ISLAND HAMMOCK PET HOSPITAL - Key Persons
Anjuli has been in love with animals for as long as she can remember. Growing up in Antigua, she helped the local veterinarian on the weekends and holidays and has always had animals while growing up. She has been in the veterinary field for 20 years and loves every minute of it.
When Anjuli is not helping animals, she loves spending time with her daughter Aria, and anything that involves being in the ocean. She has a variety of animals at home from cats, dogs, chickens, a duck, and a red eared slider, who is 20 years old.
Anjuli is currently studying to be a Certified Veterinary Technician, to enable her to further help animals in need.
From an early age, Brianne always knew she wanted to work with animals after having so many different species of her own, including dogs, cats, parrots, pigs, and horses!
She earned her associate's degree in Equine Photography from the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale. Still, after adopting an off-the-track Thoroughbred, she decided on a career in the veterinary field. She quickly became fascinated with rehabilitation, nursing old race injuries, and giving these horses a second chance at a new life. She is currently in school to become a Certified Veterinary Technician.
Bri moved to the Keys with her fiancé Giovani and two fur babies- Holly, a Bull Terrier, and Chubs, an American Bully- to live out their island dream.
When not helping animals, you can typically find her paddle boarding, boating, at the beach playing fetch in the sand with her pups, or reading- she never leaves home without access to a good book! She also loves horseback riding and visiting Disney whenever she gets the chance!
Born in Portchester, NY, Crystal moved to Key Largo, Florida, with her family back in 1987. Crystal has always been fascinated with working with animals, big or small. She was involved in the Marine Mammal Stranding Network in 1992 and was very proud to be part of "The Pod Squad." In 1997 Crystal started her family with her first bundle of joy, Michael, retiring from the stranding network. In the years to follow, Michael was joined by his two sisters, Sierra & Skylar. During this time, Crystal was also involved in the Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of America and was rehabilitating squirrels with her children. Crystal is looking forward to her journey at Island Hammack Pet Hospital.
Crystal lives with her husband, David, her two dogs, Dinghy & Leo, as well as one kitty named Precious. During her downtime, Crystal enjoys gardening, being on the water or at the beach, watching football, and loves her Florida sunsets. Go, Pack, Go!!
Danielle is a native of the Keys. She and her family are true conchs from Tavernier. Dani previously worked at a dental office for many years but has always dreamed of being part of a veterinary team. She has a dog named Snickers and a rabbit named Valentino.
Born and raised in North Carolina, Deja has always fostered a love for animals of all kinds. After graduating from Lee's McRae College in Banner Elk, North Carolina with a Bachelor's Degree in Wildlife Biology with a concentration in Wildlife Rehabilitation, she completed a fellowship at the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife in Sanibel, Florida. After her fellowship, she began working at the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center as a Wildlife Rehabilitator. During her time there, she worked her way up to Rehabilitation Manager and took over the role of Internship Coordinator as well. A little over 4 years after beginning her animal care journey, Deja found herself wanting to expand her clinical knowledge and experience with varying species. After finding Island Hammock Pet Hospital, she fell in love with the staff and their fear free mentality regarding veterinary care. She is so grateful for the experience she is gaining here and for the perfect fit this has been for her!
Dr. Millington grew up in Florida and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of North Florida. She then went on to St. George's University and the University of Georgia to complete a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine in 2017. Following graduation, Dr. Millington worked in Grenada at St. George's University, teaching veterinary students in a clinical setting. Following her time at St. George's, she then moved to San Diego, CA, where she worked in general practice. After five years on the west coast, she decided it was time to head back to her home state and is now here with us at Island Hammock.
Dr. Millington has devoted almost 20 years to working in various fields of veterinary medicine. She has gained worldwide experience and has spent time working in places such as the Caribbean, South America, and Asia. Dr. Millington appreciates the special bond we have with our beloved pets and enjoys being able to work with pet owners to maintain and improve their pet's health.
In her free time, Dr. Millington loves spending time outdoors and watching wildlife. She also loves spending time with her husband and two dogs, as well as with her friends and family. She is an avid traveler and also hopes to get her pilot's license in the near future.
Originally born in New Orleans, Dr. Ford developed her love of animals from a young age. She grew up riding horses and caring for every stray animal she found. Dr. Ford earned her Bachelor's degree at the University of Georgia(Go Dawgs!). After undergrad, she attended St. George's University on the beautiful island of Grenada, West Indies, where she earned her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine and developed a passion for scuba diving and all things island life. She completed her clin ical year at Auburn University and then moved to New York for a rotating internship. It was there she fell in love with the exciting, fast-paced life New York City offered. Dr. Ford continued to practice veterinary medicine in New York City and has a strong interest in the human-animal bond, fear-free practice, surgery, and medicine. After braving too many northeast winters, Dr. Ford is excited to be back in the tropical sunshine and ease into a more relaxed way of life. Her interests include scuba diving, free diving, boating, yoga, and spending time with her rescue bulldog, Bogie, and Chihuahua Romeo.
