Meet the Team

Faculty

Lawrence GarciaDr. Lawrence Garcia – Service Chief

Dr. Garcia is a full-time Clinical Assistant Professor in Shelter Medicine  Dr. Garcia completed a Graduate certificate in Shelter Medicine through the Maddie’s® Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida in 2015.  Prior to this, he held a position as Herd Health Veterinarian at an open admission municipal shelter in South Florida with a combined annual intake of cats and dogs of approximately 18-20,000.  His interests include: population management, sanitation, outbreak prevention, high quality high volumes spay and neuter, county disaster response planning, developing standard operating procedures and protocols for shelter operations and expert witness testimony for civil and criminal animal cruelty.  Prior to shelter medicine, he worked in Small Animal general practice. His long term goals include Board certification through the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners.

 

Meredith MontgomeryDr. Meredith Montgomery 

Dr. Montgomery is a full-time Clinical Assistant Professor in the Veterinary Community Outreach Program. Dr. Montgomery is an University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine graduate and Maddie’s Shelter Medicine certificate holder. Since graduation, she completed a rotating internship at Angell Animal Medical Center and worked as a staff veterinarian at ASPCA’s Spay/Neuter Alliance and Citrus County Animal Services. Her professional interests include: High quality high volume spay neuter, access to veterinary care, infectious disease in sheltered populations, and small animal handling, stress reduction, and shelter housing.

 

Dr. Brian DiGangiDr. Brian DiGangi

Dr. DiGangi is a full-time Clinical Associate Professor of Shelter Medicine. After earning his DVM at the University of Florida in 2006, Dr. DiGangi completed a rotating internship in small animal medicine, surgery, and critical care, a residency in Shelter Animal Medicine, and received his MS in Veterinary Medical Sciences from UF in 2010. Dr. DiGangi has published peer-reviewed research on canine heartworm disease, veterinary field clinics, feline adoption, pregnancy detection and immunology and authored textbook chapters on sanitation and asepsis, infectious disease management, animal welfare, and animal relocation. He is the lead editor of the 2nd edition of Animal Behavior for Shelter Veterinarians and Staff and is board certified in both Canine and Feline Practice and Shelter Medicine Practice by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners. Dr. DiGangi has served terms on the Executive Boards for both the Association of Shelter Veterinarians and the American Heartworm Society. Prior to re-joining UF, Dr. DiGangi worked as Senior Director of Shelter Medicine for the ASPCA providing consultative support for over 180 animal shelters nationwide engaged in animal transportation and relocation efforts. 

 

Animal Care Staff

Erica Berube

erica

Cindy Coalter

cindy coalter

Paola Lopez

Paola Lopez