Southwest Texas Veterinary Medical Center

 

Tracy Fant Colvin, DVM / Owner

Dr. Colvin grew up in Southeast Texas.  She announced her intention to become a veterinarian when she was five years old.  Dr Colvin attended Texas A&M University where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Science and double major in Animal Science in 1992.  In 1998, she graduated from Texas A&M with her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree.

Her love and fascination with all creatures great and small led her to Uvalde in 2002 to serve the community as a family veterinarian.   Dr. Colvin enjoys working with a variety of species including horses, dogs, cats, pigs, rabbits, chickens, and ferrets. She particularly appreciates working with horses, ponies, donkeys, and miniature horses. Her hobbies include playing with horses at liberty, scenic and adventure trail riding, hiking and reading.  Dr. Colvin and her husband have four children.

Dr. Colvin served on the executive board for Texas Veterinary Medical Association (TVMA) from 2006-2015 and as TVMA President in 2014.  Administering the veterinary oath at the Texas A&M University Veterinary School Commencement in 2014 is one of her fondest career moments.  She has been a member of American Veterinary Medical Association for over 25 years and is an active member of the American Association of Equine Practitioners. Dr. Colvin completed her initial Fear Free Certification in 2018 and her Equine Fear Free Certification in 2022.  In 2020 she completed the Mackinaw Dells Applied Whole Horse Hoof-Care Certification with hands on training to better provide hoof health care to SWTVMC’s equine patients.

She currently serves on the Uvalde County Junior Livestock Show- Horse Show committee.  Dr. Colvin’s focus on equine continuing education for the past five years has helped her better serve the south Texas equine community

 

Jenny Russell, DVM, MPH / Owner

Dr. Russell originally hailed from a farm and ranch family in Aspermont, Texas and moved to Uvalde from Southlake, Texas in 2014 to support her longtime friend and veterinary classmate in running a veterinary practice.  Dr. Russell has a particular fondness for cats and shares her life and home with “The Stink”, a nakkie Sphynx cat, and “Pico Sir”, the slightly naughty JRT, and Mr. Harry Brown, the boisterous Briard who all accompany her to work on occasion. She and Eddie Stevenson joined their lives in Cabo San Lucas in 2017 and enjoy participating in and raising their children, Lauren and Wesley Stevenson, in the Uvalde community.

Dr. Russell believes in education and remaining up to date with current veterinary medical knowledge, techniques, and treatments. Her current professional development interest is ultrasonography and becoming proficient in both abdominal and cardiac scans.  Her overall professional interests are centered around public health and small animal medicine & surgery. In 2015, in order to help SWTVMC continue its tradition of caring for orphaned and injured wildlife, she became licensed to rehabilitate native Texas wildlife.

 

Dr. Russell enjoys team building and strives for the practice to continually invest and develop its members. Her most current efforts are in increasing the internal capacity of our SWTVMC team by raising both technician and client service skill levels.  Each member of the SWTVMC team has a pathway to follow for continuous improvement. Fear Free has been integrated into our practice culture and onboarding process. Fear Free signifies a transformative approach to veterinary care that ensures a patient’s emotional well-being is given the same level of attention as their physical well-being. Fear Free helps us make the veterinary visit more pleasant for both our patients and clients.

She received a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science in 1994 from Texas Tech University, a Bachelor of Veterinary Science in 1995 and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1998, both from Texas A&M University and completed her Masters in Public Health Epidemiology from University of Texas, Health Science Center in 2013. She has served as President of the Texas Academy of Veterinary Practice whose members voluntarily agreed to complete at least 50 hours of continuing education each year. She also maintains membership with The Veterinary Information Network (VIN).   Dr. Russell is a member of American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), Texas Veterinary Medical (TVMA), and the Southwest Texas Veterinary Medical Association (STVMA). She serves on Paraprofessional and Practice Management Committees for Texas Veterinary Medical Association, previously serving on the Public Health and Disaster Preparedness Committee. She also serves as Uvalde County’s Local Rabies Control Authority

Her hobbies include continuing education, physical fitness, and bible study. Dr. Russell is a member of First Baptist Church Uvalde and is a sustaining member of The Junior League of San Antonio.

