OUR ANIMAL HOSPITAL TEAM

Tinseltown

• Carrie Songer

  Practice Manager
• Vanesa Rivera

  Lead Veterinary Technician
• Courtney Ammons

  Receptionist
• Lauren Hacksunda

  Receptionist
• Antoinette Lambert

  Receptionist
• Christin Ham

  Veterinary Technician
• Terri Henderson

  Veterinary Technician
• Sam Smallwood

  Veterinary Technician
• Ashley Swatzell

  Veterinary Technician
• Marissa Laframboise

  Kennel Technician
• Rachel Nicholas

  Kennel Technician
• Allison Andrachak

  Kennel Technician

Murabella Parkway

• Nicole Bedard

  Practice Manager
• Alicia Quinones

  Lead Receptionist
• Courtney Weber

  Receptionist
• Leigh

  Receptionist

Race Track Road

• Alyssa Molock

  Practice Manager
• Brooke Hamby

  Receptionist
• Deana Fannin

  Veterinary Technician
• Darlene Flynn

  Veterinary Technician
• Mike Graham

  Veterinary Technician
• Lauren Pennie

  Veterinary Technician

Jacksonville Beach

• Tara Metcalf

  Practice Manager
• Allison McCann

  Receptionist
• Leslie Parsley

  Receptionist
• Donna Sherych

  Receptionist
• Lindsey Devitt

  Veterinary Technician
• Rebecca Todd

  Kennel Technician

Nocatee

• Bethany Rebb

  Receptionist

Bartram Market

• Samantha Gaudette

  Practice Manager

Riverside

• Iris Schwarz

  Practice Manager

• Dr. Alexa Shostek

  Veterinarian
  Dr. Alexa Shostek

  Veterinarian
• Dr. Linda Junk

  Veterinarian
  Dr. Linda Junk

  Veterinarian

  • ljenkins@westernu.edu

  Dr. Linda loves academia and began her veterinary education with an associate of science in Veterinary Technology where she practiced 16 years at the University of California, Davis. She went on to earn her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine, Southern California. She completed a 12-month rotating clinical internship in Irvine, California, and a 12-month surgical internship in Torrance, California. Her interests include surgery with an emphasis on orthopedics. She is licensed in both California and Florida and USDA accredited. Dr. Linda's personal hobbies and interests include fitness activities, gardening, and spending time with her husband, family, friends, and pets. She also shares her home with Core, a Cane Corso Mastiff, and Ritz, a Wirehaired mixed Terrier. 

• Dr. Jenifer Dyer

  Veterinarian
  Dr. Jenifer Dyer

  Veterinarian
• Dr. Autumn Cummins

  Veterinarian
  Dr. Autumn Cummins

  Veterinarian

  Dr. Cummins joined the team at Forever Vets at Baymeadows and Tinseltown in August 2016.  She received her doctor of veterinary medicine degree from St. George’s University in Grenada, West Indies and the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, TN. Her special interests include surgery and dermatology.  In her spare time, Dr. Cummins likes to craft, go to the beach, go to Zumba and play with her calico cat named Buttons, who loves to play fetch with paper balls.

• Dr. Ellie Pittman

  Veterinarian
  Dr. Ellie Pittman

  Veterinarian

  Dr. Ellie Pittman joined the Forever Vets Team as Associate Veterinarian in June 2017. Born and raised in Ohio, Dr. Pittman is Buckeye at heart and a graduate of the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Pittman was awarded the Student of the Year Awards for both Shelter Medicine and Theriogenology. Her interests include sports medicine, reproduction, and surgery, as well as equine medicine.  

   

  Dr. Pittman grew up on a horse farm, riding and competing on her horses, in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Her affection for horses and the sport drove her to Lexington, Kentucky for college, where she attended Eastern Kentucky University. She graduated with a Bachelors in Biology, and minors in Agriculture and Chemistry. She worked as a veterinary technician and a dog groomer during her undergraduate career.

