Dr. Sara Jo Charles dreamed of becoming a veterinarian since the age of 10. After working as a veterinary assistant for 12 years and obtaining a BS Degree in animal sciences from the University of Florida, she decided to fulfill that dream. She graduated from The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 2015, and then moved back to her home state of Florida. Although she came from “horse country” (Ocala, Florida), she found that small animal medicine was her passion. She fell in love with the Bradenton, FL area while she worked as a relief veterinarian for a few years before she started Keystone Animal Hospital.

Practice ownership has also been a dream of Dr. Sara Jo’s. She has worked very hard to ensure that Keystone Animal Hospital offers not only compassionate support to her patients, but also to her patients’ parents, and team members. She has utilized a business model in which open and honest communication and compassionate support are necessities for her team. She has always believed in practicing quality (not quantity) veterinary medicine while striving to develop treatment plans that encompass what’s best for both the patients and their parents.

Dr. Sara Jo is happily married to Keystone Animal Hospital’s charismatic office manager Tom. She loves spending time with Tom, their two beautiful daughters, and of course their two stubborn and spunky Dachshunds Dane and Olney.

Dr. Anne was born in Denmark, then moved to Spain at the age of twelve. While living in Spain she picked up a lot of stray animals. Caring for these animals is when she made the decision to become a veterinarian. She moved to the United States with her husband and attended Oklahoma State University. Dr. Anne calls Lakewood Ranch home, along with her two children and their dog Molly a 12 year old mixed breed. She joined the Keystone team as a part-time veterinarian in September 2020. In her spare time she loves paddle boarding with her family and horseback riding.

Tom is our charismatic office manager who was born in Olney, Texas and raised in Ocala, FL. He was awarded his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering in December of 2008 and has many recognized marine contractor jobs including our very own Fort Hamer Bridge. He has worked for many years as a results-driven professional area/project manager and civil engineer. He also possesses invaluable experience and diverse qualities, including: self-confidence, integrity and commitment to excellence. He has the pronounced ability to thrive in diverse environments and an established reputation record of leadership, business development, project management and technical project completion. He is a team player with proven reputation for building key personal and professional relationships across a vast variety of capacities. He is an immense asset to Keystone Animal Hospital and is always willing to help pets, pet parents, and team members when needed.

Kennedy was born and raised in Steubenville Ohio. She moved to Florida with her family in the summer of 2013. When Kennedy was in highschool she volunteered at local animal shelters. Working with the animals ignited the  passion she has for helping and healing animals. Kennedy turned that love and passion for animal health into a career in 2014, when she began working as a Veterinary Technician. She lives in Ellenton Florida, with her family and fur babies. Her furry children include; Jack an 8 year old pit/lab mix, Echo a 3 year old American Bully, Oliver a Tuxedo kitty, and Pixie a 7 year old Chiweenie that came through Keystone as a rescue in very bad shape, but nursed back to health by Kennedy and the team. Kennedy was the only other founding technician that helped to open the doors of Keystone Animal Hospital. She was looking for something different, a different way of providing care for animals and their clients. She loved working with Dr. Sara in the past, and knew that with Dr. Sara’s help she could expand her abilities for helping animals in a welcoming and calming environment. In her spare time she enjoys being with family and friends and spending time outside, especially on the water where she is an avid fisher.

Gianna is one of our newer members of the Keystone team. She recently moved here to Florida from Delaware in early 2022 with her husband and their 3 rescue pups – Luna, Cherish and Koda. Gianna went to school and earned her BA in Psychology. In 2019 she started working at a doggie daycare and this is when she quickly realized her true passion was working with animals. From there, she went on to work at an animal rescue organization, then dog walking, some training and then eventually landing in a veterinary hospital. Her love for animals only grew more, then she realized how much she enjoys the vet med field! Although she is not in school, Gianna does plan on becoming a certified veterinary technician in the future. With her passion for vet med, working at animal rescue and helping her community, she hopes to one day start her own rescue! When she’s not working, you can find Gi spending time with her husband and pups, going on adventures!

Ashley moved to Florida in summer of 2021 from Ketchikan, Alaska with her husband and their son. With her husband being in the Coast Guard and moving all around the Northwest, they were very happy to settle in warm Florida. Shortly after settling in, they adopted a terrier mix named Stella! Ashley found her love for animals after working with exotics and wildlife while living in Washington State. She has been in the field for 7 years now and looks forward to helping animals here in Florida. On her time off, Ashley loves taking her son to the beach or to swim in the pool.

Bio coming soon!