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

Dr. Melanie’s practice consists primarily of cats and dogs but she will also see ferrets, hamsters and whatever “family member” a child may bring in for treatment. Her interests include complex internal medicine cases, geriatric medicine, pain management, cancer medicine, skin disorders, acupuncture and spinal manipulation. She is a firm believer in client education and focuses on teaching owners how to help prevent problems with their pets before they begin.

She is a 2001 graduate of the Chi Institute of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture. By attending the 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 regular 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/disc problems, hip problems and seizure disorders. Since she learned Veterinary Acupuncture she is now able to add a holistic approach to veterinary medicine.

After five years of practicing acupuncture and Chinese 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 care is good for many painful maladies of the spine and limbs. 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 functional neurology and anatomy. In the short time she has been using spinal manipulation in her practice, Dr. Melanie, her staff and clients have seen wonderful results. She is also available to do spinal manipulation on a limited basis for equine patients

Dr. Julie Servaites is originally from Dayton, Ohio where she obtained her BS from Wright State University. She graduated in 2008 from 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!!

Dr. Julie has an interest in small animal and pocket pet medicine (rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, etc). She also has a special interest in dentistry, pediatric medicine, ophthalmology and is utilizing these skills and interests to further help our patients.

Dr. Julie has two dogs, Daisy and Iris. 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 going to the beach, volleyball, softball, kayaking, cooking and gardening. Her professional activities include being a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the current president of the Big Bend Veterinary Medical Association.

Dr. Jennell Appel is a Florida native. She obtained her BS in Animal Science from North Carolina State University on the road to pursuing her lifelong dream of becoming a veterinarian. She graduated from St. George’s University in Grenada in 2008 after completing a clinical year at The University of Tennessee in Knoxville. During her years in North Carolina and her year at UT, Dr. Jennell developed a special interest in canine rehabilitation therapy. Being a former athlete, she personally experienced how beneficial physical therapy is to overall health. She took her interest to The Canine Rehabilitation Institute where she became a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Specialist in 2009.

We were fortunate to have Dr. Jennell join our practice in February 2009. Her skills compliment acupuncture and spinal manipulation. Her interests include orthopedic and neurological disorders, muscle strengthening for geriatric patients and recovery from orthopedic surgery. canine sports medicine and athletic conditioning. She has also used her teaching abilities to mentor several young people who are interested in becoming veterinarians.

Jennell enjoys the outdoors and physical activity. She is fond of trail running, kayaking the beautiful rivers of the panhandle and reading in her spare time.

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.

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 recent FSU graduate with a major 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 Kitty and Teddy. She enjoys playing tennis, going to movies, and roller skating in her free time.

Kristen Coe is our head technician. She is a wonderful asset to our hospital. Kristen started working at LRAH 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. Kristen and Matt are proud parents of Isabella. Kristen also has 4 dogs to keep her busy. You may reach Kristen at HeadTech

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 compassionate and very attentive to your pets' needs while visiting. We have several FSU students working with us who aspire to become veterinarians themselves. They love animals and enjoy working with them and the care they provide is an integral part of our practice. 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.