Our Veterinary Team
Our Veterinary Team
Meet the Veterinarians & Veterinary Team of Cumberland Animal Clinic! We’re pleased to provide exceptional vet care for your pets!
Get to know our veterinary team!
We are solely dedicated to your pet’s care! We look forward to getting to know you, and we hope you’ll take the time to scroll down and get to know us.
Our Veterinarian Team
Lourdes Benito, DVM
Medical Director
Lourde's Bio
DVM
Dr. Benito joined Cumberland Animal Clinic as a fulltime associate in 2006. Dr. Benito was born and raised in Woodside (Queens), New York. Though she was very afraid of dogs as a little girl, she was intrigued by them. By the time she was 11 years old, she knew she wanted to be a veterinarian. She started volunteering in a small animal hospital when she was in high school and was thrilled to get a paid position at age 16 as a switchboard operator at the Animal Medical Center in Manhattan. Dr. Benito attended Rutgers University, Cook College in New Brunswick, New Jersey, graduating with a B.S. in Animal Science. After graduation, she worked for 2 years as a Laboratory Animal Technician at The Rockefeller University in New York City. Dr. Benito received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 1991 from The Ohio State University and worked in a small animal practice in Columbus, Ohio for 15 years. In June 2006, she and her “Native Mainer” husband, Dennis, moved to Cumberland with their three children, Christina, Alexander, and Benjamin. Dr. Benito enjoys various facets of veterinary medicine, especially guiding pet owners in the care of their pets from puppy and kittenhood through adolescence and into their golden senior years. She loves working at Cumberland Animal Clinic and feels lucky to work with an excellent group of doctors and staff. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, gardening, yoga, traveling, and spending time enjoying the outdoors with her family. She presently lives in Cumberland with her family and their pets, Kate (Pointer), Tweety (Blue Parakeet), and Dobby the house cat.
Lily Coppinger, DVM
Associate Veterinarian
Lily's Bio
DVM
Dr. Lily Coppinger is joining us at Cumberland Animal Clinic in July 2023. Dr. Coppinger grew up in Massachusetts and graduated from Umass Amherst with a B.S. in Biology in 2019. She then attended vet school at Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and graduated with her DVM in May 2023. During her time at Tufts, she gained experience working in a small animal clinic, doing research in small animal nutrition, and spent a month externing at a safari park where she worked with exotic and endangered species. Dr. Coppinger is interested in many areas of veterinary medicine and has a soft spot for senior pets and chronic illness management. As much as she loves working with animals, she really enjoys getting to know her patients’ families and collaborating with them to provide the best care for their pet. She has always loved Maine, specifically Portland, and is very excited to move to the area. She currently has one cat, Gelato, who she adopted in vet school (and is, in her unbiased opinion, the best cat ever).
Audrey Sandberg DVM
Associate Veterinarian
Audrey's Bio
DVM
Dr. Sandberg grew up in Connecticut and has always been an animal lover from a young age. She could be found riding and taking care of horses nearly every day and became an avid 3-day eventer. After spending 4 years at Colby College studying biology and chemistry, Audrey fell in love with Maine and knew she wanted to return to the area after vet school. Dr. Sandberg obtained her veterinary degree from University of California, Davis. She practiced both small and large animal medicine for 4 years in central Maine which took her across the countryside taking care of all creatures great and small. She is now excited to focus her care on dogs and cats at Cumberland Animal Clinic and is looking forward to building relationships with clients and their pets both for wellness visits and urgent care. Audrey lives in Readfield with her husband Max and their two border collies Halley and Kineo. In her spare time, Audrey loves house projects as well as skiing, hiking, horseback riding, sailing, and pretty much anything that takes her outdoors!
