Meet Our Veterinary Team

Meet the Veterinarians & Team of Island Hammock Pet Hospital! We’re pleased to provide exceptional vet care for your pets!

Meet Our Team in Key Largo, FL

Choosing a vet can be challenging—you want the best for your pet, and so do we! At Island Hammock Pet Hospital, we know that trust needs to be earned. Our team members have taken many additional steps to offer care and service at a much higher standard because we know what it means to share one’s life with an animal companion. It’s a special bond we are honored to support! Meet our team of doctors and staff below, and contact us if you have questions or need to schedule an appointment.

Dr. Marta Pawluk

Staff Veterinarian

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.

Associate Veterinarian
Dr. Amy Ford

Staff Veterinarian

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 clinical 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.

Associate Veterinarian and Medical Director
Dr. Alison Millington

Staff Veterinarian

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.

Associate Veterinarian

Chelsy Machado
Chelsy is originally from Miami and moved to the Florida Keys in 2013.

Chelsy initially joined us as a Client Services Representative, was promoted to Front Office Service Manager, and again promoted to Hospital Manager in 2017.

Her love for animals and happy clients always keeps a smile on her face. Chelsy has four dogs, Smokey, Bruno, Isla, and April, each with their unique personality. She lives in Key Largo and enjoys painting, boating and fishing with her husband Danny, kayaking, taking her pups out for a swim in the beautiful waters off Key Largo, and enjoying the positive island vibes.

Hospital Manager
Tiffany Bonilla Arce
Tiffany was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. As a child, her dream was to work with animals. After joining a practice as a kennel technician in 2003, Tiffany made it her mission to learn all that she could and become a great veterinary technician. After accomplishing that goal while working as an assistant at that practice in Brooklyn for nine years, she relocated to Florida to be with her extended family and utilize her skills at the Island Hammock Pet Hospital.

Tiffany lives with her husband, Ruben; her sons, Alexander and Aiden, their newest addition Avery, her dogs, Avis, Chase, and MooMoo, and her Scottish Fold Senor Poofy Pants. When she’s not running around after her kids, she enjoys watching movies, singing, drawing, being an amateur photographer, and helping her husband DJ.

Nurse Technician
Brianne Leon
Brianne Leon
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!

Nurse Technician
Team Coming soon
Tyra Harris
Tyra recently relocated here from Georgia with her two dogs Molly and Tonks, cat Toby, two snakes (Ball Pythons), Bellatrix and Jasper, and her husband Tyler. In her free time, Tyra loves to hang out at home with her pets do art, and play video games. The beach is her happy place!
Nurse Technician
Kevin Martin
Kevin moved to the Florida Keys in 2010, after graduating from Felix Varela Senior High School in Miami with a veterinary assistant certification (CVA). He has always been fascinated with animals, and it is this fascination that has led him to pursue a career in the veterinary field.

Kevin’s hobbies are hunting, fishing, boating, and working out. He lives in Key Largo with his giant dog, Blanca. They go for a run every morning, taking in the beautiful sights the Keys have to offer.

Nurse Technician
Team Coming soon
Ashliey Pena
Ashliey’s passion has always been animals both big and small. She has worked as a Veterinary Technician for over 6 years with a wide range of patients, from dogs and cats to lemurs and dolphins. She graduated from the University of Florida in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science. Since then, she has moved to the Florida Keys to work training dolphins and is now working at Island Hammock Pet Hospital as a Veterinary Technician. Later this year, Ashliey will be attending Veterinary school to reach her ultimate goal of becoming a Veterinarian.
Nurse Technician
Layla Rautio
Layla has had a passion for animals since she was a young child. She is currently going to school to become a Certified Veterinary Technician. On her days off she enjoys swimming, boating, and spending time with her family as well as her Persian cat “Precious” and her Chihuahua “Twinkie”.
Nurse Technician
Eliabel Figueroa

Ely recently moved to the Keys with her dog Aspen. From a young age she has been passionate about helping animals. She grew up surrounded by many farm friends and always wanted to pursue a career with marine life and the veterinary field. She has been in the animal husbandry and vet field combined for about 8 years. Ely is a Certified Veterinary Assistant and is working towards becoming a Certified Veterinary Technician. Her ultimate goal is to become a Veterinary Nurse for wildlife and marine mammals and what better way to reach that goal than being in the Keys! In her free time, Ely enjoys traveling, making art, reading, visiting museums, watching movies, going to concerts and spending time with her boyfriend David and all their pets.

Nurse Technician
Team Coming soon
Summer Rodriguez

Summer has had a passion for animals since she was a little girl. She grew up on a farm in Miami with chickens, horses, dogs, cats and even peacocks! She has been a Vet Tech for six years and has been in the veterinary field for eight years. In her free time, she likes boating, fishing and the beach- really any water activities. She lives at home with her two dogs, Marley, a lab mix, Macie, a Great Dane mix and her tuxedo cat Cali!

Nurse Technician

Michelle Koon
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 pug children: Kaiser, Reuben, and Sushi.

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 and “the pug pack.”

Front Office Service Manager
Danielle Albury
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.

Dani is proficient in working with animals and enjoys it. She started pet-sitting in high school. She is devoted to making the patients feel comfortable and relaxed in our office. It also offers to assist clients in any way possible. Dani spends her free time with family and friends and loves listening to music and being by the ocean.

Client Services Representative
Team Coming soon
Cari Sanders
Cari Sanders recently moved to the Keys from Louisiana. She is excited to have the opportunity to provide the best customer and patient care. You can find her cooking, reading, or outdoors enjoying nature when she is not at work. She is from a small town, which is one of the things she loves most about living here – it still feels a little like home.

Cari would love to address some FAQs about Louisiana living: 1. Mardi Gras is a big deal. 2. They do not have any alligators as pets, but they sometimes wander out of the swamps into our yards. 3. Boiled crawfish reign supreme, and there is no other way around it.

And as always, laissez les bon temps rouler!

Client Services Representative
Crystal Rousseau
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!!

Client Services Representative
Karla Buckley
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.

Client Services Representative
Team Coming soon
Paloma Marrero
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!

Client Services Representative
Team Coming soon
Levi Carlisle

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.

Kennel Technician