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:
- 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. Lacie Armstrong is an associate veterinarian and medical director at Temple Terrace Animal Hospital. She graduated with honors from Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina with dual degrees in Marine Science and Biology and a minor in Chemistry. Dr. Armstrong then attended The Ohio State University where she earned her degree in Veterinary Medicine. During her Veterinary education she completed externships in Marine Animal Medicine at Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut, SeaWorld in Orlando and the San Diego Zoo. Following Veterinary School, she completed a small animal medicine and emergency internship at Hollywood Animal Hospital in Hollywood, Florida.
In 2018, she attended the Chi Institute and obtained her traditional Chinese veterinary medical (TCVM) certification in small animal acupuncture which has been a rewarding therapy option to provide to her patients. She has also trained and earned medical certification in Penn Hip Radiology for Hip Dysplasia. She has special interests in internal medicine and soft tissue surgery.
Dr. Armstrong lives with her 2 rescue dogs Archie and Scarlet. Her interests include scuba diving, travel and photography. She is also an avid college football fan.
Dr. DeNitto is originally from Syracuse, NY. She graduated with honors from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2004 with a degree in Biology. Dr. DeNitto attended the University of Florida and earned her veterinary degree in 2008. Following veterinary school, she completed an internship at Florida Veterinary Specialists, in Tampa. After completion of her internship, she moved to Michigan for a few years while her husband finished school.
When not at work, Dr. DeNitto is home raising her two wonderful children. She has two pets including Rosie, a Golden Retriever, and a cat named Bubba. Her favorite past-times include enjoying the outdoors, going to the beach, hiking, swimming and reading.
Dr. Bajc is one of our wonderful new Associate Veterinarians here at Temple Terrace Animal Hospital. She is originally from Marietta, Georgia. She joined our team because she immediate fell in love with our team members and felt immediately at home. Dr. Bajc attended the University of Georgia, where she earned her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine.
When Dr. Bajc isn’t practicing medicine, you can find her gardening, cooking, traveling, scuba diving, or practicing yoga. She shares her home with her husband Hayden and their two tabby cats – Gator and Emmie.
Her goal is to become a long-term member of the community. She is especially interested in soft tissue surgery, preventive medicine, feline medicine, and exotic pets.
Dr. Necia Godzisz is originally from Warren, Michigan. She graduated from Michigan State University with a bachelor’s in biology, followed by a post-bachelor’s secondary teaching certification. Prior to her veterinary degree program, Dr. Godzisz acquired many years of experience with exotic animal husbandry and medicine at The Florida Aquarium in Tampa where she did extensive medical and quarantine work with birds, reptiles and mammals. Dr. Godzisz then attended the University of Florida for her veterinary medicine degree. During her veterinary degree program she completed externships with Angell’s exotic animal and neurology departments, Humane Alliance, and a poultry externship. Additionally, she did volunteer pathology work with FWC’s Mark Cunningham during the summers while attending veterinary school. Since graduating she has pursued veterinary passions for feline and canine medicine, dentistry, neurology and dermatology and works primarily with canine and feline patients.
Dr. Godzisz now lives here in Tampa with her partner, 7 cats (Bisou, Jan-Michael Vincent, Tasi, Pepperoni, Phineas, Fifi, Bebony) and 1 dog (Benny). She enjoys gaming of all varieties, photography, scuba diving, crafting and hiking.
Dr. Weiner is one of our wonderful Associate Veterinarians here at Temple Terrace Animal Hospital. She is originally from Boca Raton, Florida. She joined our practice because she loves the atmosphere of the practice, and our dedication to compassionate, high-quality care.
Dr. Weiner attended the University of Florida for both her undergrad (where she received her Bachelor degree in Zoology) and her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. She is especially interested in Ultrasonography, Clinical Pathology, and Feline Medicine.
When Dr. Weiner is not caring for your pets, you can find her hiking, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family. She especially enjoys her annual family trip to their cabin in Montana.
She shares her house with her one dog Ellie (Pictured), and her two cats (George and Snoop). George welcomes her home every day with a stretch and hug.
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. 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.
Melissa is our Practice Manager here at Temple Terrace Animal Hospital. She began her career with us in 2012 where she worked as a Veterinary Technician at our sister hospital, North Bay Animal Hospital. In 2018 she transferred to another sister hospital of ours. At All Creatures Animal Hospital, she worked as an Assistant Practice Manager for two years. Melissa graduated from Michigan State University with her Bachelors in Veterinary Technology. Her professional goal was to become a Practice Manager.