Lauren D. Tully, DVM

Dr. Tully was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. She tried to satisfy her early love of animals by feeding the neighborhood stray cats and starting a dog walking business. Later the family’s move to a smaller city allowed her to work in horse stables and volunteer at a small animal hospital.

Dr. Tully earned her Bachelor of Science degree and her DVM degree at Cornell University. After graduation, she completed an internship in Equine Medicine at a private practice in Charlottesville, Virginia. She then went on to complete a residency in small and large animal anesthesia at the Ontario Veterinary College in Canada.

While doing relief work at an animal emergency clinic, Dr. Tully discovered a passion for emergency medicine and surgery and has worked in that field for 18 years. After years of complaining about the long winters in upstate New York, she and her family finally decided to move. They fell in love with Texas while traveling cross country and settled here.

Just prior to coming to SWTVMC, Dr. Tully worked as a senior emergency clinician at The Emergency Pet Clinic of San Antonio. Although she still enjoyed the challenges and rewards of emergency medicine, the overnight hours and commute from her home in Sabinal were becoming less desirable. She was thrilled to get the opportunity to become part of the team here at SWTVMC.

Dr. Tully lives in Sabinal with her husband, 2 children, dog, cat, 2 goats, horses, and has a small herd of cattle. She is a member of the AVMA, TVMA, and the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society. She volunteers as an assistant coach with the Uvalde Youth Soccer Club. Dr. Tully is glad to be part of the SWTVMC team serving the pets of our area and their families.

Mary Verstuyft – Practice Coordinator, CVA 3

Mary Verstuyft was born in Texas City and raised in Leakey. Mary married her husband, Nathan in 2009 and they are raising their two beautiful daughters, Claire (6) and Margaret (2) on their farm in Batesville, Texas.

Mary began working at Southwest Texas Veterinary Medical Center in February 2012 as an animal care attendant, then as a Veterinary technician later that year. In March of 2016, she became one of our lead technicians. Mary completed her Certified Veterinary Assistant Level 3 in 2020. It is the policy of TVMA that all certified veterinary assistants must progress through each certification step in sequence, that is, all CVAs must certify first at Level I, Level II and then Level III in sequence. Texas has only 75 Certified CVA III technicians, Mary has become the 76th. A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT!  Mary became Fear Free Certified in 2021 and has completed her Practice Management Certification.

Mary’s hobbies include saltwater and freshwater fishing, dove hunting, deer hunting, and spending time with her family and 4 canines.

 

Thomas Crow – Large Animal Technician, AEVA

Thomas Crow was born and raised in Texas and graduated from Brackettville High School.  Thomas attended Southwest Texas Junior College where he was a member of their prestigious rodeo team.

Thomas joined the SWTVMC team in January of 2002.  His passion for and lifelong experience with horses made him an excellent candidate for our equine technician position.

He enjoys attending continuing education seminars and learning more about equine medicine and surgery.  In 2015 Thomas traveled to Ames, Iowa and received his certificate in Coggins lab training given by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories.    In 2018, Thomas completed an intensive on line training course to become a Certified Equine Veterinary Assistant.  In 2019 Thomas’s continuing education centered around hoof care and hoof pathology.  He completed hands on training and coursework to earn his Applied Whole Horse Hoof Care Certification.

Thomas’s hobbies include team roping and competing in ranch rodeos. He enjoys working with horses and spending time with his wife, Teresa also of Uvalde, and their three beautiful children Briana, Carter, and Trevor.

Becky Garza – Veterinary Technician, CVA 3

Becky Garza was born and raised in Uvalde. She graduated from Uvalde High School, where she participated in soccer and powerlifting. She attended Southwest Texas Junior College where she studied Criminal Justice.  She completed her Fear Free training in 2019 She completed her Animal Care Technology Receptionist Certification in 2017. A stress-free visit starts in our waiting room.  We appreciate all she does to make our clients and patients as comfortable as possible.

