A.J. Hardy, D.V.M.

My interest in animals started while growing up in Wisconsin.  We lived outside of Milwaukee and had a menagerie of chickens, ducks, dogs, cats, and horses.  While I enjoyed those "family pets" my real respect for animals came through the many summers I spent on my uncle's dairy farm.  Working with the cows and calves and seeing how well they were treated and cared for made me want to somehow be involved with animals.

I moved to California after high school and eventually received my degree in veterinary medicine from the University of California, Davis.  I felt I owed something to the Wisconsin dairy industry for establishing my interest in animals and moved back there to work as a dairy vet.  After four years, my wife Margaret and I decided that California had more opportunities for our family than Wisconsin, so we returned, moving to San Diego in 1984.

I purchased this practice, then called Clairemont Square Veterinary Clinic, in 1986.  We started with one doctor and two veterinary assistants.  Since then, through the overwhelming support of our clients, we have been able to expand the hospital and have grown to four doctors and ten staff members.

What I enjoy most is getting to know my clients, seeing what their pets mean to them and how they bring quality to each others' lives.  I enjoy helping the pets in any way I can to make their lives, and the lives of their owners, more comfortable.

I currently live in Scripps Ranch with my wife, Margaret. We share our home with a cat named "Wilbur" and two rescued golden retrievers named "Kionna"  and "Sukoshi".  Our son, Alex, graduated from U.C. Berkeley and is currently in graduate school.  Our daughter, Vanessa, graduated from the University of Arizona and is project manager with Nordstrom Department Stores.

Degrees and Memberships:
B.S. Biochemistry, University of California, Davis, 1976
D.V.M. University of California, Davis, 1980
San Diego County Veterinary Medical Association
California Veterinary Medical Association
American Veterinary Medical Association
American Animal Hospital Association - Hospital Director

Outside interests:
soccer, sailing, music, baseball, reading





Roger K. Beck, D.V.M.

I was born and raised in Rushsylvania, a town of six hundred people in rural western Ohio.  I participated in the Future Farmers of America, owned a couple of horses, raised sheep, and worked on both my family farm and others.  The family veterinarian made regular visits to our farm, sparking my interest in veterinary medicine.  Being science oriented, pursuing a career in veterinary medicine was natural.

While in veterinary school at The Ohio State University, I worked at the dairy barn, milking and helping in the husbandry of the OSU dairy herd.  I was a member of Omega Tau Sigma, the professional veterinary fraternity, and Phi Zeta, the the veterinary honorary fraternity.  In my senior year, I received the AVMA's student chapter award as the student contributing the most to the community or school over their four year veterinary term. As an added interest, I played lacrosse for OSU (1958-1962) and received the Big-Ten Athletic Scholarship Award in 1962.

After graduation from The Ohio State University in 1964, my interest in equine and mixed practice led me to apply for, among others, a job with a mixed practice in Bakersfield, California.  However, Uncle Sam called first and sent me to San Diego with the U.S. Army for two years.  Dr. Jim Dowe of Bonita, California, offered me my first job in an equine, dairy, and developing small animal practice.  I was with Dr. Dowe for four years. In 1970, I opened the University City Veterinary Clinic on the north edge of San Diego doing equine and small animal medicine the first year, and small animal practice since then.  I owned the University City Veterinary Clinic for twenty-nine years. I combined my practice with Dr. A.J. Hardy at Lifetime Animal Care Center at our present location in May 1999.

My interest in organized veterinary medicine developed early in my practice career.  Dr. Jim Dowe encouraged me to be the area representative for the South Bay Chapter of the San Diego County Veterinary Medical Association.  In 1975, I was President of the San Diego County VMA, and have continued to be involved since that time.  When invited to participate as a member of the California Veterinary Medical Association's Long Range Planning Committee, and later the Ethics Committee, I agreed, and have served as chairman of both committees.  I served on the California Board of Governors for six years, and as President of the California Veterinary Medical Association in 1995.

My wife, Joanne, and I have four children: Steve is a science teacher and soccer coach in Santa Barbara, married to Jana, an attorney, and mom to Brooklyn; Dave is an attorney in Portsmouth, Ohio, married to Kim, a special education teacher, and mom to their two children Danielle and Hannah; Lynn is a radiologist in Palo Alto married to Peter, a banker, and mom to twins Tommy and Laura, and brother Andy; Tom is a Navy Commander stationed in San Diego, married to Christine, a Navy pediatrician, and mother to Emily and Margaret.

Joanne and I also enjoy our golden retriever, "Buckeye".  We are active members of the Torrey Pines Christian Church.

Degrees and Memberships:
D.V.M., The Ohio State University, 1964
San Diego County Veterinary Medical Association
California Veterinary Medical Association
American Veterinary Medical Association

Outside interests:
wife and family, tennis, traveling





Kelly M. Pizzo , D.V.M.

