Daryl K. Schawel, DVM

Dr. Schawel is a native of Lombard, Illinois, but a longtime resident of the East Bay. He completed his undergraduate work at St. Procopius (now Benedictine University) in Lisle, Illinois. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, and has practiced emergency veterinary medicine since 1977, the same year he joined the staff at CCVEC.

With ongoing interest in advances in emergency veterinary medicine, Dr. Schawel created and implemented emergency procedure classes for owners of search-and-rescue and police dogs. He is also interested in animal toxicity issues.

Dr. Schawel and wife Kathy live in Martinez with Bubba, his 14-year-old diabetic Brittany Spaniel, and cats Gus and Kobe-all adopted animals. Son Adam graduates from college this year, and daughter Heidi is a professional photographer who shot many of the photos on the web site.

Richard M. Groff, DVM, Medical Director

Dr. Groff grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska, where his father was a veterinarian. He attended Kansas State University for undergraduate academics, and earned his DVM at its College of Veterinary Medicine.

Before joining the CCVEC staff in 1979, Dr. Groff worked in a Fresno general practice for a year and a half then began his emergency veterinary medicine career in Dublin. In 1981, he completed an externship in emergency veterinary medicine at the Animal Medical Center in New York City. He was awarded the Don Low Fellowship by the California Veterinary Medical Association in 1999, and received an externship in emergency veterinary medicine at the University of California at Davis.

Dr. Groff has a special interest in toxicology, and edited the toxicology chapter in the first edition of "The Feline Patient," (Norsworthy, et al) and has lectured on the topic.

Among his interests are skiing, hiking, and cycling. He and wife Nancy have two grown children, Stacey and Patrick, and live in Alamo.

Gregory A. Dannucci, DVM

Dr. Dannucci's hometown is Huntington Beach, California. He earned his undergraduate degree in biology and master's degree in anatomy from University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). He graduated with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from University of California at Davis in 1990, and began practicing emergency medicine at Contra Costa Veterinary Emergency Center the same year. Dr. Dannucci took a two-year hiatus to experience traditional "daytime" veterinary medicine from 1997-1999 at The Orinda Veterinary Clinic.

A dedicated road cyclist and member of the Benicia Bicycle Club, Dr. Dannucci cycled in France for a month several years ago. The trip took him counter-clockwise from Versailles through the beautiful countryside. His other beyond-veterinary interest is classical guitar, which he calls "a constant source of joy and frustration."

For Dr. Dannucci's heartwarming true dog-meets-cyclist story, go to Pet Portraits. ACTIVE LINK. He lives with his wife and daughter in Benicia.

Benjamin Otten, DVM

Dr. Otten graduated with a bachelor's degree in Biology and Music performance from Heidelberg College in Tiffin, Ohio, in 1993. Dr. Otten got his first taste for emergency medicine when he worked as a live-in student helping staff veterinarians with after-hours emergencies in the small and large animal departments at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville while he earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.

After graduation in 1997, Dr. Otten moved to rural Vermont and worked in a James Heriott-like practice in rural Vermont, where he saw patients all day, then was on call for emergencies all night. In 1999, he was accepted into the Exotic Pet Residency at the Animal Medical Center in New York City. In 2001, Dr. Otten finished his residency and moved to Berkeley, California.

Dr. Otten recently published articles on avian anesthesia, the proper use of antibiotics and other drugs in small mammals, and cholesterol measurement in parrots.

Dr. Otten enjoys hiking in the East Bay Hills with his two- and four-legged family and friends and occasionally playing in the snow at Tahoe. He lives with his wife, Jessica, young daughter, Charlotte, their dog Maxamillion, and the reclusive Emerson, a female cat named for Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Matthew D. Harsch, DVM

Dr. Harsch graduated Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor of science degree in zoology from Oregon State University, and completed his DVM at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
He received full tuition scholarship for his undergraduate work, and scholarships from the University of Wisconsin Veterinary School, where he was a member of Phi Zeta veterinary honor society. He served a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery in San Leandro, with out-rotations in emergency medicine and general practice.

Dr. Harsch enjoys an eclectic range of interests: fly-fishing, reading, camping, cooking, and weight lifting as well as current human caretaker for Oreo and Bandit the cats. He commutes from Boise, Idaho, where he and his wife Tricia live.

Denise M. Fair, DVM, CVA

Dr. Fair graduated first with a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science and then a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Cum Laude, both from Kansas State University. She also earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Kansas. Dr. Fair completed advanced studies at Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and is a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist.

Dr. Fair lives in Summit County, Colorado, where she is an active volunteer as an EMT-IV with the Mountain Rescue Association-certified, Summit County Rescue Group.  

Besides being a veterinarian, she is an ultra-marathon runner, road cyclist, skier, hiker, and snowmobiler. Additionally, she is the personal concierge, chef, and chauffeur to two big, goofy dogs named Hanxious and Butters the Destroyer.