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. 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.
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.
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.
Dr. Ana Pernas
Staff Veterinarian
Dr. Pernas was born and raised in South Florida and always had a love for animals and nature. She completed her Bachelor of Biological Sciences degree at Florida International University, in Miami.
After undergrad, Dr. Pernas went on to earn her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida. Dr. Pernas has an interest in helping shelter animals and earned a professional certificate in Shelter Medicine during her time at UF.
Throughout her veterinary medicine journey, Dr. Pernas has gained experience in various areas of vet med, including: small animal general practices, animal shelters, zoo hospitals, and ecological research.
After vet school, Dr. Pernas is excited to return to South Florida to be close to her family, friends, and the ocean! Her interests include traveling, reading, weight-lifting, being outdoors, and caring for her Parakeet named Mañana.
Associate Veterinarian
Michelle Koon
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 fur children: Sushi Roll, a Pug; Tootsie Roll, a Teacup Chihuahua; and Musa Saki, a Bengal.
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.
Practice Manager
Brianne Leon
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!
Anjuli Barreto
When Anjuli is not helping animals, she loves spending time with her daughter Aria, and anything that involves being in the ocean. She has a variety of animals at home from cats, dogs, chickens, a duck, and a red eared slider, who is 20 years old.
Anjuli is currently studying to be a Certified Veterinary Technician, to enable her to further help animals in need.
Deja Canter
Born and raised in North Carolina, Deja has always fostered a love for animals of all kinds. After graduating from Lee’s McRae College in Banner Elk, North Carolina with a Bachelor’s Degree in Wildlife Biology with a concentration in Wildlife Rehabilitation, she completed a fellowship at the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife in Sanibel, Florida. After her fellowship, she began working at the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center as a Wildlife Rehabilitator. During her time there, she worked her way up to Rehabilitation Manager and took over the role of Internship Coordinator as well. A little over 4 years after beginning her animal care journey, Deja found herself wanting to expand her clinical knowledge and experience with varying species. After finding Island Hammock Pet Hospital, she fell in love with the staff and their fear free mentality regarding veterinary care. She is so grateful for the experience she is gaining here and for the perfect fit this has been for her!
Nurse Technician
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.
Jesse Jones
Jennifer Iglesias
Technician Assistant
Karla Buckley
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.
Lead Client Service Representative
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. She 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.
Crystal Rousseau
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!!
Paloma Marrero
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!
Zuzu Krause
Bio coming soon!
Seanna Knight
Seanna moved to Key Largo in 2019 after achieving a Master’s degree in Forensic Psychology to pursue a career in scuba diving. After 5 years of working in the diving industry teaching new divers, running marine conservation programs, and managing dive shops, Seanna decided it was time to jump into another passion of hers, animals!
In her spare time, you can find Seanna scuba diving and relaxing at home with her boyfriend Nate and their cat Mo.