Mark House, DVM, ACVS
Board Certified Veterinary Surgeon
Mark's Bio
DVM, ACVS
Dr. Mark House is a board-certified veterinary surgeon, available to come in to Cumberland Animal Clinic to serve our clients’ pets. He performs complex orthopedic and soft tissue surgeries as well as laparoscopic and arthroscopic procedures. He earned his DVM degree at the Ontario Veterinary College in 2004. As he endeavored to become a veterinary surgeon at a young age, he sought further training to one day become a specialist. From 2004-2005, Dr. House attended The Ohio State University Teaching Hospital to complete a one-year general internship program. Then he moved to Long Island, NY where he completed a one-year internship program at Long Island Veterinary Specialists (LIVS). LIVS is a very busy private hospital that offered further training. Dr. House remained at LIVS for three more years, where he focused solely on small animal surgery. Upon completion of the residency program, Dr. House prepared for his board examinations, and in 2010 he became a board-certified small animal surgeon under the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. When not performing surgery, he enjoys spending time with his wife and children in the great Maine outdoors.
Our Veterinary Staff
Anja, LVT
Anja's Bio
LVT
Anja graduated with an associate degree in Veterinary Technology from Becker College in May 2019. Anja joined the Cumberland Animal Clinic team in October 2019 as a veterinary assistant and became a Licensed Veterinary Technician in April 2022. She is committed to the veterinary care of animals and assisting pet owners to care for their beloved pets. Anja enjoys exploring all aspects of veterinary medicine, she has a drive to learn so that she can care for her patients as best as possible. Anja has a true passion for animal care and listens to what the animal is trying to communicate to her. Although she loves all animals, Anja is a true “cat lady” at heart. Anja lives with her boyfriend and two cats, Luna and Taz. When she isn’t juggling her two mischievous kitties, she enjoys being on the ocean, staying active, and exploring all the hidden treasures of Maine.
Christine, LVT
Christine's Bio
LVT
Christine joined Cumberland Animal Clinic in 1995 as a full-time receptionist and trained as a veterinary assistant shortly after. She holds a BA in Biology with a minor in Biochemistry from the University of Southern Maine. Christine achieved her veterinary technician license in 2001 and worked at CAC from 2001-2009. Christine went on to pursue a nursing degree and graduated in 2013 from CMMC College of Nursing and Health Professions. In 2014, became a Registered Nurse. When she is not caring for humans as an RN, she works part-time at CAC as an LVT. Christine resides in North Yarmouth with her family and pets.
Emily, LVT
Emily's Bio
LVT
Emily came to Cumberland Animal Clinic in 2014. Emily is a licensed veterinary technician and obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Zoology from the University of New Hampshire in 1998. Later, she received an Associate Degree in Animal Health technology from Pierce College in 2006. Emily has worked with zoo animals as well as small animals. She currently resides in Westbrook with her husband, Michael, and their son, Owen. Emily also shares her home with Mittsu the three-legged cat and the Bixby the Shepherd mix.
Tammy, LVT
Tammy's Bio
LVT
Bio coming soon!
Janna, LVT
Head Technician
Janna's Bio
LVT Lead Technician
Janna received her veterinary technician license in 1993 and soon began working at Cumberland Animal Clinic. She is a graduate of South Portland High School and attended the University of Maine, where she graduated with a degree in Animal Science. She resides in North Yarmouth with her daughter, Haley, and her three dogs. She is a fur mom to Axle, a Rottweiler, Sal, a Bullmastiff, and Tino, a French Bulldog.
Nicole, LVT
Practice Manager
Nicole's Bio
LVT, Practice Manager
Nicole joined Cumberland Animal Clinic in 2012 and became the Practice Manager in 2021. She has a degree in Business Management from National College in Lexington, KY, and a Veterinary Technology degree from Penn Foster College. Nicole and her husband live in Gray with their cat, Mohawk, their dogs Lee and Ginger, and their menagerie of chickens. Nicole is an amateur beekeeper who enjoys snowshoeing, hiking, camping, and competing in dock diving with her dog, Lee.
