Our Team

As a pet owner himself, Dr. Mike Bunnell recognized that one of the best feelings in the world was watching your own sick or injured pet become well again. He wanted to be the one who could make that happen. That’s why he decided to become a veterinarian! Now, Dr. Bunnell has enjoyed more than 10 wonderful years as a licensed veterinarian helping pets and their owners to live happier, healthier lives. He’s the proud owner and chief veterinarian here at Fayetteville Veterinary Hospital.

Dr. Bunnell started working as a Veterinary Assistant in the animal clinic that he took his own pets to while growing up in his hometown of Auburn, New York. He attended Cornell University to earn his Bachelor’s degree in animal science, and then continued on to Michigan State University to earn his Doctorate. Dr. Bunnell graduated vet school in 2008, then moved back to the Syracuse area and has been practicing here ever since.

In May of 2016, Dr. Bunnell purchased Fayetteville Animal Hospital and strives to provide uncompromising top-notch service to the pets and animal parents of the area, day in and day out. He has particular passions for surgical work and dentistry because of the way they can immediately alleviate a pet’s pain, but his favorite part of the job is knowing that he’s able to make a lasting difference in the community.

In his time away from the office, Dr. Bunnell likes gardening and landscaping, completing home-improvement projects, working on cars, and enjoying the company of his own pets. He has two cats, Nero and Charles, as well as a stubborn Doberman puppy named Ember. When Ember doesn’t like what she’s being asked to do, she’ll lay on her back with her feet in the air and refuse to move until she’s picked up and carried!

Dr. Melissa Marsak has always been drawn to puzzles. For her, using her skillset to observe, test, and come to a conclusion is extremely rewarding. Combined with her lifelong love for animals, being a veterinarian simply seemed like the perfect fit! Dr. Marsak proudly serves the area’s pets as an Associate Veterinarian.

Dr. Marsak is originally from Liverpool, New York and gained her first exposure to veterinary care while volunteering at an animal rescue in south Boston during college. After completing her pre-veterinary studies, she continued on to Cornell University to earn her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. Next, she spent three years working in general practice in the Buffalo, New York area before moving to Syracuse. Dr. Marsak joined the Fayetteville Veterinary Hospital team in August of 2016 and has been helping the area’s pets and animal parents here ever since.

Medically, Dr. Marsak is fond of dermatology work—her dog in veterinary school, Maisy, was chock-full of skin problems and taught Dr. Marsak quite a lot!—and she also enjoys pharmacology and anesthesia. Above all, she likes spending one-on-one time with the area’s pet owners and their adorable companions.

Aside from her interests in animal care, Dr. Marsak is fond of cooking and traveling. Studying abroad in Madrid, Spain was a dream come true for her! At home, she has one loveable dog: Zuri, who refuses to get out of bed until she hears her breakfast clinking into the bowl every morning.

Dr. Devinne Bennett’s mother introduced her to animals early on in life, and she’s been hooked ever since. Ever since she was a little girl, Dr. Bennett has wanted to improve the lives of every living creature, fur or feathers, scales or skin, that she possibly could! That’s why she decided to devote herself to animal medicine and become a licensed veterinarian.

Born in Massachusetts, Dr. Bennett lived in Illinois for a time before moving to Pennsylvania with her family and growing up in Chester County. She attended Sweet Briar College in Virginia for her first two years of her undergraduate degree, then transferred to the University of Delaware to finish her degree in animal science in 2008. Next, Dr. Bennett worked as a research technician at a wildlife laboratory and as a Veterinary Technician for a small animal hospital in Delaware, gaining invaluable experience that serves her well to this day.

Dr. Bennett headed to the Caribbean in 2009 to earn her veterinary credentials at Ross University’s School of Veterinary Medicine. She completed her clinical year of training at Oklahoma State University in 2012, graduating in January of the following year, and then signed on at a clinic in Dallas, Pennsylvania to launch her career in private practice. Dr. Bennett remained there for eight fulfilling years before coming to central New York and joining the Fayetteville Veterinary Hospital family in February of 2021.

As a vet, Dr. Bennett’s favorite parts of her work include behavioral cases, dentistry, internal medicine, surgery, nutrition, reproductive medicine, and exotic pet and avian medicine. She completed an advanced veterinary dentistry and oral surgery education course through the University of Illinois, as well as courses in laboratory animal medicine, clinical small animal nutrition, and advanced small animal nutrition during veterinary school.

Away from work, Dr. Bennett enjoys riding and training horses, fishing, swimming, singing karaoke, reading, cooking and baking, practicing her photography skills, and traveling. She has three cats—Pantalaimon, Scooter, and Obi-Wan—as well as three dogs who go by Butters, Caleb, and Dally. Dr. Bennett is also the proud owner of three horses: Joe, Tuffy, and Boomer.

Dr. Sean Gaw started his career as a licensed architect in Boston - a far cry from the fields of medical science and animal care. After a decade in practice, he felt drawn to become more invested in the people of his community and do work that was more deeply meaningful. As he puts it, “design may be amazing, but it doesn't compare to saving lives”. A quest to find a new direction in life led him to the field of veterinary medicine, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Sean began his new journey attending night school while also working full time. During that time, he also began volunteering at the local SPCA, caring for unwanted dogs and cats. He eventually became trained in surgery prep as a Technician Assistant. Working at a local zoo, traveling with horse vets, milking cows on dairy farms and visiting research laboratories all helped expand Sean’s knowledge. Eventually, he left the construction world behind and enrolled at Tufts to earn his veterinary degree. After working at a few small animal practices in central NY, Sean decided to join the Fayetteville team in May of 2022.

Professionally, Sean enjoys working with clients to help them make the best choices for their pets’ healthcare. He also has an affinity for performing ultrasounds, as he feels it ties back to his previous experience in design. He can take a two dimensional black and white series of dots and lines and mentally make a three dimensional model of the interior of a patient quickly and painlessly. Ultrasound sees so many things that classic x-rays cannot, and the two together allow this self-described “visually-focused vet” to provide myriad answers for what ails patients.

Outside of the clinic, Sean spends most of his free time working on creative activities. So far, he’s built a zip line and rock climbing wall for his kids, constructed a giant sundial, and started wood turning so he can build a set of giant chessmen. Sean’s many unique talents include juggling, solving Rubik’s cubes, and knitting. He recently completed a baby blanket for a dear friend, which had been started by her mother before she passed away. Remarkably, he figured it out with no pattern – just two needles and some yarn.