I have always had a love for animals of any type.  Ever since I was five years old, I wanted to be a person who could aid animals in need of help.  While other kids in the neighborhood were pretending to be homemakers, cowboys, and teachers, I pretended to be a veterinarian.  I would loan my stuffed animals to my playmates and they would bring them to my "office" to be healed.

I spent a lot of my childhood summers on my uncle's farm where I had a Shetland pony named Bob Crachet.  I watched with interest as the local veterinarian trimmed the hooves on our very wild five-year-old horse.  I always knew I wanted to be a veterinarian and worked hard in school to achieve good grades and gain knowledge to pursue my dream.  I don't think it was until my dog Casey died that I truly had the passion and determination to succeed in my goal of becoming a veterinarian.  Being unable to help him or even know what was really going on so I could improve his quality of life made me want to learn all I could to help any animal that came my way.  That desire is what kept me focused through undergraduate college and the tough pre-vet courses.

I graduated from the University of Missouri, Columbia, in 1991 with my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree.  I married my college sweetheart shortly thereafter and moved to Galveston, Texas, where he was finishing his graduate degree in neuroscience.  I practiced veterinary medicine in Texas for four years before moving to San Diego.  Prior to becoming an employee of Lifetime Animal Care Center, I worked about four years as a relief veterinarian throughout San Diego County.  While it was exciting to meet new people and see a variety of veterinary practices, I was also discouraged at being unable to follow cases and get to know clients and their beloved pets.

Lifetime Animal Care Center is a wonderful place to work with a very caring staff both for the animals and the people.  I thoroughly enjoy working with everyone here and delight in getting to know clients and their companion animals.  I am very happy to have found a practice close to my home.

I live in Clairemont with my husband, Don, and our three sons, Anthony (4/16/98) Vincent (1/30/00) and Nicholas (4/25/04).  We also share our home with our cat "Eightball" (10/31/93) and an adorable black lab named Cheyenne (7/23/01).

Degrees and Memberships:
B.S. Animal Science, University of Missouri-Columbia 1987
D.V.M. University of Missouri-Columbia 1991
San Diego County Veterinary Medical Association
American Veterinary Medical Association

Outside interests:
gardening, camping, reading, football, baseball







Laura W. Schultz, D.V.M.

My life has been shaped by many events, people and most definitely my animals.  I learned unconditional love and trust, a sometimes not so good trait for humans, from my dog "Buster".  I learned to always have an open lap and arms for a lounging cat from my cat "Mr. Bunny".  I learned to go with the flow in life from my love of the ocean and all the animals that reside in it.  I must say animals have always been an integral part of my life.  I grew up with both dogs and cats and spent all the time I could at my uncle's farm with the cattle, horses, pigs and ducks.  I practically lived in the water since I was four, loving anything and everything about the pool and ocean.  Fortunately,  I have found a profession and a passion that allows me to give back to the animals that have given me so much more than I thought possible.

 

Once I determined I wanted to pursue veterinary medicine, I decided to attend Virgina Tech and study in their animal science program.  While in college I worked at the horse barns in my spare time and also helped out with some research projects relating to aquaculture.  While studying toward my degree at Virginia - Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (VMRCVM) I also attended Aquavet, an aquatic animal program in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.  I was able to attend the first and second programs during the summers of 1999 and 2000. 

 

I graduated from VMRCVM in 2002 and was awarded the "Dr. Robert C. Brown Career and Life Science Award for Team Player", as voted by my fellow classmates during the senior year of clinical rotations.  I try to be a team player with everything I do in life.  This includes working with my colleagues and clients to create the healthiest environment possible for the animals in our clinic family.  I try to make the best decisions for each of my patients on an individual basis by having open communication between myself and my clients.

 

So far my career has taken me from coast to coast.  Since I am married to my best friend, Adam, who happens to be in the Navy, we get to travel quite a bit.  My career started in Virginia, working at the clinic where I grew up taking my own animals.  Then we went to Kauai, Hawaii for three years where I got to work at several different clinics and expand my knowledge of tropical diseases.  I was also able to become a member of the executive board of the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association where I met many great veterinarians from other islands.  In Hawaii I had the privilege to attend the AVMA Leadership Conference in Chicago in 2005.  We now find ourselves in beautiful San Diego, where I am very excited to be working at Lifetime Animal Care Center.

 

Adam and I enjoy spending time with our two active dogs.  "Benjamin" is our hound dog from Virginia and "Emma" is our Hawaiian princess.  We love to hike, kayak, swim and travel.  San Diego is such a pet-friendly city; we are thrilled to call it home and look forward to meeting many new friends here.
 

Degrees and Memberships:
D.V.M., Virginia - Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine 2002
Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association
San Diego County Veterinary Medical Association
American Veterinary Medical Association
International Association for Aquatic Animal Medicine