Dr. Melanie Donofro has lived in Tallahassee since 1984. She graduated from Auburn University with a BS in Animal Science in 1979 and Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1983. She started Los Robles Animal Hospital in 1986, Forget Me Not Grooming Parlor in 1988 and Mind Your Manners Obedience in 1998.

Dr. Melanie's practice consists of mostly cats and dogs but she welcomes ferrets, hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits and whatever "family member" a child may bring in for treatment. Her interests include internal medicine, geriatric medicine, pain management, cancer medicine, skin disorders, acupuncture and spinal manipulation. She is a firm believer in client education that focuses on teaching clients how to help prevent problems with their pets before they start.

She is 2001 graduate of the Chi Institute of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture. By attending Chi Institute, she was able to expand her knowledge further to become a veterinarian who is able to use acupuncture in addition to the traditional modalities of medicine. Dr. Melanie has seen amazing results by using acupuncture on her patients. Her goal is to augment wellness programs in companion animals and improve the quality of life in geriatric and arthritic patients. Acupuncture can be used to treat many different conditions and works especially well for back, hip problems and seizure disorders.

After five years of practicing acupuncture and allopathic medicine, Dr. Melanie realized there was more she could do for patients of all ages. She has been going to a human chiropractor most of her life and knows that chiropractic can be good for many painful maladies of the spine and limbs. She is proud to say that she has now completed a 210 hour program of veterinary spinal manipulation therapy at The Healing Oasis and Wellness Center in Sturtevant, Wisconsin. She received her Certificate from The Healing Oasis in August 2006. This class was equal to if not more rigorous than her studies in Veterinary School as it encompasses so much neurology and anatomy. In the short time she has been using spinal manipulation in her practice, Dr. Melanie and her staff and clients have seen wonderful results. She is also available to do spinal manipulation on a limited basis for equine patients.

Dr. Melanie is a member of the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association, The International Veterinary Acupuncture Society, American Veterinary Medical Association, Florida Veterinary Medical Association, the Cornell Feline Health Center, as well as various other national associations.

Dr. Julie is originally from Dayton, Ohio and attended veterinary school at the Atlantic Veterinary College in Prince Edward Island, Canada.

After many long, snowy winters, Dr. Julie was ready for a climate change, and found Tallahassee to be a perfect fit (except for the bugs)!! She has an interest in small animal and pocket pet medicine (rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, etc) and a special interest in acupuncture, massage, physical therapy, and ophthalmology.

Iris and Daisy are her two dogs. Daisy is living in Ohio and Iris (a Prince Edward Island dog) is living here in sunny Florida. Iris is enjoying the beaches almost as much as her mom is. Dr. Julie also enjoys many sports and activities such as volleyball, softball, kayaking, cooking and gardening. We are very happy to have Dr. Julie as part of our team!

Andrea is our Hospital Manager. Andrea joined our hospital staff in June of 2000. Before moving to Tallahassee, Andrea was the office manager of a veterinary hospital in Ft. Myers. Both Andrea and her husband, Alex, graduated from FSU and are big Seminole fans. Andrea has 2 children who keep her busy in her free time as well as 3 dogs, 2 cat, 2 geckos, a snake, a guinea pig, a gerbil and numerous fish. Her daughter Gabriela is our youngest "employee" and is always a big help. She comes with her mother on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and loves helping walk the dogs up from the kennel when it is time for them to go home and playing practical jokes on the rest of the staff.

Click here to reach Andrea by EMAIL.

Joy began working with Los Robles in February 2004. What an addition to our staff she has been! She mothers all the patients and their owners and has a talent for making every one feel at home. Her hobbies include reading, needle pointing, playing board games, and working crossword puzzles. She admits to being a “free cell” addict. In addition to her own little Chihuahua Zoe, who recovered from a severe spinal injury, her grand dogs include two beagles, one lab, and an American Bulldog.

Mary has been working with veterinarians in Tallahassee since 1988. She started with Los Robles in December 2005 and we are so glad to have her many years of experience! Mary rarely stands still. The only time we see her is when she is on the way to or from the food room or in the pharmacy checking on scripts or taking Bob, Lacy and Lexie out for a break. Mary’s passion has always been for animals and it shows in her work with us. When she is not at work she can be found running,gardening,reading, cooking and taking care of her four cats and a Doberman.

