VENICE ANIMAL CLINIC - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Receptionist / Veterinary Assistant
Amber was born and raised in the Quad Cities in Illinois. Having grown up with feline friends all her life, she has always wanted to work with animals from a young age.
After her High School Graduation, she moved to Florida to further her education and be closer to her family. She studied at Southern Technical College and received her certification for Veterinary Assisting. She hopes to learn as much as she can about all types of animals and how to help them.
Her hobbies include reading and caring for her cats (named Aurora and Aries). She also enjoys going to the beach and swimming.
Job Titles:
- Office Assistant
- Technician
Bridget was born and raised in Saint Paul, MN. She joined the Army as a mechanic and, after leaving the Army, pursued a career in business management and received her B.S. In 2006 she moved to the Venice area with her family. She found a passion managing hotels in the Venice area alongside her mother-in-law. Bridget and her husband have 4 children who graduated from North Port High School, and she also has 2 grandchildren. Bridget has always had a passion for animals. Due to her passion for the Belgian Malinois, Bridget and her husband are lucky enough to not only call the breed family, but also breed them for other Belgian Malinois lovers. Currently she is pursuing her A.S. in Veterinary Medicine.
Job Titles:
- Lead Technician / Surgical Tech
Dr. Andrea Pace (pronounced PAH-chay) grew up in Rome, Italy, where he always dreamed of large country spaces and taking care of animals. In 1997, he graduated from Veterinary School in Perugia, Italy, and soon afer moved to the United Sates where he started practicing at Iowa State College of Veterinary Medicine. While there, he was involved in the opthalmology research program and also performed surgery on horses, dogs, cats and even otters and Hawks!
In 1999, he moved to Florida and completed a formal internship in medicine and surgery at Coral Springs Animal Hospital. Following this, he was the practice owner of an AAHA accredited hospital in Stuart, FL until he sold it in 2017.
Dr. Pace has a special interest in Surgery, both General and Orthopedic, along with all aspects of reproduction. He has performed hundreds of artificial inseminations along with planned C-sections. Furthermore, he is proficient in ultrasound and can diagnose heart disease and other internal medical conditions.
He and his beautiful wife have two children and three pets (two Russion Blue cats and a German Short Hair Pointer). In his spare time he loves to fish, travel and practices recreational swimming.
In addition to English, Dr. Pace speaks French, Italian and Spanish.
Dr. Anthony Flores grew up in Lisbon, CT and graduated from the University of Connecticut College of Agriculture and Natural Resources earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in pathobiology (pre-vet) in 1988. He graduated Cornell University for Veterinary School in 1994 and practiced general small animal medicine in CT.
In 2006, Dr. Flores received his Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmacology &Toxicology from the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy with a heavy
emphasis on molecular pharmacology and molecular biology. He has consulted for a company working on a synthetic blood substitute for human and veterinary use.
Dr. Flores has a special place for Bloodhounds, having had two spanning a 20- year period. He also has a fondness for French Bulldogs which he affectionalely refers to as "Stubbies". His hobbies are road cycling and cars.
Dr. Laila Vilums was born and raised in Nebraska. She attended the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Animal Science degree. She then attended the Ohio State University to attain her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree in 1989.
Dr. Vilums enjoys practicing as a general practitioner. After practicing in Ohio for two years, she moved to the Venice area and has been practicing in this area for 32 years.
Dr. Vilums has three children that have all graduated from Venice High School and have all gone on to different Universities in Florida. She currently has four cats and her hobbies include biking, reading, and hiking.
We are committed every day to carrying on Dr. Terry Garner's legacy of ethics and professionalism.
Kathy Kelley Garner co-founded Venice Animal Clinic with her late husband, Dr. Terry L. Garner, DVM. Together they built a place of refuge and compassionate care for people and their pets in the Venice Area Community.
Kathy continues the mission of providing excellent patient care and superior service to our clients and patients as she carries on her husband's legacy of ethics and professionalism.
Sabrina was born and raised in Venice, FL. Sabrina has worked with both the founders of Venice Animal Clinic, Kathy and the late Dr. Terry L. Garner since the age of 16. While Sabrina worked for us for several years, she served the clinic in multiple areas from kennel to office work all the way up to management. Sabrina and her husband have 5 children together, three girls and two boys. Sabrina decided to be a stay- at-home mom and raise her children while they were young. Now that they are all older and in school she decided to come back and pursue her passion for us at Venice Animal Clinic. Sabrina has always had a love for animals and people. She currently has two Great Danes and two small dogs.
She strives to keep Dr. Terry L. Garner‘s legacy alive and well. She always says to staff and clients alike "I wouldn't be who I am today without Kathy and Dr. Garner‘s guidance and I'm lucky I was able to learn from the BEST!" We're pleased to have her back as part of our team and as our Practice Manager.