Becky joined our team as a Client Service Coordinator in December 2016 and transitioned to a veterinary technician position in 2019. She loves working with and helping people along with their animals.

After spending the day with all of the animals at work, Becky goes home to her fur babies Ellie, Jaxon and, Bruce.

Becky is the youngest of 5 siblings, three brothers, and a sister. She enjoys spending her free time with her family BBQing, playing volleyball, singing karaoke, and watching football. She also likes spending time at the rivers or beaches in Corpus Christi. Becky also coaches her nephew’s youth soccer team every year.

 

Molly Lowe -Veterinary Technician, CVA 2

Molly was born and raised in Boerne, Texas. Molly attended Tarleton State University and graduated in May 2017 with her Bachelor of Science in Animal Production. She has always had a strong passion for animals. Molly has been active in animal rescue, care, and rehabilitation since she was 10 years old.  She volunteers for Flights to Furever and Loving Texas pet Assistance. Molly complete her Certified Veterinary Assistant Level 2 in 2018.  In 2019 she was certified for Cervid Chronic Wasting Disease Sample Collection. Molly is currently attending Veterinary Technology School at Cedar Valley College earning her Veterinary Technology degree to become a Licensed Veterinary Technician. Molly has also completed her Fear Free Certification.

When not at work, Molly enjoys spending time bottle feeding orphan kittens. She also enjoys being at home with her husband, Zach, and their cats and dogs. Molly also enjoys photography and hiking.

 

 

 

Kassandra Lopez, LVT

Kassandra was born in Uvalde and raised in Crystal City, Texas. She joined SWTVMC as a Licensed Veterinarian Technician in May of 2021. She attended Southwest Texas Junior College and earned her Associate’s degree. Kassandra continued her education at Texas A&M in Kingsville and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Veterinary Technology. She also completed a 2-year Veterinary Technician Program in which she became licensed to practice in the state of Texas shortly after graduation. Kassandra completed her Fear Free Certification in 2018. The Fear Free program helps us make each visit as stress-free as possible for all of our patients.

Her hobbies include, tennis, playing video games, and listening to music. Kassandra is very family oriented and enjoys spending time with her dog, Coconut.

 

 

Kellie Zook -Veterinary Technician, CVA 2

Kellie was born and raised in Bandera, Texas and is the youngest of 4 children. After graduating high school in 2013 she attended Tarleton State University where she earned her Bachelor’s of Business Administration, graduating August of 2017.

Kellie completed her Fear Free Certification in 2022. The Fear Free program helps us make each visit as stress-free as possible for all of our patients. Kellie completed her CVA Level 2 Certification in September 2022.

Kellie enjoys spending time with her family and her special needs kitties. She also enjoys watching True Crime Documentaries and Grey’s Anatomy.

 

 

 

 

Maribelle Aguilar – Animal Care Attendant

Maribelle was born and raised in Uvalde and worked in childcare for 15 years before joining the SWTVMC team as an animal care attendant. Maribelle completed Animal Care Technology Kennel Assistant Certification in 2017. She completed her Fear Free Certification in 2018 and her OSHA Certification in 2022.  The Fear Free program helps us make each visit as stress-free as possible for all our patients.

Maribelle enjoys helping others and takes pride in the cleanliness and comfort of the hospital. Maribelle always keeps the hospital decorated for all holidays and special events.

In her free time, Maribelle enjoys spending time with her husband of 32 years, three children and eight grandchildren. She enjoys a good Zumba workout, coast fishing, has a talent and love of decorating for parties.

 

Barbara Rodriguez – Client Service Coordinator, CVA 2

Barbara Rodriguez was born in Los Angeles, California and grew up in Hondo, Texas. She graduated from College of Texas Careers in San Antonio with a certification as a nationally registered medical assistant.  She currently resides in Sabinal, TX.

