Richard Kane, DVM

Chief of Staff

Dr. Kane is a 1984 honor graduate from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. He is the founder and chief of staff of Care Animal Hospital and the co-founder of Surgi-Care Center for Horses and sits on the board of the Humane Foundation for Animals. Dr. Kane has served as president of the Hillsborough County Veterinary Medical Society and as chairman of the Animal Advisory committee. He has been elected the Business Leader of the Year by the Brandon Chamber of Commerce and the Veterinarian of the Year by the Hillsborough County Veterinary Medical Society. Dr. Kane has been serving over 20 years as a board member of the University of Florida Alumni council. He has been featured numerous times in major newspapers and television programs on his accomplishments in veterinary medicine. Dr. Kane has received the Alumni Achievement Award from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Kane believes strongly in higher education and is a huge supporter of University of Florida Gators athletics.

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Suzanne Whitaker, DVM

Dr. Suzanne Whitaker graduated from The College of Wooster with a Biology degree in 1996.  She then attended The Ohio State University from 1996-2002 first completing a Masters degree in Animal Science in (1998) followed by her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine (2002).  She completed a Small Animal General Practice Internship at The University of Missouri in 2003.  After her internship, Dr. Whitaker stayed at The University of Missouri as part of the general practice faculty.  She spent those two years prior to moving to Tampa teaching fourth year veterinary students general medicine.  She moved to the Tampa Bay Area with her husband in 2005.

In her free time Dr. Whitaker spends time with her husband and three children.  She also enjoys spending time outdoors, running and training for races, and hiking.

Melanie Wood, DVM

Dr. Melanie Wood completed her Bachelor’s degree in Animal and Dairy Science in 2001 at Auburn University. She then ventured to Grenada, West Indies to complete her Veterinary degree at St. George’s University College of Veterinary Medicine. She graduated in 2005 after completing the veterinary medicine and surgical rotations at Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine. After practicing small animal medicine in North Alabama for three years, she relocated to Florida with her family and joined the team at Care Animal Hospital in 2009. In addition to dogs and cats, she enjoys working with avian patients and small mammals. Dr. Wood completed a post graduate course in veterinary abdominal ultrasound in 2010.

Dr. Wood’s personal time is spent with her family, including her husband, daughter, three cats and their dog, Hoover. She enjoys biking, cooking and reading. She is a die-hard SEC football fan with a special allegiance to her alma mater, The Auburn University tigers. She is also a member of Bell Shoals Baptist church.

Erin Wendt, DVM

Dr. Wendt completed a small animal rotating internship at Florida Veterinary Specialists. She obtained her veterinary degree in 2009 from the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine and has a zoology degree from Michigan State University (’05). Dr. Wendt enjoys working with all species and hopes to one day fulfill a zoo medicine residency and work at a well respected zoo. Her interests outside of work include downhill skiing, hiking, reading, listening to/performing music, and community theater. Dr. Wendt is pleased to be the latest addition to the Care Animal Hospital doctoral staff and is excited about exploring her new hometown with the dog, Webster.

K. Leann Kuebelbeck, DVM, Diplomate ACVS

Dr. Kuebelbeck received her veterinary degree from Kansas State University and completed her internship and surgical residency at Peterson, Smith, Matthews, Hahn & Stone Equine Hospital in Ocala, Florida. She then came to Brandon, Florida to co-found Surgi-Care Center for Horses. Dr. Kuebelbeck’s professional interests include both orthopedic and soft tissue surgery (arthroscopy, ASIF, gastrointestinal and respiratory) as well as sports medicine. In her free time, she enjoys running, biking, gardening and riding horses.

Ruth-Anne Richter, DVM

Dr. Richter received her veterinary degree from the Atlantic Veterinary College on Prince Edward Island, Canada in 1995 after finishing a Bachelor of Science degree. Dr. Richter did an equine internship at Mississippi State University, and following a year in private practice began a surgical residency at the University of Illinois. She completed her surgical residency and concurrent Master of Science degree in 2000. Since then, Dr. Richter has worked as a staff surgeon/associate at Reid and Associates in West Palm Beach, the Equine Specialty Hospital in Ohio and East End equine in Long Island, New York. Prior to attending veterinary school, Dr. Richter was farm manager for Christilot Boylen, a member of Canada’s Dressage Team.