Meet our Team
At Sage Veterinary Center, we are incredibly proud of the care we provide every day. Learn more about our talented team and why we love what we do!

Meet Our Veterinarians

Ashley Beard, DVM, CCRT
Veterinarian
Within moments of meeting Dr. Beard, it is apparent that she was not only born to improve the lives of animals, but to translate their needs to humans. Her main interests in veterinary medicine are senior care and chronic pain management. Having three differently abled cats of her own (two with three legs, and one with no eyes), she is no stranger to the unique methods it takes to improve each animal’s quality of life. Every animal is different, and so is their treatment plan. She is exceptionally passionate about her work with rescue organizations and helping all pets live comfortably in their forever homes. Outside of the hospital, you can probably find Dr. Beard and her husband Joe, hiking up a mountain on their journey to becoming Adirondack 46ers, trying a new exciting local restaurant, or simply snuggling their cats.

Kira Purdon, DVM, CVA
Veterinarian
If we showed you Dr. Purdon’s path to becoming a veterinarian as a movie, it would be the kind where you were blown away by the strong female lead’s purposefulness and confidence; the kind of movie you’d hope your daughters would see. Dr. Purdon left her Florida hometown to study pre-med at Northeastern University, where she found herself volunteering at a Boston animal shelter because she missed her dogs and cats back at home. She quickly became invested in the shelter’s law enforcement division and just as quickly came to an epiphany that she wanted to dedicate her life to helping animals. Medicine was already her passion and although she loves people, these animals had no voice and someone needed to advocate for them. The best way to do this was to become a veterinarian. So, off to Cornell’s school of Veterinary Medicine she went. While completing internships at Cornell Vet and Animal Medical Center, Dr. Purdon became especially interested in emergency medicine, surgery, and improving the lives of senior pets.
Using the doctorate she obtained with the energy a Boston shelter instilled, she finds nothing more fulfilling than helping animals that would otherwise suffer. She eventually transitioned out of emergency medicine as she craved long lasting relationships with these animals and their owners. What better a place to foster those relationships than Jersey City? She happily planted her roots just minutes from Sage in Hamilton Park. Here, she is able to apply her dynamic and integrative approach in the community she lives in. When she isn’t performing a head to tail exam, Dr. Purdon is likely logging more dives as a master scuba diver, cuddling up with her rescue dog and senior rescue cat, or enjoying her life at home as a new mom with her husband, David.

Dr. Diane Matute, DVM
Veterinarian
Dr. Matute was born and raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey, surrounded by family pets. Originally studying Archaeology in her undergrad years at Drew University, she quickly decided she’d rather give a dog a bone than dig one up herself! The epiphany came to her during her college years while working at doggy daycares and volunteering at St. Hubert’s animal shelter, where she felt pure joy providing care to all types of cats and dogs. She was able to combine her love of animals and science in an academic setting at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and Louisiana State University.
Dr. Matute is especially interested in chronic disease management, senior care, and nutrition. For her, there is nothing better than watching an animal heal and recover, and being part of the reason our furry friends live long, happy, healthy lives! She couldn’t imagine a better place to be a healer than Sage.
A self-proclaimed homebody, when Dr. Matute isn’t tending to your fur baby, she is likely at home, snuggled up with a good book and her cat, Kitty, or practicing the violin. When she ventures out, she is ice-skating, hiking, and enjoying nature.
Meet Our Team

Melissa, Practice Manager
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Tivona, Lead Nurse, CVT
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Lauren, Lead Nurse, CVT
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Joslynn, Client Service Representative

Melissa
Practice Manager
It came as a shock to no one who knows Melissa that she wound up in the veterinary field. She spent her childhood surrounded by dogs, cats, and horses. While growing up, Mel sat down and took notes watching Animal Planet while her friends preferred Disney Channel. In addition to an innate interest in animals, love and connection on a soulful level have always been apparent in Mel’s life. She was never one to look away during the sad ASPCA commercials, but instead raise the volume and force others to watch and learn. Once, when she was young and her parents took her to choose a special koi fish for their backyard pond, she instead insisted on saving a feeder fish and affectionately naming it “Victim” and giving it the life it never could have. Needless to say, her favorite part of veterinary medicine is being a part of the healing, even if that just means being a kind voice. When she isn’t at Sage, she is either walking around Hamilton Park with her husband, baby, and border collie mix or relaxing on the couch inside with her two cats.

Tivona, CVT
Lead Nurse
Tivona is to veterinary medicine as a cat is to a string – she has always had an inexplicable fascination with it. She began her career in her younger years by volunteering with a small animal veterinarian in her local community before earning her Bachelor’s in conservation biology and becoming a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. While working at a wildlife hospital after college, she started becoming more interested in the internal medicine side of things and earned her LVT/CVT. Tivona finds veterinary medicine to be especially rewarding when you simply get to see the sick get healthy. Though her interests are evolving with her career, she finds herself particularly passionate about feline health and ophthalmology. When she isn’t helping your pet get better, she’s either at home with her two cats Dee Dee Ramone and Liebchen, outside missing her cats and enjoying the weather, or working on a comic she is writing about her Grandfather’s survival of the holocaust.

Lauren, CVT
Lead Nurse
Before she was consulting you about your pet’s health, Lauren was actually an accountant and consultant. Graduating from Penn State with an accounting degree, she naturally went into finance but quickly found herself yearning for something more fulfilling and interesting. Like most of the Sage staff, she grew up around many animals. Her house in rural Pennsylvania was the one always opening the door to strays so she felt very comfortable when she began volunteering at an ASPCA. It was there that she realized animal care was her dream. She earned another Bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Technology and her LVT/CVT. Lauren is most passionate about senior pet care and is especially elated to be working with doctors who seamlessly combine science, the pet’s needs, and their owner’s concerns. She has two senior pets at home; Megan a pittie mix, and Paisley a domestic long-haired cat. When she isn’t taking care of your fur baby she is chasing after her toddler, on a walk with her husband, or cheering on Penn State, The Steelers, and The Penguins.

Logan
Client Service Manager
Logan grew up singing, baking, and loving animals in a small West Virginia town. After moving to NYC to attend NYU-Steinhardt for his graduate degrees, he found his way into veterinary medicine. He is very grateful to have found a career home in this rewarding field. Logan immensely enjoys our ability to play a part in providing high-quality veterinary care to pets in local shelter/rescue groups as they prepare to find their “furever” homes. He considers it a distinct privilege to be working with this group of highly dedicated, intelligent, and empathetic professionals at Sage. When he isn’t at the office, he can be found out on the town seeing the newest Broadway productions, at home baking gluten-free sweets, or scouring the internet for an adorable rescue shih-tzu to adopt with his partner James.

Jennifer
Veterinary Assistant/ Client Service Representative
Bio coming soon!

Claribel
Assistant
Bio coming soon!

Joslynn
Client Service Representative
Bio coming soon!