WINNIE VET - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Certified Veterinary Assistant
Bio
Candace was born and raised in Chambers County. She has been married for 14 years and has 2 kids, 1 cat and 2 dogs. Candace studied the veterinary assistant program at Texas A&M.
Bio
Dr. Julia McElwee, a native of SouthEast Texas, received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Texas A&M in 2023. She is a small companion animal practitioner who also has an interest in small exotic animals such as reptiles, rabbits, birds, and pocket pets (hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, rats, etc.). Dr. McElwee lives nearby in Beaumont, Texas with her two cats, Crested gecko, and Western Hognose snake. When she is not helping the pets and their owners at Winnie Veterinary Clinic, she can be found tending to her many indoor plants, reading a good Sci-Fi/Fanatasy novel, hosting Lord of the Ring movie marathons, or traveling to one of the many beautiful national parks throughout Texas with her family.
Though Dr. McElwee has an interest in many different fields of veterinary medicine, currently, she focuses on companion animal preventative medicine, small exotic animal husbandry and preventative medicine, and companion animal soft tissue surgery.
Bio
Dr. Lamon Custer is a Winnie Vet partner alongside Dr. Matak. He is originally from South Texas, he received his bachelor's degree in animal science in 2000. He graduated from Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine in 2005 and has spent the last 10+ years practicing in Beaumont. He spends his spare time relaxing at home and binge watching Netflix. He became a veterinarian because he loves challenges and animals and what better way to spend his days. He has a particular interest in orthopedics, exotic/non-traditional pets as well as dogs and cats. His knowledge and experience are a great benefit to a mostly under served group of animals in this area.
Dr. Custer enjoys providing care to a variety of small animals.
Job Titles:
- Certified Veterinary Assistant
Bio
Katy is the very proud owner of three very spoiled Shih-tzu named Scooter, Buffy, and Athena. She also owns two horses. She loves that she gets to work with different animals daily, and is very excited to get the chance to start working with exotics. Recently Katy added a cat to her life. She adopted Thalia from the clinic and Thalia has fit right in at her home. She even acts like one of the dogs. In Katy's spare time she reads, watches Netflix, and spends time with her animals.
Katy is recognized as a Certified Veterinary Assistant III
Bio
Meet Lexi! In her down time, she enjoys following all of the latest fashion trends and spending time with her 3 kids and her loving fiancé! Lexi also enjoys getting lost in the many worlds that reading has to offer. She has 2 furry children, a Corgi mix named Tuffy and a Siamese cat named Simon that she loves to cuddle with.
Job Titles:
- Director of Administration, Certified Veterinary Assistant
Bio
Margaret is originally from Salisbury, North Carolina. She moved to Winnie in 2004. She graduated with a degree in Business Administration and decided to use that in combination with her love of animals to manage Winnie Veterinary Clinic. She has been in the veterinary field for over 20 years. In her free time she enjoys going to Greta Van Fleet concerts, and spending time with her family and friends. She and her husband, David, have several dogs and cats. Margaret and her husband also host exchange students every year.
Margaret also has her certification as a Certified Veterinary Assistant.
Bio
Melissa was born and raised in Texas. She has been married since 2019. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, crafting, and playing video games.
Bio
Mike is not only Dr. Matak's husband but he is also our man of all trades. He takes care of keeping the clinic running without anything breaking down. He was born in Hamshire and graduated from Hamshire Fannett High School. Before working full time at Winnie Vet he was employed at Exxon Mobil.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Manager, Certified Veterinary Assistant
Bio
Morganne graduated from Lagrange, Tx. Having spent most of her life in the area, she is happy to be settled with her husband, two kids and 3 dogs. Morganne has almost 7 years of experience in the veterinary field and loves caring for our most critical patients. Her favorite patients so far have been ferrets and senior dogs.
Bio
Natalie graduated from the Vet Tech Institute of Houston and is a native of Anahuac, where she has two brothers, three dogs, and two cats. Natalie is very quiet when you first meet her, but don't let that fool you. When she isn't here at WVC, she is out on the water kayaking and enjoying everything nature has to offer. She is funny, caring, and such a wonderful person. When she was in school, she loved working with all of the small animals and exotics!
Bio
Sarah Matak grew up in Morgan City, Louisiana. She received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from LSU in 2003. She is a mixed animal practitioner with a special interest in small animals. She is a Winnie Vet partner alongside Dr. Custer. Dr. Matak and her husband Michael live in Hamshire, with their daughter, Katie and son, Sam. Outside the clinic, Dr. Matak enjoys spending time with her family and trail riding. Dr. Matak has quite a few pets and livestock. She has dogs, fish, cats, chickens, ducks, rabbits, horses and cows.
For Dr. Matak there is nothing more satisfying than helping a sick or injured pet and bringing joy to an owner. Dr. Matak strives to provide excellent care to her patients and clients.