Novartis - Production Stopped

NOVARTIS, the manufacturer of many common OTC pharmaceuticals for human and animal use, has volunteered to stop production at their manufacturing plant in Lincoln, Nebraska. The closure is tempor....

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Intermediate Obedience Class - New Date!

John McGrath has scheduled an Intermediate Obedience Class beginning June 7, 2012. John is an AKC certified Canine Good Citizen Evaluator, and the intermediate/CGC is a more intense and focused tra....

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Check our 5K Photo!!

The Doctors and Staff of PAAH participated in the Annual Track Shack Corporate 5k run. Check out our photo from the event. Visit our Track Shack 5K 2012 Readmore..

About Us

About Park Avenue Animal Hospital

Clinic Park Avenue Animal Hospital is a full - service small animal hospital providing preventative and emergency services for your dog, cat, hamster, gerbil, ferret, bird, reptiles and more! Our experienced Doctors and highly trained Staff of Professionals are dedicated to providing you and your pet with preventative and emergency medical procedures.

We understand what it is like to have your special family member under duress so we try to do everything we can to assist you and your family through even the simplest of procedures. Your can read more about the services we provide in our services section.

Feel free to stop by the clinic, located at 847 N. Park Avenue, Apopka, Florida, and meet our staff and take a tour of the facilities. We want you to feel at home and comfortable with leaving your special family member in our care.

Dr. Rick Rubinstein, D.V.M.

Dr. Rick In 1987 Dr. Rubinstein graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. He went on to attend the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine at Gainesville, Florida where he graduated with honors in 1992. After being the proud owner of Tuscawilla Oaks Animal Hospital in Winter Springs for 14 years, he decided to open a new practice in Apopka in order to be closer to home.

Dr. Rick has served on the board of the Central Florida Veterinary Emergency Clinic and The Admissions Committee for the College of Veterinary Medicine at The University Florida-Gainesville. He is active in Rotary and supports many rescue groups.

Once you meet Dr. Rubinstein you will instantly see his love for animals and his family. His hobbies include golf, running and biking, and the occasional triathlon. He and his wife, Terry, have 3 children along with many different kinds of pets.

Emilie Rubinstein - Receptionist

Emilie Emilie Rubinstein was literally born to work in veterinary medicine. While she joined the Park Avenue Animal Hospital team in 2011, some would say that she’s been in veterinary medicine all her life. Born while her dad (Dr. Rick) was still in vet school, Emilie has grown up around animals and around the veterinary industry. It stands to reason that as she grew up, Emilie gained experience working with all sorts of animals, and aspired to follow in her dad’s footsteps.

After graduating high school, Emilie migrated north to attend Berry College’s pre-veterinary program. She recently returned home to Florida to be closer to family while she focuses on her future. Emilie has a lot of interest in nutrition and animal behavior, and is very passionate about horses. She has three rescued horses of her own, along with the dogs and cats that make up the ‘Rubinstein Pack’. In her free time, Emilie loves to visit Disney or spend time with her fiancé, Derrick, and her horses.

Dr. John Turgai, D.V.M.

Dr. John Turgai attended University of Wisconsin-Madison where he received his Bachelor of Science degree. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine where his love for animals increased ten-fold. After graduation from UWVS, he completed a one year internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Oklahoma State University.

Dr. John loved living in Madison but decided to migrate to Orlando to be closer to family. Dr. John's prior work experience includes Longwood Veterinary Clinic and Winter Garden Animal Hospital. He also worked as a relief doctor at various other clinics, including the emergency clinics.

He has two cats, an aging Maine Coone, Charlie, and an impish three-legger, Iggy. When he is not working at the clinic you may find Dr. John scuba diving off the coast of Costa Rica or skiing on the snowy slopes of Vermont!

Kathy Dodgen - Lead Technician

Kathy Kathy Dodgen grew up in the company of animals. She was raised on a small farm in rural Arkansas and learned to love animals at a very young age. Growing up in such a rural area, Kathy saw that animals often weren’t treated as well as they should be. She made it a goal to get involved in animal care, with the hope of joining a team that provides the best care possible, improving the lives of all kinds of animals. Kathy began the road to becoming a veterinary professional over 15 years ago and has been serving the pets of Central Florida ever since. She joined the Park Avenue family in 2011, taking on the role of Lead Technician.

As Lead Technician she oversees the rest of the tech staff, leading by example and ensuring that everyone on the team continues to reach toward the common goal of providing only the best care for both pet and owner.

At home, Kathy has a dog and a pair of cats that she bottle-raised. In her off-time, she enjoys horseback riding, jet skiing, hanging out by the pool and spending time with family and friends.

Amber DiSalvatore - Lead Receptionist

Amber

Amber DiSalvatore has been in the veterinary field since 1999. Her senior year at Apopka High School allowed her to shadow at Umatilla Animal Hospital where she was able to observe routine care, surgeries, and traveled to farms for routine farm calls, including tusk trims on pot belly pigs, all the way up to castrating bulls. After graduation, she worked as a technician and receptionist for various animal hospitals in central Florida, while taking courses for Veterinary Practice Management at Saint Petersburg College.

