Team

Angela Burrows

Lab Technician

Our laboratory technician Angela joined our team in 2021 and loves making our veterinarians happy by getting them the test results they need quickly and efficiently. A native Floridian, Angela has an interesting background and previously worked with Siberian tigers, leopards, cougars, bobcats, lemurs, and even a baby baboon! Although she doesn’t see our patients when she is busy in the lab, she knows her work is contributing to their best care and that makes her incredibly happy. When she is not at work, Angela enjoys spending time with her Senegal parrot, her canary, and her three dogs.

Elisabeth Triegaardt

Client Service Administrator

*Bio Coming Soon*

Kermit

Chatter Box

Josie Crouse

Client Service Administrator

*Bio Coming Soon*

Matt Rind

Animal Care Specialist

*Bio Coming Soon*

Rhoda Stevenson

DVM Dipl ABVP Avian/Owner and Founder

Dr. Stevenson is a graduate of the University of Florida Veterinary Medical School and has practiced in Jacksonville for over 30 years. She is board certified by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in avian specialty and has owned and operated the Exotic Bird Hospital since 1995, where over 12,000 patients were seen last year.

Rhoda has written articles for national magazines and presented seminars for international organizations. She is also involved with community education appearing on local television and presenting to schools, libraries and several Florida bird clubs. She has worked with the Jacksonville Zoo, is a member of the Zoo Animal Health Committee, and is a frequent consultant for Marineland.

Rhoda lives in Mandarin with thirty birds including pet and aviary birds, and her dog Rocky.

Debbie Barnard

Client Service Administrator

Our receptionist Debbie is a life-long resident of Florida and has been with the Exotic Bird Hospital since 2010. Debbie loves all animals and has a special affinity for cats and horses. She came to Jacksonville by way of the US Navy. Debbie is happy to schedule appointments or answer questions when you call. Debbie always extends a warm greeting, is eager to help and likes to make clients and patients feel comfortable here at our clinic.

Tylauna Holmes

Technician

Our veterinary technician Tylauna started working here in the Spring of 2022 and feels pure joy when helping animals in need. She enjoys coming to work each day and feels she is fulfilling her purpose by providing the best care for our patients and compassionate support for our clients and staff. Tylauna was born in Florida and enjoys jazz and spoken word. Hardworking and supportive of others, Tylauna is always eager to gain more knowledge in the field of exotics as that is the focus of her career. She has a cat named Boo.

Jenifer Nix

DVM

Dr. Nix grew up in Normal Illinois. Her love for exotics began when she started volunteering at the local zoo during junior high and high school. She studied biology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa during her undergraduate years, and during this time, she volunteered at the veterinary clinic at the Honolulu Zoo. She went on to study veterinary medicine at Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand. During her final year of veterinary school, Dr. Nix did an externship at her school’s wildlife hospital, where she worked with kiwi, takahe, kea, and other New Zealand Native birds. She also was able to come home to Illinois for some of her rotations, and she did an externship at Brookfield Zoo. Dr. Nix graduated in 2013 and had worked with cats, dogs, and exotics in general practice prior to joining Chicago Exotics. She had also volunteered at the Tucson Wildlife Center and Arizona Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson, Arizona.

Dr. Nix loves all exotic creatures, but she has a special interest in aquatic animals. She is a member of AVMA, the American Association of Fish Veterinarians (AAFV), and the World Aquatic Veterinary Medical Association (WAVMA). She is passionate about helping others appreciate the joys of good fishkeeping and teaching about the importance of good animal welfare. She currently does not have fish of her own but has kept many in the past and would like to have a tropical fish room someday. She currently shares her life with her little dog, two degus, and two guinea pigs.

Paul Hamry

Lab Technician

Paul has been with the Exotic Bird Hospital for many years. Although he is now retired, Paul still works here part-time as a lab technician. He and his wife Donna have a wide assortment of pets including birds, chickens and dogs. Paul enjoys gardening and planting vegetables and has over 200 different types of plants.