Kathryn began volunteering with Los Robles in November 2000. We loved her so much, we asked her parents to let her continue to volunteer until she was old enough to work with us. She is an aspiring veterinarian pursuing her love for helping animals. She enjoys experiencing the success stories, her awesome coworkers and the smiles on owner’s faces after their pets have been helped. Kathryn owns Lucy, a red teddy bear hamster, who has lived with her since February. She is a junior at FSU in Biological Science. Her passions are shopping (especially in the Coach store), reading books for fun (not school!), pedicures, naps, working out, and catching up on her favorite shows when she has time. She really dislikes carrots, anything banana flavored, and not using turn signals.

Heavan has been employed at LRAH since 11/2006. She started as a kennel tech and have has recently started training in reception and as a technician. She is considered one of our “all around” employees because she is able to do well in all aspects of her job. She’s a senior at FSU majoring in criminal justice and psychology. She hopes to one day use her degree to improve the lives and treatment of animals after law school. She has two cats named Tadpole and Teddy. She enjoys playing tennis, going to movies, and roller skating in her free time.

Kristen is our head technician. She is a wonderful asset to our hospital. Kristen started working at Los Robles in 2000 as a kennel technician. After 2 years of working in the kennel, she was promoted to Veterinary Technician. She received her AA degree from TCC. Kristen attends continuing education seminars to keep current on the latest veterinary trends and products. She is very knowledgeable and a great person to ask should you have any questions regarding your pet. In December 2007 she had a beautiful baby girl.  She also has 4 dogs that keep her busy when she is not here at Los Robles Animal Hospital.

Pat joined Los Robles Animal Hospital in 1996. She has worked as a kennel technician, receptionist, and veterinary technician during her many years at Los Robles Animal Hospital. She is always willing to lend a hand and is our “go to” employee for scared dogs and fractious cats. Recently she semi-retired, so now we only see Pat part-time. We feel fortunate for every hour that she is at the clinic. Pat has been married to Carl for many years and they have 3 kids and 4 grandkids. They also stay busy with 4 dogs that Pat rescued and 3 cats that claimed the Lugviel family as their own.

Laura began working with us in the winter of 2007. Currently Laura is pursuing an environmental Science Degree at FSU. She loves the homey atmosphere, the fact that the doctors keep up with current advances and their tendency to go above and beyond for people’s pet. She likes that we care most about people’s pets and not the dollar amount that they bring in. Laura enjoys that she can sit on the floor with the animals during appointments to make them more comfortable about being here and that new ideas are welcomed. She owns a pit bull mix named Wally and used to own a skunk she adopted from Florida Skunk Rescue. Her skunk now resides at the Junior Museum and she visits him often. Vegetarian cooking is one of her favorite things to do along with roller derby, scuba diving, revamping thrift store finds, road trips and being outdoors.

Our kennel staff is chosen carefully. All of our kennel techs love animals and enjoy working with them and we feel very fortunate to have the caliber of kennel technicians that we do. All our kennel staff is compassionate and very attentive to your pets' needs while boarding. It is their responsibility to exercise your canine pet three times daily when boarding and to feed and clean cages for both cats and dogs twice daily. They are trained to watch for problems that may occur and will contact the doctor at the first sign of a problem.

Alex started in July of 2007. She has been a wonderful asset to our team. She works both in the kennel and as an assistant. Her favorite thing about work is all the new things she gets to learn. Alex is a freshman at TCC and once she obtains her AA she will transfer down to UF where she will pursue her goal of becoming a veterinarian. She has two dogs, Radar a golden mix who is the old guy and Eochaidh (pronounced “yochee’) who is 8 month old and a ball of energy. Apollo is her cat who she calls a sweetheart with an evil streak. Her interests include riding her horse, Easy Street, jogging, watching movies with the commentaries on. Her least favorite things are spiders and needles (you had better get used to that one Alex!). That Summer by Garth Brooks is her favorite song.