Meet the Team

My name is Lauren. I moved to Florida from Indiana in December 2018 after I graduated college with an Associate Degree in Veterinary Technology. I have worked as a vet tech for the past 5 years, stemming from working at a dog boarding resort. My love for animals has been since I was very young, I always knew I was meant to help them. My favorite part about being a vet tech is getting to be the voice and advocate for those who cannot speak. I currently reside in Weeki Wachee with my husband on our mini farm. We have 6 dogs, 4 cats, 2 parakeets, 1 rabbit, 1 snake, 30-something chickens, 4 ducks, and 2 pigs!!! ...And now a 2-legged human on the way! 

Dr. Stocker grew up in New Port Richey, working in his father’s automotive garage until deciding he wanted to become Veterinarian. Dr. Stocker received his Bachelor of Science (B.S.) from the University of Florida in 1980 and continued on with graduate studies in physiology, nutrition and biochemistry. He received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in 1986. Dr. Stocker established his own practice in Brooksville soon thereafter, now with over 25 years of experience.

Dr. Stocker has special interest in soft tissue and orthopedic surgery with much continued education and training in these areas as well as specialized instruction in the use of surgical laser and has been utilizing the laser in nearly all his surgeries since 1998. Dr. Stocker has also completed additional training in Ultrasound Diagnostic Medicine. He is a member of the Veterinary Surgical Laser Society, AVMA and the FVMA.

Dr. Stocker has extensive experience in Orthopedic surgeries such as ruptured ligaments and dislocating patella repair, fracture repairs and dislocating joints to amputation.

Dr. Stocker is also well known for his talents in soft tissue surgery which includes entropion (eye lid), stenotic nares(nostril)surgery, lateral ear resection and anal gland excision. His expertise also includes the removal of tumors involving the spleen, liver and intestines, removal of intestinal foreign material obstructions, resection of large skin and subcutaneous masses requiring reconstructive surgery.

During his free time Dr. Stocker enjoys spending time on the water, riding his Harley or building his chopper and hot rod. Mostly, he treasures time with family and his four-legged kids.

Dr. Marin was born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico where she lived surrounded by a huge and loving family till the age of 19 when she decided to move to the states and pursue Veterinary Medicine. She studied at Barry University in Miami Florida where she gained a Bachelor’s in Biology with a minor's in Chemistry in 2005. Dr. Marin had a wish to eradicate Heartworm disease and so she moved to Tennessee and studied at Austin  Peay State University where she gained a Master’s degree in Molecular Biology in 2008 and focused her thesis on designing a new way to test for Heartworm disease using DNA analysis. She then moved to Alabama and received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Tuskegee University in 2012. 

Dr. Marin has had an amazing career for the last 10 years in a high volume practice that has allowed her to travel and help pets throughout the United States. She has a passion for preventative care, internal medicine, endocrinology and dermatology. Dr. Marin is a member of the AVMA and FVMA and enjoys soft tissue surgery and dentistry. 

Her favorite thing in the world is getting to see pets that need her help, get better! She loves to educate pet parents and answer all their questions, so bring them with you!  eay

In her free time, Dr. Marin enjoys going to the beach and spending time with her family along with her 3 crazy dogs and one, very temperamental bird. 

Jan Harwood is the proprietor of Nature Coast Animal Wellness & Surgical Center. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama as well as a master’s degree From Norwich University. She is very active in the community and continues to work as a mortgage loan originator while attending University of South Florida.

My name is Desiree but everyone calls me Desi.  I've been working with animals since 1995. I started out as a veterinary receptionist for a year then trained as a groomer for a year and then decided to focus on becoming a veterinary technician which I've has been doing for over 20 years. I enjoy the time spent with clients and their pets, getting to know them on a more personal level and helping educate them on subjects from pet nutrition to surgical questions. When I'm not working with your pets I enjoy playing with my dogs:  Odie & Maggie. When I have time, I love to ride my motorcycle, spend time on the water fishing or working on various craft projects in my 'She Shed'.

My Name is Jamie. My husband and I moved here to Florida from Boston in 2003 to escape the cold and enjoy the summer weather all year long. Our love of animals and the outdoors makes Florida the perfect place for us to live. We have owned many pets through the years including dogs, cats, turtles, snakes, iguanas and a thirty pound sulcata tortoise. We currently have 3 dogs named Layla, Ivy and Milo. Layla is a Rat Terrier and Jack Russell mix and Ivy, who is pictured in my profile picture is a chihuahua mix.  Milo is my newest rescue and he is quite the squirrel hunter!
I am truly blessed to able to fulfill my passion of helping sick and injured animals while working with a such a caring, wonderful staff. I truly believe that if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.

My name is Jena and I've been a Veterinary Technician since 2006. I was born and raised in Florida.

When I am not working I love spending time with my 2 little girls. We love to do crafts and go to parks, anything to keep us busy! As a child I grew up around farm animals and lots of dogs! I've always loved
animals for as long as I can rememeber. My goal is to have a farm one day with lots of cows! 

As a technician, my goal is to educate clients and to make them feel comfortable with their pets treatment.

Anais, who also goes by Ani, is a Miami, Florida native and moved to the Spring Hill area back in 2020. Anais brings with her eleven years of experience in customer service, five of those which are in the Veterinary field. She is also fluent in Spanish as well as English.

At five years old, animals became a passion of Anais’s’ and she knew then, that she had found her calling in life. She intends to continue her education in the veterinary field by majoring in zoology. Her dream is to someday work with Penguins at a zoo.
During her free time, she enjoys spending it with her husband David, four-legged fur babies, Lana and Deputy Dan, and her feathered baby Smokey. Some of Anais’ hobbies entail training in Mixed Martial Arts, video gaming, and seeking out new adventures, such as visiting museums and theme parks.