Melissa shares her home with a Basset Hound named Clayton and a cat named Douglas Puss. When Melissa is not at work, you can find her wandering around plant nurseries on the weekends, or visiting wineries on her family vacations in Northern Michigan. Melissa is also a big Avengers fan and has always been ‘Team Captain America’.
Hello, my name is Emily! I am a veterinary technician and have been working for the Tampa Bay Veterinary group since 2013. I was born and raised in Tampa, Florida and I am very thankful that I am able to pursue my love for animals by providing them with great health care. There is nothing I would rather be doing. I am currently in school becoming certified. My family includes my amazing husband, three beautiful cats, two energetic rabbits, and a handsome English Springer Spaniel. I love all my pets but rabbits are my FAVORITE animal! In my free time I enjoy cooking, Disney and comic-book conventions. I also love tea!
Chelsea, a Certified Veterinary Technician and our Technician Supervisor, and has been a member of our Temple Terrace family ever since 2016. She enjoys traveling and spending time with her family which includes her husband, their two Jack Russell Terriers and five cats! She has been in the veterinary field since 2007 and she loves being able to help people by ensuring their pets receive the best possible care!
Ciera is one of our senior client care team members. She is from Brandon, Florida. She loves animals and helping their humans. She loves spending time outdoors, kayaking, hiking, archery, and going to the beach. She is happily married and has a son. She also shares her home with her three dogs, 3 cats, and her tarantula. She, her two sisters, and her parents all share loving memories of her brother in Heaven. She tries to be happy in whatever she does.
Holly is the Office Coordinator as well as a member of our Client Care team here at Temple Terrace Animal Hospital. Holly cultivated her love of the ocean from a very young age, and has attended the University of South Florida and University of Guam as an undergraduate student in biology and marine science. After working as a student scientist for the National Park Service in Guam, a research assistant both in the Turks & Caicos and Palau, and as a field technician at Rutgers University, she decided to expand the scope of her degree, and now has a B.Sc. in Environmental Science. Having traveled and worked in so many different regions, Holly has decided to settle in Florida near her family and continue a career in the animal care field. In her spare time, Holly enjoys outdoor activities, reading, movies, and any creative endeavors. She is supervised by 2 cats named Jack and Sally, and a spunky little dog named Apollo.
Tyla is one of our rock star Veterinary Technicians here at Temple Terrace Animal Hospital. She was raised in Brooklyn, New York. She joined our team because working with animals is her passion and she loves our practice. She has attended the University of South Florida and Saint Pete College. She received her B.A. in Health Science. She loves spending time outdoors, playing RPG’s, and hanging out with her friends. She shares her home with her lovely Ripple.
Erin is our wonderful Client Care Supervisor here at Temple Terrace Animal Hospital. She is originally from New York. She received her Associates in Business Management from Hillsborough Community College. She joined our practice because she loves helping animals and their humans navigate pet- parenthood. In her spare time, she enjoys playing video games, sewing, and kayaking. Erin shares her home with two pit bull mixes (Hobbs and Oliver), 2 guinea pigs (Alfonse and Theodore), and one grumpy old lady cat named Iris.
Mackenzie is one of our amazing Pet Resort Specialists here at Temple Terrace Animal Hospital. She is originally from Tampa. She loves learning about animals and animal care. She shares her home with 7 cats. 3 Sphynx and 4 rescue kitties.
Layla is one of our awesome Client Care team members. She is originally from Virginia. She has wanted to become a Veterinarian since she was a child. She attended Hillsborough Community College and is currently enrolled in The University of South Florida, where she is working towards her degree in Integrated Animal Biology. She enjoys reading and hanging out with her friends. She has two dogs. A Siberian Husky as well as a Pointer Mix. She has a large family back in Virginia which includes her 7 Uncles on her Mom’s side of the family and her 5 step siblings. If you can’t find Layla, she will most likely be at Disney!
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Jamineliz is one of our wonderful technicians. She is originally from Carolina, Puerto Rico. She has three beautiful dogs that mean the world to her. She has been working with animals for many years and has always loved to help those in need. She is a Certified Veterinary Assistant in Florida. She loves going to the beach, river rafting, and spending time with her family. Her hobbies include working on her car and motorcycle during her down time and loves to race them on the track.
