North Bay

Dr. Lassett is a native of Tampa. He attended the University of Florida receiving a bachelors degree in microbiology in 1978 and a doctorate in veterinary medicine in 1982.

After completing a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Oradell Animal Hospital in New Jersey, Dr. Lassett returned to the Tampa Bay area. Dr. Lassett is Board Certified in Canine and Feline Practice and his areas of special interest include soft tissue and orthopedic surgery, oncology, diagnostic ultrasound, endoscopy, dermatology and cardiology.

Dr. Lassett has held board positions with the Humane Society of Tampa Bay and the Hillsborough County Veterinary Medical Society. He enjoys fishing, boating, and spending time with his dog, Cheyenne, and cat, Dakota.

Dr. Welborn was the valedictorian of his 1976 graduating class from King High School here in Tampa and as a President’s Scholar, he earned an undergraduate degree from the University of South Florida. Dr. Welborn graduated with honors from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in 1982. He is Board Certified in Canine and Feline Practice and is a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist and Certified PennHIP Veterinarian.

He is past president of the prestigious American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and served as Chairman of the AAHA Standards Enhancement Task Force that developed the most recent revisions and enhancements to the AAHA Standards of Accreditation for primary care small animal practices. He also served as Chairman of the Accredited Referral Practice Task Force that developed AAHA Standards of Accreditation for small animal specialty practices. He currently serves in several national veterinary leadership roles including being the Chairman of the AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines Task Force and serving as a member of the AAHA-AVMA Preventative Healthcare Guidelines Task Force.

Dr. Welborn has received the following honors:

• • 2022 AVMA Award
• • Prestigious AVMA President’s Award
• • American Animal Hospital Association Practitioner of the Year Award
• • University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine Alumni Achievement Award
• • Florida Veterinary Medical Association Veterinarian of the Year Award
• • Hillsborough County Veterinary Medical Society Outstanding Service Award

Underwater photography and attending Tampa Bay Buccaneer and Florida Gator football games are among his favorite activities. Dr. Welborn’s family includes: wife, Laura, daughter, Kaitlin, son, Christopher, furry friends, Jenner and Emma Rose, two birds, Harper and Connie, and a marine aquarium full of aquatic companions.

Dr. Kelleen Madill is originally from Port Orange, FL. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of FL obtaining her degree in animal sciences and a minor in zoology. She went on to complete her veterinary degree at Western University of Health Sciences located in CA. She is currently finishing a Master’s degree in Public Health at the University of South FL. She lives with her husband, Rob, her sons, Ethan and Colin, and their 3 pets, Stubbie, Sophie and Nelson, the cat.

In her free time, she enjoys reading, going to the beach, running, and spending time with her family. Her favorite time of the year is football season where she undyingly roots for the Green Bay Packers and the Florida Gators!

Dr. Chelsea Larkin is on our team of awesome veterinarians at North Bay Animal Hospital. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology with a Business minor from the University of Florida (Go Gators!) and she received her DVM from LSU School of Veterinary Medicine (Geaux Tigers!)

Dr. Larkin became a veterinarian because she has always loved and respected animals and as she grew older, she became interested in the sciences, specifically medicine. She was lucky enough to find a career that intersected two of her passions which led her to where she is today.

She shares her home with Nitro, a rescue dog from the Bahamas who she got as her 16th birthday present and Cannoli, a special-needs, previously feral kitten from the streets of Baton Rouge. Both her dog and cat mean the world to her. She could have a no good, very rotten day, but when she comes home to her dog greeting her and her cat chirping and rubbing against her leg, everything that happened before crossing the threshold of her house disappears!

Dr. Larkin’s goal walking into every visit is to make sure both the patient’s, and the client’s concerns are heard and addressed. She also wants to emphasize client education so owners can be informed, active participants in the healthcare of their fur babies.

Her philosophy that she lives by is:

“The more you know, the more you know you don’t know.” Aristotle

When Dr. Larkin isn’t caring for your pets, you can find her cycling, fishing, playing guitar, and looking for shark teeth at the beach.

She is from Jupiter, Florida and new to the area so she is always looking for food recs and if you ever see her out and about, don’t be afraid to stop and say “hi!”.

I am originally from Tampa, Florida and I am so happy to be back in the area. I attended the University of Florida for my undergraduate studies where I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Animal Sciences. I continued my education at the University of Florida and earned my Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine in May of 2024.

I have been drawn to animals my whole life. My love and respect for animals stemmed from my childhood where I spent most of my time competitively showing and riding my horse, Buckley.

I am engaged to my fiancé Sam. We currently do not have any animals in our home but are excited to add a canine addition in the future! I recently lost my Great Dane in March 2024 and he meant the world to my family and I. It is a special bond that is indescribable.