Avalon
Avalon's Bio
Veterinary Assistant
Avalon grew up in the Green Mountain State. She has always loved animals and grew up with various dogs and cats. In 2014, she started her professional life working with animals as a dog trainer in central Vermont. Her care and compassion led to her working for several years as a residential counselor for teen girls impacted by trauma. Then, in October 2020, after being a client at West Mountain Animal Hospital for several years, Avalon was presented with the opportunity of working as a Veterinary Assistant at that veterinary clinic in southern Vermont. In May of 2021, Avalon moved from Vermont to Maine and immediately accepted a position as a Veterinary Assistant in Arundel. Avalon wanted to continue on a path of growth and knowledge and started working at Cumberland Animal Clinic in June 2022. Avalon enjoys the behavioral aspects of veterinary medicine and loves assisting owners by offering tips and tricks to help them with their new puppy or older dog. She lives with her Border Collie, Basil, and two cats named Bernard and Claire. When she is not at CAC, you can find her with any of them, reading, adventuring, or curled up watching a good movie.
Haley
Haley's Bio
Veterinary Assistant
Haley came to the Cumberland Animal Clinic at the end of 2020. She graduated from Greely High School in 2021 where she played lacrosse and volleyball. She went on and spent the fall of 2021 at the University of Tampa. After a semester in Tampa, she decided to move back home and started at the University of New England, where she is studying Applied Exercise Science with the hopes of moving onto UNE’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program. In the future, she is aiming to become a Sports & Orthopedic Physical Therapist. She lives with her mom, Janna, and three dogs: Tino, a French Bulldog, Axle, a Rottweiler, and Sal, a Bullmastiff. When she’s not in class or at CAC, you can find her scooping ice cream at Toots Ice Cream.
Heather
Heather's Bio
Veterinary Assistant
Heather joined Cumberland Animal Clinic in September 2023. She holds a BS in Biology with minors in biochemistry and music performance from the University of Southern Maine. Heather is currently working toward her DVM and though she loves all animals, her focus is mainly feline. She lives in Standish with her cat, Starr. When she isn’t at CAC, Heather is either studying, gardening, gaming, or focusing on creative hobbies.
Amanda
Amanda's Bio
Veterinary Assistant
Amanda joined CAC in January 2024 following a 6-year hiatus as a stay-at-home mom. With her youngest in first grade, she was ready to get back to work in a field she loves. She comes to us with a decade’s worth of technical experience in general practice, exotics and specialty medicine. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Maine at Farmington with a minor in Chemistry. Within veterinary medicine she has a particular interest in all aspects of surgery. You will often find her assisting our Doctors and LVTs with your pets’ surgical needs. She lives in Falmouth with her husband and six-year-old daughter (with another daughter in college), as well as three Chinooks. She is an enthusiastic Chinook breed ambassador and would love to share her passion for these dogs with any willing ear. For fun Amanda enjoys hiking, running, reading, and eating at new restaurants with friends. She also loves to travel, especially to island countries.
Dani
Dani's Bio
Client Service Representative
Dani grew up in southern Maine on a small farm with horses, goats, chickens, rabbits, pigs, dogs, and cats. She played sports each season in school and especially loved showing her horses on the weekends. During high school, she completed her CNA certificate and Fire Fighter 1 &2 courses. After graduating high school, Dani attended the University of Maine at Farmington where she studied Art and New Media and apprenticed with a local tattoo artist. Before coming to CAC in April of 2022, Dani worked as a traveling electrical designer. In her free time, you’ll find her hiking, gardening, traveling, riding horses or her motorcycle, or creating art. Dani is currently studying to be a Vet Technician through Penn Foster College.
Anna
Anna's Bio
Client Service Representative
Anna started at Cumberland Animal Clinic in November 2023. She lived in Connecticut until the end of high school and then took a year off before going to University of Maine at Farmington for three years and graduated May 2023 with a Bachelor’s in Community Health with a Rehab Minor. She has worked in many fields since high school, but animals are her calling. She lives in Freeport and looking to adopt a kitty companion. She is a lover of cats and dogs and grew up with animals since she was 3. Her hobbies are being around her family and 5 furry siblings as well as reading and playing video games.
Megan
Megan's Bio
Kennel Attendant
Bio coming soon!