Stefaney is one of our amazing technicians at Temple Terrace Animal Hospital. She began volunteering at a local animal hospital and after a year they hired her onto the team. She has been working as a vet tech for 4 years and enjoys every day. She is currently working on her bachelor’s degree at USF in Environmental Science and Policy. Her future goals are to obtain a bachelor’s in both Biology and Environmental Science and Policy with a minor in Geographical Information Systems. She wants to eventually work as a Wetland Ecologist and give back to the planet. Other than nature, in her spare time she uses acrylic paints to create realistic portraits of all kinds of animals. She also loves spending time with her cat named Socks and she cannot imagine living without him. He enjoys cuddles and chasing Q-tips. She adores hearing the wonderful stories people share about their pets. Providing medical care to pets to ensure they continue to have beautiful moments drives her love for this field. She wanted to work for Temple Terrace Animal Hospital because the staff felt like a family, they work well together every day and she wanted to be a part of their caring and supportive team.
Jo-Mar is one of our wonderful Pet Resort specialists here at Temple Terrace Animal Hospital. She is from Tampa, Florida. She started her career in the animal field as a volunteer with the hopes to have a career in her future. She is currently enrolled in the University of Florida. She is a certified Veterinary Assistant. She enjoys taking photographs, outdoor activities, and spending time with her friends and family. Jo-Mar collects little pins and LOVES Boba tea. She is an only child and loves her pet Layla and her fish. Her Goal is to graduate college and continue her career in Veterinary Medicine.
Coral is a member of our client care team. She was raised in the Florida keys. She graduated in 2016 from High School. Not long after, she left to attend Santa Fe College in Gainesville, FL where she obtained her Associates Degree in Biology. She is currently finishing up her Bachelor’s degree in Integrative Animal Biology at the University of South Florida. Working at Temple Terrace Animal Hospital is a stepping stone in her pursuit of a career in the Veterinary Medical field. At home, she lives with one large pup who often forgets he is too big to be a lap dog! Coral enjoys drawing, reading and spending time with her pet.
Caitlin is part of our amazing client care team! She was raised in Tampa then moved to Gainesville for school. After obtaining her degree she found her passion in animal care working with stray and feral cats at Operation Catnip. After moving back to Tampa, Caitlin joined our team! She shares her home with her adorable corgi Arya and sweet and spicy kitty Rey.
Hello! My name is Darby and I am a Pet Resort Specialist here at Temple Terrace Animal Hospital. I was born and raised right here in Tampa. I absolutely love Halloween and anything spooky. I have a huge passion for animals and used to volunteer in the Animal Husbandry department of The Florida Aquarium. I have two cats, Morticia, who I adopted right here from TTAH, and Ollie.
Hi! My name is Kylie and I am a veterinary assistant here at Temple Terrace Animal Hospital. I was born and raised in Orlando, FL, but have come down to Tampa to study at the University of South Florida with plans to later apply to vet school. I have loved animals all my life and have been working with them in a veterinary setting since I was 16. I currently have one cat but have four dogs back at home. When I’m not working, I love getting to go to the beach or just do anything outdoors.
Brooke is one of the Pet Resort Specialists here at the hospital. She completed her Bachelor’s in English: Creative Writing at USF and will be working towards her Masters of Fine Arts. She enjoys working here at the hospital because she loves animals and loves learning all their different personalities which helps influence her writing. She also has her own band of misfits! Currently she has 6 cats sharing her home. All but one of the cats in her home came from the neighborhood she lives in and she’s raised most of them since they were kittens.
In her free time, Brooke will take long drives with her cat with thumbs named Crusty (pictured here with her) and going on hikes with him since he enjoys tagging along for adventures. She also frequents Starbucks for her iced black tea, so don’t be surprised if you happen to see him with her in the drive-thru!
Travis is one of our awesome Technicians and our Patient Care Coordinator here at Temple Terrace Animal Hospital. Travis joined our team for the opportunity to practice a higher level of Veterinary care. He attended the State College of Florida where he received his A.A. in Criminal Justice.
Travis enjoys the outdoors, hiking, cycling, and playing the guitar. He and his wife Chelsea share their home with their four cats and one dog. Travis’ goal is to continue to learn and grow in the Veterinary community.
Kiana is part of our client-care team at Temple Terrace Animal Hospital. She is originally from Tampa. She joined our practice because of her passion for animals and always having wanted to work with them.
Kiana attended the University of South Florida and earned her degree in Integrative Animal Biology. Her hobbies include reading, skating, and going to the beach. She has 2 guinea pigs. Her goal is to become a veterinarian.
