Karla has been working in the veterinary field since 2006. She discovered her passion for veterinary medicine when she was a junior at USF, majoring in History. Since then, she has worked as a veterinary nurse and enjoys teaching clients about caring for their pets. She has a special place in her heart for our geriatric patients. She has 5 cats, and a husband, who’s just as crazy about their kitties as she is! She collects comic books, and has been doing so since she was 5 years old. She loves designing, building and sewing costumes for comic book conventions.
Michelle graduated from Hillsborough Community College in 2015 with an Associate degree in Veterinary Science. She became a Certified Veterinary Technician that same year. She has worked with animals for over 10 years and her special interest is in behavior. She practices many fear free techniques to help alleviate patient anxiety while visiting Family Animal Hospital. Michelle loves bulldogs, and has one named Anthony, who loves coming to work with her and sleeping in the kitchen. She also has 2 cats, and fun fact, Michelle hates cupcakes.
Jen has been working in the veterinary field for 40 years. She hails from New Jersey where she worked at a cat only hospital for 12 years. She has her Certified Veterinary Technician degree, and in 2014 earned her Veterinary Practice Manager certification. Jen manages most of the business side of Family Animal Hospital but still enjoys being a vet tech, especially when kitties are involved! Jen is married with 2 children, a 2 grandbabies, and has 3 cats and 2 Boston Terriers.
Crystal has been working in the veterinary field for almost 10 years. She enjoys scaling and polishing teeth and loves dental days! She loves ER medicine and also works at a veterinary ER clinic in Tampa. She loves Disney, Disney, and Disney! She is our comic relief at FAH and enjoys puns.
Julie started working in the veterinary field in high school, even completing vet assistant courses before she graduated. We were incredibly lucky to have her as an assistant while she was attending pre-vet courses at USF, and now she is in her final year of veterinary school! While she doesn’t work with us regularly anymore, we are always happy to have her come back while she’s in town!
Meg is originally from Japan and has been living in the states for 15 years. She has always been an animal lover and has a special love for cats! She earned her Certified Veterinary Assistant certificate in 2016 and has spent many hours volunteering at animal shelters. She has 2 cats, both named after food! Meg loves adventure and being outdoors. She loves hiking and exploring the waterways on her standup paddleboard. She plays ukulele and is quite the artist as well!
Sarah has been our main receptionist since early 2021 and has been an awesome addition to our family. She has years of customer service and reception experience and we got to be her introduction to the exciting world of veterinary medicine! She loves working with animals and helping pet owners every day. She has a small zoo of her own, including Daisy the shih-tzu, Callie the snuggly pittie, 2 cats and 11 pekin ducks.
Shelby came to us from a high volume surgical practice and is also a Certified Veterinary Technician. She’s a wonderful and valuable addition to our team. She’s been in the veterinary field for 10 years and has one dog and 2 cats.
Carissa is our newest addition and joins Sarah at the front desk, greeting clients and scheduling appointments. She’s also been in the veterinary field for 10 years and has a passion for helping people and animals. She has a geriatric Pomeranian who can sometimes be found behind the front desk in a stroller, snoozing (or barking) away the afternoon.