   

  In Dr. Pittman’s free time, she enjoys spending time with her horse, Marilyn, her golden retrievers, Einstein and Rowan, as well as riding her motorcycle. Dr. Pittman moved to Jacksonville after graduating from Veterinary School to start a new adventure as a veterinarian.
• Dr. Shonte Bishop

  Veterinarian
  Dr. Shonte Bishop

  Veterinarian
• Dr. Michelle Cunningham

  Veterinarian
  Dr. Michelle Cunningham

  Veterinarian

  • noahs_helper@yahoo.com

  Dr. Michelle Cunningham received her Bachelor of Science degrees in Zoology and Chemistry at the University of South Florida and received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Ross University in St. Kitts, West Indies. 

  Dr. Cunningham has made a lifelong commitment to honor and strengthen the human-animal bond and prides herself in practicing high quality, compassionate medicine.  She enjoys internal medicine, surgery, and dentistry, and has a special interest in avian and small exotic pets.  She has completed several exotic externships at Auburn University and at Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists in Houston, Texas.  She has also had the unique opportunity to volunteer with Veterinarians at the Clearwater Marine Science Center and at the Buffalo Zoo.

  Dr. Cunningham continues to enhance her skills and knowledge through continuing education courses.  She has received accreditation for Stem Cell Therapy and has an interest in Small Animal Ultrasound.  She is a member of the AVMA, AAHA, AAFP, and the FVMA.  She also practices Cat-Friendly and Fear-Free methods so your pet experiences a low stress, calm, and happy visit.

  She is licensed to practice medicine and surgery in Florida and New York.

  While she is not caring for your furry, winged, or scaled pets, she enjoys her wonderful family of furry friends, traveling, the beach, family, and friends.

• Dr. Sahilis Delgado

  Veterinarian
  Dr. Sahilis Delgado

  Veterinarian
• Dr. Ashraf Megaly

  Veterinarian
  Dr. Ashraf Megaly

  Veterinarian
• Dr Heather Lipp

  Veterinarian
  Dr Heather Lipp

  Veterinarian

  My name is Heather Avery Lipp and I recently joined the Forever Vets team. I am excited for growth and new opportunities within the company. I am passionate about the care of animals and their “parents”. I believe very strongly in the human-animal bond and the need for excellent care of all pets, no matter their species. I deal most often with cats and dogs, but I also see exotics such as ferrets, guinea pigs, rats, snakes, bearded dragons and many others! I have been having the honor to treat very special species such as wallabies and non-human primates as well. I volunteer at the Catty Shack Ranch dealing with the medical needs of the big cats, foxes, etc. While I graduated in 2009 from Auburn University, I spent many years of my life in the countryside of Kentucky riding horses and having a small hobby farm on our property, which is probably the stimulus for my desire to pursue Veterinary Medicine and have a lifetime of animal care. I am married to the love of my life, Kevin, and we live in town with our daughter Keira. I have two dogs: a husky named Hunter and a schnauzer named Casper. I have four rescued cats: Symone, Nix, Merlin, and Trixie. I have a large family (one of six kids). In my spare time I love reading books, and hiking at the various preserves we have in the area. I love to travel and I have been to many countries such as Scotland, Sweden, Russia, Italy, France, England, Mexico, Honduras, amongst others. One of these days I want to travel more extensively. For now, I travel to see family.

• Dr. Kelly Labinsky

  Veterinarian
  Dr. Kelly Labinsky

  Veterinarian

  Dr. Kelly Labinsky graduated from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in 2014 and has been practicing medicine in the Jacksonville area ever since. She came to join our Forever Vets family in January 2020. Dr. Labinsky has a few fur-babies of her own including a golden retriever named Brantley and 5 cats, Nala, Kira, Roxy, Lil Man and Rafiki. She and her husband, Mike just welcomed their first baby girl, Skylar in August of 2019. In her free time, she enjoys paddle boarding, kayaking, traveling, and watching football, GO Gators!

• Dr. Naseer Malik

  Veterinarian
  Dr. Naseer Malik

  Veterinarian

  Dr. Naseer Malik graduated from the University of Agriculture in Faisalabad, Pakistan in December of 1982 and began to practice veterinary medicine shortly thereafter. He successfully completed both the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association Certification Programs for foreign veterinary graduates and became a member of the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association. Dr. Malik is interested in all aspects of small animal veterinary medicine and surgery.

