Meet the Team at Brandon Lakes Animal Hospital

Dr. Heppner was born in Tampa, Florida, and raised in the Brandon area. After graduating from Bloomingdale High in 1995, she began her undergraduate studies at Clemson University. She graduated with a BA in Animal Sciences in 1998 from the University of Florida. Dr. Heppner then attended Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. She completed her clinical year at Kansas State University and a Small Animal Internship at North Carolina State University. She then returned to Tampa for six years as an Emergency Veterinary at Blue Pearl Veterinary Specialist. Dr. Heppner performed post-doctorate training at the Chi Institute at the University of Florida and is certified in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture. Her interests are in Veterinary Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Pain management, and exotic medicine, including birds and small mammals.

Dr. Heppner and Dr. Woodside have known each other for over ten years. She brings a wealth of knowledge to the hospital and is a complement to our already outstanding group of staff members. She is the mother of two beautiful daughters and two dogs.

Dr. Rodriguez was born in Madrid, Spain, and raised on the west coast of Puerto Rico. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of North Florida. He then attended Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, where he met Dr. Woodside in 1997 and graduated in 2000. He completed his clinical year at Purdue University along with Dr. Woodside. He then attended an additional clinical year at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Dr. Rodriguez was chief of staff for Banfield Pet Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, for ten years, where he was named one of the nation’s top 10 Banfield doctors in 2007. He became a part of the Brandon Lakes team in 2016 and has known Dr. Woodside for nearly 20 years. Dr. Rodriguez specializes in small animal medicine and soft tissue surgery. He is also proud to be fluent in Spanish.

Dr. Craver was born in Tampa, Florida and raised in the Riverview area. Her interest in veterinary medicine began in her early years. After graduating from Tampa Bay Technical High School with a veterinary assistant certificate, she continued her education at the University of South Florida where she graduated with a degree in Biomedical Sciences and a minor in Psychology. For her Doctoral studies, Dr. Craver attended Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in the beautiful island of St. Kitts. After an accelerated didactic program, she completed her year-long clinical studies at Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine in Indiana.

Dr. Craver began her career at Brandon Lakes Animal Hospital in 2007 as a Veterinary Technician while attending her undergraduate studies. She’s has worked alongside Dr. Woodside, Dr. Heppner, and Dr. Rodriquez for 9+ years prior to achieving her degree in Veterinary Medicine. She was excited to return to the sunshine in Florida and continue her career alongside one of the best teams of Doctors and Nurses at Brandon Lakes. Her interests include Dentistry, Soft Tissue Surgery, Internal Medicine, and Dermatology. Dr. Craver is the proud mom to a rambunctious Golden Retriever named Theodore who loves coming to work as much as his mom!

Bio Coming Soon!