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. Borderieux was born in Cincinnati OH and grew up in Tampa (Leto H.S. class of ’93) and joined our practice in January 2007. She received her B.S. in biology from Florida State University before acquiring her DVM (magna cum laude) from University of Florida in 2003. Dr. Borderieux practiced small animal and exotic medicine for 4 years in California before moving back home to be closer to her family. Her medical interests are in internal medicine, soft tissue surgery, oncology and exotic mammal and avian medicine. Her special interests is in rabbit medicine and surgery.
Dr. Borderieux has adopted rescue rabbits for over 15 years (starting as a foster with Gainesville Rabbit Rescue in vet school). She shares her home with her husband, Scott, her son, Jay, and her daughter, Phoebe. Her fuzzy family includes Briar, a pointer/border collie mix, her rabbits, Ariana, Jilly, and Lotte, and her guinea pigs, Coral, Garnet, and Ruby. During her free time she enjoys hiking, yoga, reading, and bird watching.
Dr. Garcia is from Valencia, Spain and attended the School of Veterinary Medicine at St. George’s University. He joined our practice in 2017 because he wanted to “work in a progressive practice”. His goals are to continue learning and becoming a better veterinarian every day. His dream is to own his own practice someday. He lives with his wife and two children. Dr. Garcia’s hobbies include sports, movies, music, family, and food.
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Dr. Martinez was born and raised in Puerto Rico. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Biology at the University of Puerto Rico in Ponce. Dr. Martinez graduated with honors from St. George’s University School of Veterinary Medicine in Grenada. She completed her clinical training at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, TN, where she was exposed to various clinical specialties, including physical therapy. After her clinical training, Dr. Martinez completed a Rotating Internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at BluePearl Specialty and Emergency Hospital in Tampa, Florida.
Dr. Martinez’s special interests include surgery, neurology, and small animal medicine. She has a cat named Zeus. Her hobbies include scuba diving, painting, and salsa dancing.
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Dr. Chris Ludlow is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. He established Veterinary Internal Medicine Diagnostics with a commitment to providing the highest quality internal medicine for pets and personalized service.
Dr. Ludlow earned his DVM with honors from Kansas State University in 1986. After graduation he worked in a busy small animal general practice in southern California for five years. He then returned to the KSU and completed a combined internal medicine/small animal clinical nutrition residency and Masters Degree program under Dr. David Williams.
Upon completion of his internal medicine residency, Dr. Ludlow then spent an additional year establishing a clinical nutrition service at KSU. After finishing his clinical nutrition training, Dr. Ludlow joined the internal medicine faculty at KSU for one and a half years before going into private specialty medicine at Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center in Kansas City in where he served as a staff internist with this group of nine specialists for 6 years.
Dr. Ludlow has more than 16 years of experience in ultrasound and endoscopy in university and referral hospital settings. He practices at all 6 of our Tampa locations.
Dr. Kerrie Lewis is board certified in veterinary anesthesiology and is an expert on respiratory physiology and other areas. She has extensive clinical and teaching experience both with anesthesia and emergency/critical care. Dr. Lewis is a tremendous asset to our team and our patients.
Dr. Lewis attended Massey University and graduated from The Ohio State University.
The safety of your pet during anesthesia, along with effective pain management is Dr. Lewis’s top priority. Her objective is to master the art of veterinary medicine and anesthesia specialization by utilizing her specialized skills in a practical and educational environment.
Dr. Lewis has 2 cats, Ashton and Colton, and 2 dogs, Mr. Cole and Charlee.
Dr. Peirats became a veterinarian for the ability to combine his love for animals and his passion for education. He treats each appointment and each patient with the most care, working towards the very best possible outcome. His mantra is “Do good and good will come to you.”
Dr. Peirats earned his DVM from Ross School of Veterinary Medicine. He and his girlfriend share their home with their two dogs (Turbo and Aura) and their cat (Ashoka). Dr. Peirats’ pets mean the world to him. They are his best friends and loyal until the end.
He is a very fun and outgoing doctor. You and your pets will be sure to have a great experience with him. Dr. Peirats is also fluent in Spanish.
Degrees: DVM, DACVECC
College of Veterinary Medicine: Michigan State University of Veterinary Medicine
Dr. Medora Pashmakova is a veterinary criticalist with experience in clinical case management, research, and teaching. During COVID, she also piloted a successful telemedicine emergency services platform. Dr. Pashmakova enjoys forming trusting relationships with pet owners, guiding them through difficult decisions, and restoring the human-animal bond. She also has a special love for helping shelter animals have access to care and live their best lives.
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.