Leadership Team

• Dr. Shashi Galipalli

  Practice Owner/Veterinarian
  Dr. Shashi Galipalli

  Practice Owner/Veterinarian

  Dr. Shashi Galipalli (Dr. G) grew up in India and moved to the United States in 2001 with a passion of practicing high-quality veterinary medicine in an advanced setting. After graduating from the College of Veterinary Medicine in India, he completed the North American Veterinary Licensing Exam (NAVLE) in 2002, received his clinical experience at the University of Florida in 2004, and completed his master’s degree in Georgia.

  After Dr. G’s training at the University of Florida in 2004, he joined a small animal practice in Jacksonville, FL as a lead veterinarian. With his continued passion and providing the best quality veterinarian care, he opened his first practice, Baymeadows Animal Hospital in April 2013.  As of today, Dr. G is the proud owner of Forever Vets Animal Hospital with 7 locations throughout the state of Florida.  He strongly believes in quality care for pets and being available to his patients when needed.

  He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association with special interests in soft tissue and orthopedic surgery as well as emergency medicine.  Dr. G is married with two daughters and enjoys spending time with his family including his beautiful lab retriever, playing tennis, and listening to music.

• Gerry Burt

  Chief Operating Officer
  Gerry Burt

  Chief Operating Officer

  Gerry Burt is the Director of Operations at Forever Vets Animal Hospitals at Baymeadows and Tinseltown.  She was born in Jacksonville, NC in a pet loving family. She lived in a few different states and finally settled in Jacksonville, FL. Gerry’s love and compassion towards animals made her pursue the career in the animal world. She started working as a Veterinary Assistant at Banfield Pet Hospital after moving to Florida, which was her first position in a veterinary career. Quickly, she realized that there is nothing more rewarding than keeping the pets healthy and the clients happy. In April of 2012, she became employed with Forever Vets at Baymeadows Animal Hospital, where she started off as a Lead Technician. Gerry has never limited herself to her job, hence playing a critical role in developing the hospital in such a short period of time. After much hard work and dedication, she was promoted as a Practice Manager. After becoming a crucial part of the hospitals, Gerry accepted the role as Director of Operations, in which she oversees the hospitals’ management and keeps the core values intact. Gerry loves every second of her job and the fulfillment of seeing all her clients and employees happy. She has been married for 9 years to her high school sweetheart and is a proud mother of her 8-year-old son. She lives with two of her spoiled cats' Menace and Mittens. She always says, “I could never imagine herself in any other profession or any other practice.”

• Stormy Day

  Director of Operations
  Stormy Day

  Director of Operations
• Michele Stringfellow

  Wellness Plan Coordinator
  Michele Stringfellow

  Wellness Plan Coordinator
• Shelly Cornish

  Marketing Director
  Shelly Cornish

  Marketing Director

  Shelly graduated from Stetson University with a Bachelors in Communication and Media Studies, with a Minor in Marketing. She enjoys exploring new upcoming social media trends, photography, and spending free time wandering the beach. When she isn't working she enjoys spending time with her cats and family! A fun fact you may not know about her is that she has been a baton twirler and dancer for 20 years! She recently has retired from the competitive world of baton twirling and has begun coaching her own students in the Jacksonville area.

• Sydney Newton

  Marketing Assistant
  Sydney Newton

  Marketing Assistant
• Jane Schaefer

  Accountant
  Jane Schaefer

  Accountant
• David Hucks-Bergeron

  Wellness Plan/Receivables Manager
  David Hucks-Bergeron

  Wellness Plan/Receivables Manager

  David comes to Forever Vets at Baymeadows with over 30 years of medical front desk experience. He worked for many years in human medicine before deciding veterinary care might be more fun!  David has a passion for customer service and makes each client a priority.  He currently has two dogs: a 3-year-old Chiweenie and a 1-year-old Dandie Dinmont Terrier.  He and his husband, Tony, enjoy traveling, eating at locally owned restaurants and are avid science fiction movie and TV followers.  

• Melissa Cunningham

  Lead Wellness Plan Coordinator
  Melissa Cunningham

  Lead Wellness Plan Coordinator
• DJ Hawkes

  Wellness Plan Coordinator
  DJ Hawkes

  Wellness Plan Coordinator