Our Staff

Joanna, Practice Manager

Joanna began working at Animal Care Center in 2000 as a veterinary technician. She has a special interest in canine and feline behavior and before becoming manager at Best Care Animal Hospital, she ran puppy kindergarten classes at Country Oaks Animal Hospital for 5 years. Joanna also enjoyed teaching humans and pets how to overcome separation anxiety and fear-based behaviors through positive reinforcement and owner education.

These days she enjoys fostering a positive work environment for the team at Best Care Animal Hospital and providing continued education opportunities to all team members.

Joanna is married and has three wonderful children at home and one rescue dog named Coolee.

Melissa, Office Manager

Melissa was born in New Jersey and moved to Florida when she was eight. She joined our team in 2012, and she is currently studying veterinary business leadership. She enjoys making a difference in the lives of animals and growing with and improving our office. Melissa shares her home with a corgi named Nala; a dachshund mix named Kiara; a cat named Abu; an Australian eclectus; a bearded dragon; a packman frog, and many fish friends. She has three kids and is getting married in December 2022. She spends her free time with her family and enjoys art, listening to music and dancing. Melissa says there is no other field she would rather be in than veterinary medicine.

Elizabeth, Veterinary Technician

Elizabeth is a veteran of the vet tech field with 16 years of experience! She joined our team in 2014 and is currently working toward her nursing degree—because she wants to be able to help animals and humans alike!

Elizabeth was born and raised in Florida, where she lives with her husband and 9-year-old son. She has a soft spot for fluffy cats, so if you bring one in, expect Elizabeth to cuddle it.

Samantha, Technician

A Florida native, Sam joined us in October 2013. She learns something new every day here at the hospital because every day is different. She shares her home with Jack Russell terriers Charlie and Milo; tuxedo cat Bruce, and yellow-belly turtle Oraco. Sam spends her free time with her husband and kids, and she enjoys kickboxing and reading. Her favorite animal is the elephant.

Sandra, Veterinary Technician

Sandra grew up in Virginia, then moved to Florida and joined us in 2018. She loves helping pets feel better. Her family is spread across the East Coast, and she shares her home with two sassy cats. In her free time, she enjoys watching Netflix and playing video games. Her favorite animal is the dolphin.

Marissa, Technician

Born and raised in Florida, Marissa has been in the veterinary field for ten years, and joined our practice in 2013 as a kennel attendant. She quickly moved into the role of vet tech and has been a huge asset to our team.

Marissa received her Associates degree in Science. She then went on to get her EMT and now works EMT full time, while still in school to pursue her Paramedic degree. She loves using her knowledge of emergency medicine as a Veterinary Technician! She has two fur babies of her own: Roscoe and Mya! When she isn’t at work, Marissa enjoys spending time with her wife, Meghan, and her three sisters and two brothers.

Gabby, Veterinary Technician

Active in the vet field since she was 15 years old, Gabby took a break in 2009 to raise her children. She came back to work in 2017. She has a special interest in surgery and emergency care, but every part of her job makes her heart smile.

Her furry family consists of Max, Gidget, Coco, Crystal, and Darth Vader. In her free time, she enjoys working out and spending time with her kids, who are very active in sports.

Will, Veterinary Technician

Will is one of our vet technicians, and he’s been in the industry for five years. He started as a vet assistant and has worked his way up to becoming a vet tech! Will enjoys his job because he can give voice to those who can’t advocate for themselves. He’s a Florida native and has spent his whole life loving animals. He has two cats and one dog at home right now—but if he had to choose a favorite animal, it would be a lemur.

Katie, Technician Assistant

Katie loves everything having to do with animals. Her family raises dairy goats and makes soap, lotions, and cheese from their milk. In addition to six goats, her pet family includes three tortoises, three dogs, and two rats.

A certified veterinary assistant, Katie enjoys reading and being outdoors.

Yvette, Lead Receptionist

Yvette has been in the field of veterinary medicine for 15 years and joined our team in 2008. She enjoys helping pet parents navigate through the medical needs of their fur babies. She shares her home with two pitties, Lucy and Ricky; mini-Aussies, Frank Sinatra and Ray Charles, and cats Jinx and Mushu. She has been married for 35 years and has two children and three grandchildren. She spends her free time with her family and going boating. All animals are her favorites.

Virginia, Receptionist

Originally from New York, Virginia worked as a technician for 10 years and moved to Florida in 2018. She is a certified dog groomer and joined us as a receptionist in 2019. She loves helping owners care for their pets. She has been married to her husband Lou for 10 years, and they share their home with Labs Axel and Amber; German shepherd, Angus, and foster-fail kitten Selena. In her free time, she enjoys gardening and going to theme parks. Virginia says she loves all dogs.

Debra, Receptionist

Debbie is our friendly face at the receptionist’s desk. She joined our team in 2015 when she moved to Florida from North Carolina. Debbie has two kids, two grandchildren, and one grandbaby on the way! When she isn’t helping clients and their animal companions, she loves reading and shopping.

Missy, Receptionist

A Florida native, Missy joined our team in 2021. She loves working with both animals and their people. She is married with three children, one grandchild, and a dog named TJ.  She spends her free time going to the beach with her family. Her favorite animal is the horse, and she loves Country Oaks and her work family. She is glad she stumbled on our hospital and applied to work here.

Hailey, Kennel Attendant

Florida born and raised, as a child Hailey was in FFA, where she showed a hog. She joined us in 2022, and she loves helping animals. She lives with her family and their menagerie of 11 horses, 10 dogs, and many cats, ducks and rabbits. In her free time, Hailey enjoys fishing, boating and going to the beach. She would love to travel and see the world. Her favorite animals are horses and wolves.

Robin, Kennel Attendant

Robin is originally from Long Island but has lived in Florida for 10 years. She joined our team in 2022 after working in the hospitality industry. She has been married for 35 years and has two grown stepchildren and five grandchildren, as well as a Jack Russell terrier and a Maltie-poo. In her free time, she enjoys relaxing with her dogs and traveling when she can. Robin’s favorite animal is a dog, and she says she’s never met a dog she didn’t like.

Alicia, Kennel Attendant

Florida native Alicia joined us in 2022. She loves our patients and making them feel safe and calm when they are here at the hospital. She has two dogs, a German shepherd mix and a pit bull mix. In her free time, she enjoys shopping, going to the beach and going out to eat. Her favorite animal is the poodle. Alicia loves her job, and she wants to grow with team.

Shelby, Kennel Attendant

Bio Coming Soon!

Sara, Kennel Attendant

Originally from Massachusetts, Sara moved to Florida and joined our team in 2022. She is studying to become a vet tech. She lives with her parents and a black cat named Magic, and she likes to pet sit and relax with her family in her free time. Her favorite animal is the German shepherd, and she dreams of having lots of land filled with happy dogs.

Starskey

Bio coming soon.