My goal walking into every visit is to make the clients and patients feel as comfortable as possible and for them to know I am there to help in every way I can to provide the best outcome for the animal.

My philosophy: You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.

Outside of veterinary medicine, I love to exercise, cook, travel, attend concerts and outdoor markets, and spend time with family and friends.

I look forward to meeting you and taking care of your pets!

Dr. Colby Burns, a board-certified surgeon at North Tampa Veterinary Specialists, provides specialized orthopedic, soft tissue, neurologic and emergency surgical services to small animal veterinary practitioners. This service allows our veterinarians the ability to offer advanced surgical services in the comfort of our own hospital while maintaining direct contact with our clients and primary care for patients. Mobile surgical services are available six days a week (Monday through Saturday). Emergency surgical services are available seven days a week, including evenings and weekends.

Raised on a working horse ranch Cassy has always had a strong love for all animals and a desire to improve the human-animal bond. She began working in the veterinary field at the age of 15 as an assistant in a veterinary hospital in Plant City, FL, and from 1993 to 2000 worked as an emergency and day-time veterinary technician. Since 1995, she has served our six hospital group, as our Practice Administrator.

Cassy graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry from the University of South Florida in 1998.

Cassy has been a member of the VHMA since 2001 and served on their Board of Directors for 2 years. Cassy earned her Certified Veterinary Practice Manager (CVPM) designation in 2005 and her Certified Canine Rehabilitation Assistant (CCRA) designation in 2008. She was the co-chair of the Bay Area Managers Network Group in Tampa for 10 years and is a past adjunct professor for Webster Veterinary University.

Residing in Valrico, Florida, Cassy shares her home with her husband, her 2 children, her cat, Gordy and her dog, Dolly Brown. Her interests are client advocacy, team building, physical rehabilitation, communication, and compliance. Cassy’s hobbies include reading, outdoor activities and her family.

Kara is originally from Georgia, but has lived in Florida for most of her life. She has been with North Bay Animal Hospital since 1995. As Hospital Manager, Kara’s priority is to ensure upstanding individualized client care. Kara resides in Tampa with her husband, and her cat, Abbie. In her spare time she enjoys boating, fishing, and spending time with her family.

Debbie is our wonderful Hospital Coordinator here at North Bay Animal Hospital. She is originally from Pittsburgh. She has always enjoyed working in the animal field. She worked as a zookeeper for ten years prior to joining our team. She attended school at the University of South Florida where she earned her B.S. in Zoology. When Debbie is not at work, you can find her reading, enjoying the outdoors, traveling, listening to live music, and spending time with her friends and family (She is very close with her family). She currently shares her home with her little pit rescue named Susie. She is currently working on buying a house with a big yard for Susie.

Alyssa is one of our wonderful Client Care team members here at North Bay Animal Hospital. She is a native Tampanian!!

She joined our team as soon as she graduated high school. She always had a dream of working with animals. She attended Hillsborough Community College. When Alyssa is not working you can find her shopping, or taking her handsome pup Anubis out on the town. Alyssa is from a large family of 5 children (three brothers and one sister) and her parents. Alyssa’s immediate goal is to adopt another Great Dane. She is absolutely in love with this breed.

Alex is our awesome Pet Resort Coordinator here at North Bay Animal Hospital. She is originally from St. Petersburg, Florida.  She joined our team for the opportunity to give love and gentle care to all of our patients. She attended St. Petersburg college where she earned her A.A. degree. She is currently enrolled at the University of South Florida. When Alex isn’t working, you can find her playing or napping with her dog Ruby or her Tabby cat Rico. She comes from a very large family and is the middle child of 7 siblings. Her goal is to become a CVT and be a versatile practice team member.

Ally is one of our fabulous Pet Resort team members. She is originally from Toms River, New Jersey. She attended Ohio University where she received her B.S. in Environmental Biology, and she received a certificate in Environmental Sciences. When Ally is not at work, you can find her playing volleyball, horse back riding, or traveling. She has one sister and three brothers. She shares her home with her two cats: Remi and T’Chala. Her goal is to make a positive impact on the environment, and work with endangered species.

Steve is one of our all-star Veterinary Technicians here at North Bay Animal Hospital. He is originally from Denver, Colorado. He joined our practice because of the quality of care that is given to our patients. He attended Plant High School. When Steve is not working, you can find him boating, fishing, and spending time with his family. He shares his home with his wife, four dogs, four cats, three guinea pig, fish, and a tarantula. He has two daughters and two beautiful grand babies. His goal is to uphold our standard of care, and to learn something new every day.