Barbara worked as a medical assistant at Community Health Development for 16 years.  She is passionate about learning.  She brought years of medical experience and her kind caring nature with her when she joined SWTVMC as a Client Service Coordinator in July of 2015.    She has already earned her Certified Veterinary Assistant Level 2 training certificate.  In 2018, Barbara traveled to Ames, Iowa and received her certificate in Coggins lab training given by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories. Barbara completed Fear Free Certification in 2018. The Fear Free program helps us make each visit as stress-free as possible for all of our patients. In 2019, she was certified for Cervid Chronic Wasting Disease Sample Collection. Barbara completed her HR Management Certification in 2021 and has also received her Certification for PVU Communication and Service. She has also completed ACT / VHMA Client Service Certification.

 

Mary Stapp – Client Service Coordinator

Mary grew up in Texas, Louisiana, Kansas and New Mexico. She was known to bring home animals from all regions; from swamp critters to desert animals, until her mom would tell her “no more critters”.

Mary joined our team June of 2020 as a Client Service Coordinator. Mary has an eclectic background and comes to us with a degree in Communications & Design from University of Phoenix. Mary earned her ACT / VHMA Client Service Certification. Mary also completed her Fear Free Certification in 2021.  The Fear Free program helps us make each visit as stress-free as possible for all of our patients.

Her hobbies include graphic design, reading, traveling, gardening and loving all animals that come her way; especially her 11-year-old dog Snickers, 4 kitties (Cupcake, Lil’ Toot, Da Vinci and Thomasa) and 2 fish, Herman Munster and Polly.

 

Melissa Bingham – Client Service Coordinator

 

Melissa grew up in Uvalde and surrounding areas. Her youth was spent working on ranches with her parents and two younger sisters, raising sheep and goats. Melissa graduated from Nueces Canyon High School in 1999,
she went on to earn an Associate’s degree in Applied Science of Wildlife Management from
Southwest Texas Junior College. Melissa joined our team in March of 2021 as a Client Service Coordinator and completed her ACT / VHMA Client Service Certification.  Melissa completed her Fear Free Certification in 2021. The Fear Free program helps us make each visit as stress-free as possible for all of our patients.

Melissa’s spare time consists of enjoying the outdoors with her family and reading.

 

Jenny Heard – Client Service Coordinator

 

Jenny was born and raised in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Jenny went to McNeese State University and Louisiana State University where she studied Communications. She joined our team in 2014 and stayed until 2016 as Client Service Coordinator. She then moved to Shreveport, Louisiana with her family where she continued her career as Veterinary Customer Service Specialist from 2016 to 2021. She returned to Uvalde in September of 2021 where she was welcomed back at SWTVMC resuming her career as a Client Service Coordinator. She completed her ACT / VHMA Client Service Certification in 2021.

In 2004 Jenny married Brad Heard and they have two beautiful kids Madison 16 and Remington 13. They have a fiery Dachshund named Tabasco and sweet blue healer / coonhound mix named Blue. She enjoys spending time with her family and traveling.

 

 

 

Maryann Arreguin – Groomer

Maryann was born and raised in Arlington, Texas.  She is enrolled at Cedar Valley College studying for her Small Animal Technician Certification. Maryann joined SWTVMC team as an Animal Care Attendant in March of 2021. She earned her Fear Free Certification in 2022. Maryann graduated from the Grooming Academy of Texas on May 2022 and earned Professional Canine Stylist and The American Kennel Club S.A.F.E Groomer certificate during that time as well. Maryann has become our Grooming Technician and went to the Penn Foster Career School for Pet Grooming Certificate. Maryann is also an Intel Analyst in the Army National Guard and has been active duty since 2016.

Maryann has 2 dogs, Chalino and Jaquie. Her cat ,Caliopy, is a crazy cutie and loves to play.  She loves to be outside with her dogs.