Veterinary Medical Association and the Connecticut and New Mexico Farm Bureaus.
Irwin J. Lebish, DVM, Diplomate, ACVP
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 me to care for 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 is much joy in watching animals grow from young to old. Of course, there is great sadness in saying goodbye to those pets when they become sick, but there is honor in treating them and keeping them healthy for as long as possible. I love the heartwarming stories that owners relay to me after a loved one has passed. They help to keep those pets alive in spirit for both me and their 'pet parents.'"
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 is a USDA Federally Accredited Veterinarian. Her 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 currently lives back in her hometown with her husband, two children, two dogs, and one cat. Dr. Westerfield's other personal interests include home renovating, gardening/landscaping, baking, and reading.