Belinda Gomez

Administrative Service Provider Financial/Planning

Belinda Gomez, a dedicated member of the Exotic Bird Hospital team since 2011, has a deep-rooted compassion for animals, fostered by her upbringing with various pets. Her life experiences, including rescuing needy animals, have given her a profound understanding of the special bond people share with their pets. With over 22 years of experience in the veterinary and management field, Belinda is passionate about helping people strengthen their relationships with their pets. Her primary goal is to educate and empower pet owners to provide better care. She firmly believes that preventative care and nutrition are the cornerstones of ensuring the longevity of all species. In her free time, Belinda enjoys camping or spending time at the ball field with her family.

Andres Gomez

Administrative Service Provider/Marketing

Andres Gomez became a part of the Exotic Bird Hospital team in 2012. He holds a degree in marketing and advertising and consistently keeps himself updated on the latest marketing trends through education and certifications beyond his degree. He is pursuing his second bachelor’s degree in business at FSCJ. Andres has grown up with dogs and has always had a strong love for animals, so he values the bond people share with their pets. He believes in building and maintaining honest, organic relationships with people. Andres likes to play sports, travel, and study when he is not working at the hospital. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions regarding Exotic Bird Hospital’s marketing, app, website, or social media, Andres will gladly respond to them.

Zeus

Mascot

Peggy Shashy

DVM

Peggy Shashy graduated from Ross University in 1989 and did her senior year at Oklahoma State University. She has practiced veterinary medicine in the Jacksonville area for over 20 years. Dr. Shashy is a small animal veterinarian with a special interest in exotics. She rehabilitates all types of wildlife and has worked with BEAKS for over twenty years. Dr. Shashy is a volunteer for Pet Amnesty Day at the Jacksonville Zoological Gardens every other year. She is also member of the Florida Veterinary Corps and Florida State Agricultural Response Team, where she volunteers as a first responder for animal disasters, such as hurricanes. Dr. Shashy has birds and reptiles and loves to exchange stories about them with our clients. She enjoys traveling to Central and South America to bird watch and can often be seen sharing photographs and stories from these excursions. When she is not seeing patients or traveling, Dr. Shashy loves hiking, yoga, jazz and the beach.

Tony Colbert

DVM

Dr. Tony was born, raised and educated in the Midwestern United States. He graduated from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2013. Dr. Tony traveled extensively during his education, pursuing preceptorships and externships in exotic animal medicine from experts in Australia and throughout the United States. While in veterinary school, he was the President of both the Iowa State’s Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians and Association of Avian Veterinarians clubs. Dr. Tony heavily supplemented his own education and the education of others interested in exotic animals with hands-on exotic animal clinical experience, clinical reference materials and lectures from experienced exotic practitioners. His passion for reptile and avian medicine burns as strong as ever, and he seeks to maintain a high-quality, current knowledge-base and skill set in these areas.

Following graduation, Dr. Tony spent a year working as a crocodile veterinarian in the Philippines, dividing his time between two facilities on opposite ends of the county. In 2014, he returned to the U.S. to practice exotic animal medicine in beautiful coastal California for two years before returning to his home city of Chicago to join one of the busiest, most reputable exotics-only practices in the state. After two years of failing to cope with the land-locked Midwest and its miserable winters, his yearning for the tropics and the beach brought him to sunny Florida. He shares his life with a ball python that he has had since age 17, a Russian tortoise, an Indonesian blue-tongued skink, a lovely Citron cockatoo and a gentlemanly Goffin’s cockatoo.

Melissa Smith

DVM

*Bio Coming Soon*

Imari Belsches

Animal Care Specialist

*Bio Coming Soon*

Sara Gibson

Animal Care Specialist

Sara joined our team at the beginning of 2023. Although she is relatively new to veterinary medicine, she has wanted to work with animals since she was a child. Sara has a love of nature and has a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. She has visited the Amazon Rainforest and Galapagos Islands. Sara enjoys establishing bonds with her patients and finds it very rewarding when she earns their trust. Seeing the individual personality of an animal always brightens her day. Sara has a French bulldog, a calico cat, and a pineapple green cheek conure.