Dr. Marta Pawluk was born and raised in Poland. After graduating high school, she left her home country to study in the United States. She completed her undergraduate studies in Philadelphia, graduating Cum Laude from Temple University. From there, she headed off to veterinary school in Grenada, West Indies, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude from St. Georges University. After several years of island living in Grenada, she returned to the US to complete her clinical year at Cornell University, followed by an externship at the University of Pennsylvania.
While attending veterinary school, Dr. Marta particularly enjoyed emergency medicine cases. Owning and fostering shelter animals all her life, she has also been a proponent of rescued animals and volunteered at several spay/neuter clinics while studying veterinary medicine. Dr. Pawluk also donates her time to help our local animal shelters and rescue groups.
Away from work, Dr. Marta enjoys spending time outdoors. Her hobbies include hiking, running, and playing tennis. Now living in the Keys, she is thrilled to be back near the water, where she likes SCUBA diving, kayaking, and paddleboard. Dr. Marta resides in Key Largo with Meitschi, an island dog she adopted while in Grenada.
Jennifer was born in San Diego California and raised in Florida. She has lived in several parts of Florida from Tampa, to the Keys and Orlando. She graduated from Marathon High School In 2018.
She has always had the desire to be with animals since she was a little girl, when she would travel to Cuba and help her grandma with her farm animals. Prior to working at Island Hammock Pet Hospital, she worked at a facility that offered pet boarding, daycare and grooming. Her dream is to learn as much as she can in the veterinary field and to help any animal that may need care.
In her free time, Jennifer loves hiking trails, going to the beach, and new adventures with her Rottweiler Zeus. She loves all breeds, but Rottweilers will always have a special place in her heart!
Born and raised in Virginia, Jesse has always been an animal lover. First starting as a Veterinary Assistant in Fredericksburg, VA this love only grew stronger as she saw behind the scenes of the veterinary hospital. She relocated to Florida in 2019, and after moving to Key Largo from the Sarasota area in March of 2024, joining the team at Island Hammock Pet Hospital has been such an amazing experience. She has thoroughly enjoyed meeting and caring for all the pets that come through our doors.
Jesse spends her spare time fishing, scuba diving, going to baseball games and exploring the Keys with her fiancé, Danny and their black Labrador Frankie. She also has 2 cats, Lincoln and Catalie Portman.
Born in Minnesota, Karla moved to Colorado as a teenager. While studying nursing, she met her husband, John, the light of her life. They raised two wonderful boys, Adrian and Christopher. After working for her family business for 25 years, they decided to move to the Keys so John could pursue his SCUBA diving career.
When she's not working, she spends time outdoors, kayaking, SCUBA diving, and swimming. She has two cats, Penny, who she adopted as a feral from Pennekamp Park, and Lena, who runs the household. Karla loves playing cards and board games and does about anything with friends and family.
Karla has spent many years fostering for assistant dog programs, Colorado Greyhound Adoption, and any other animal that found her front door. She has always had a house full of animals and enjoys working with all the furry friends at the Island Hammock Pet Hospital.
Levi is a Key Largo local, born and raised, and graduated from Coral Shores High School in Plantation Key. He has found his dream job working at Island Hammock Pet Hospital and absolutely loves working with and around animals and has always had quite a few at home. His spare time is taken up with his girlfriend Delilah and pets of his own; his rescue cats, Cheese, Champagne, Beau, and Meme, and three ferrets, Mr. Business, Bambi, and Paul. He occasionally likes to rehab wild animals too, if the opportunity arises. He is very thankful to have a job so close to animals at the Island Hammock Pet Hospital and is dedicated to keeping clients and patients comfortable and happy.
Michelle has been working in the veterinary industry since 2005. She started as a kennel technician and as her passion for caring for animals grew, so did her career. She has had many roles in the industry, each providing her with more knowledge and stronger relationships with clients and co-workers alike.
Originally from Traverse City, Michigan, she has always felt she is "tropical at heart." Relocating to Key Largo was a dream come true for Michelle and her husband, Jason. They have three fur children: Sushi Roll, a Pug; Tootsie Roll, a Teacup Chihuahua; and Musa Saki, a Bengal.
In her spare time, Michelle loves SCUBA diving, kayaking, birding, or anything she can do to enjoy the beautiful nature that is Key Largo with Jason.
Originally from Canada, Paloma recently moved to the Keys where she enjoys the warm Florida weather.
She's always been passionate about animals and how much they bring joy into our lives, so working at Island Hammock Pet Hospital makes her feel very accomplished. Paloma enjoys spending time with her family, loves music, the outdoors, and caring for her big cat family!