She has been with Park Avenue Animal Hospital since opening, providing compassionate care for clients and pets, and reliable leadership for the entire receptionist team. Her appreciation of animals and their well being derives from being raised on a sheep farm. She is a volunteer at the Central Florida Fair sheep shows along with the Wrangler’s 4-H Club in Apopka where she teaches kids the proper care and handling of pets. She has also been a local pet sitter since 2004, as well as a member of Pet Sitters International. Her family includes 2 rescued cats, named Josie and Macy; a son, A.J.; a daughter, Ava; and her husband, Tony. When not working or spending time with her family, she enjoys reading, journaling, singing, & spending time with friends from Metro Church in Winter Springs.

Carol Howley - Technician

Carol Carol Howley has been a member of the veterinary community for over 12 years. She knew her calling from an early age was to work with animals and got her start as a kennel technician in her home state of Connecticut. After relocating to Florida in 2001 she decided to take her career to the next level, attending the Florida Institute of Animal Arts. After graduation she set out to establish herself as a certified veterinary assistant, working for Banfield, the Pet Hospital in Casselberry. In 2003 she made the move to Tuscawilla Oaks Animal Hospital in Oviedo, where she met Dr. Rick and Dr. John and began building a solid working relationship and gaining the experience needed to help her attain her next goal, becoming a certified veterinary technician.

Carol is now enrolled in the Saint Petersburg College, pursuing her AS Degree in Veterinary Technology. She relocated to Apopka shortly before Park Avenue Animal Hospital opened its doors, and has been a member of the team since 2008. As Lead Technician she oversees the rest of the tech staff, leading by example and ensuring that everyone on the team continues to reach toward the common goal of providing only the best care for both pet and owner. Her personal passion for animal care includes focuses on client education regarding nutrition, rehabilitation and animal behavior, though she is well-rounded and knowledgeable about many aspects of small animal medicine. She loves all animal types, as evidenced by the motley crew of pets in her personal care, including two dogs, a cat, a rat, and a catfish.

Barbara Blow - Receptionist

Barbara Barbara Blow has been a veterinary receptionist for seven years. After owning her own business in the Apopka community for over 23 years, she decided it was time for a change of pace. A love for animals and people alike inspired her to become a veterinary receptionist.

She became a member of the Park Avenue Animal Hospital team in 2008. She is a wife, mother, and grandmother, and utilizes those life experiences to better connect and communicate with clients of all ages. She enjoys meeting new clients and her charisma and energy is an inspiration throughout the office. Barbara is the proud pet-mommy of Briar, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and Shadow, a very appropriately-named cat.

Becky Deighan - Technician

Becky Becky Deighan has been a member of the veterinary community since 2000. She joined the Park Avenue Animal Hospital team in September 2009 and we are glad to have her experienced mind and compassionate heart as part of the PAAH family.

Her grandmother’s golden retriever, who only had one eye, helped spark an interest in animal health that started at an early age and followed her into adulthood. Becky is passionate about animal nutrition, believing that proper nutrition and exercise are critical to ensuring a good quality of life for pets of all ages. In addition to all the pets she loves on at Park Avenue Animal Hospital, Becky has a black lab and two cats at home. In her off time she has a love and talent for the visual arts, and enjoys painting and drawing. She also enjoys fishing and spending time outdoors.

Meg Sorensen - Receptionist

Meg Meg Sorensen got involved in animal medicine almost ten years ago, while living in California. She started with volunteer work, feeding and maintaining feral cat colonies and helping out at spay/neuter clinics through the Monterey Humane Society.

A recent ‘transplant’ to Florida, Meg joined Park Avenue Animal Hospital in 2011 and brings along a wealth of knowledge and experience to the team. Meg is interested in and passionate about pet nutrition and client communication, and is a big supporter of animal rescues. She is shamelessly ‘owned’ by Ava, her Pembroke Welsh Corgi, and her motley crew of cats – Owen the ‘tripod’, Claire, and Greyser the polydactyl (he has SEVEN toes on his front feet, and SIX toes on his back feet!).

Since Meg is new to Florida she spends a lot of her off-time exploring the area and getting to know her new surroundings. She enjoys walking, thrift shopping, reading, and watching movies. She’s also a self-confirmed Anglophile - a fan of all things British – and aspires to someday be able to visit the UK.

Laana Simmons - Technician

Laana Simmons has been a life-long animal lover. Her passion for animals helped to net her first animal care experiences while she was still in high school, where she volunteered for a local pet shelter. Since then she has worked for kennels, shelters, and animal hospitals, and has been with Park Avenue Animal Hospital since 2008.

Her passion for animals makes her a true asset to the Park Avenue family as she serves as a technician, as well as maintaining the kennel. She strives to make every pet’s visit to the kennel a positive one, with lots of play time and plenty of walks, and cozy sleeping arrangements all in a clean and comfortable environment. In addition to the pets at Park Avenue, Laana also cares for her own pet, Chi-Chi, a Chihuahua.