Meet The Team

Dr. Stanley has an established reputation in the community for being an excellent surgeon, leader, father, and scout leader.  In his spare time, he is very involved in the scouting community with his younger sons, and  served on the Board of Directors of the Humane Society of North Central Florida for several years.  Dr. Stanley has also previously has been voted Best Veterinarian in Gainesville.   View his complete bio HERE,

Melissa is one of our knowledgeable and talented certified veterinary technicians! With a passion for anesthesia and analgesia, Melissa focuses much of her time making sure pets stay comfortable and safe while under anesthesia for various surgeries. She plans on continuing her education in this field, eventually planning to become a Veterinary Technician Specialist in Anesthesia and Analgesia as well as a Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner. Melissa has 10 pets of her own - 7 cats and 3 dogs! When she is not in the clinic or hanging with her pets, Melissa can be found Jeeping, camping, gardening, cooking, or reading.

Aaron is one of our Surgical Veterinary Technicians! His primary goal is always to help the pets we see feel better and to continue learning and growing in the fields of surgery and anesthesia. His family is his motivation, and he believes patient care, customer service, and teamwork are all among the most important parts of our job here at the Veterinary Surgicenter.

Tyler is one of our Surgical Veterinary Technicians here! With a Bachelor’s in Animal Science and a minor in Zoology from the UF.  He is preparing to go to Vet School to become a veterinarian of ‘exotics’.  He has 25 pets ranging from dogs and cats to rodents, reptiles, and birds! When Tyler is not hard at work here at the hospital, he can be found hanging out with his family and pets.

Taylor is one of our Client Service Representatives! Taylor is motivated every day to be a part of caring for the pets we see just like she cares for her own pets at home. She loves welcoming every client and pet into the hospital and helping them get comfortable while they are here. She has a huge passion for animals, and plans to use this passion to continue her career in the veterinary field. Taylor has 2 rescue cattle dogs mixes named Jax and Fig. Whenever she has free time, Taylor loves taking them on long walks along trails and training them. She is also very close with her family, and spends ample time with them and their pets.

Dr. Fox-Alvarez, previously an Assistant Professor and Surgeon at UF, was a recipient of the '40 under 40' UF Young Alumni Award, as well as numerous 'Teacher of the Year' awards. As a boarded surgeon, his surgical experience and training is in soft tissue and orthopedic surgery, surgical oncology and various minimally-invasive surgical procedures.  View his complete bio HERE.

Lauran is one of the caring and passionate Certified Surgical Veterinary Technicians that cares for your pets. Her passion is pain management, and it shows in the way she both teaches anesthesia and monitors patient pain and safety in the hospital. She has 3 Bachelor’s degrees in Equine Science, a certificate in Veterinary Technology, and plans to become a Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner in the future. Lauran has 4 pets at home - 2 horses named Boomhauer and Slim Willie, and 2 cats named Neener and Nobuyuki Wakabyashi. When not at work here at the Veterinary Surgicenter, she can be found getting out in nature through farm & horse work, trail running, mountain biking, and climbing waterfalls.

Dawn has been a CVT here for many years, and is very integral part of our team.  She has a Brussels Griffon named Sprout, and six cats, Koi, Dinner, Lilly, Ahi, Cheeto, and Mango. In her spare time, she loves scuba diving, kayaking, going to the beach, biking, sailing, and working out.

Makayla handles the administrative interactions and client care for everyone that visits our facility.  Her calming, positive attitude is welcoming and appreciated by everyone.  She has 5 pets at home - 2 dogs and 3 cats - as well as a family with whom she likes to go camping and boating with in her free time.

Being a part of a locally-owned, highly motivated team of professionals is really the best thing ever.  We have a collaborative, devoted group of professionals that make coming to work each day VERY different from what most people are used to.  We work hard to create an environment that when people that visit us, they feel the difference, whether they are a pet owner, doctor, technician, or our favorite delivery men and women.

If you are interested in being a part of our

amazing culture of professionals, please start here.