COMPASSION | INTEGRITY | TRUST
Meet Our Team
We look forward to seeing you soon! Get to know the amazing team at Laurel Pet Hospital and why we love what we do so much.
Laurel Pet Hospital
Our Veterinary Team
Doctors/ specialists
J.D. Calsyn, VMD, DACVIM
Meredith Rettinger, DVM
Bio Coming Soon!
Todd Calsyn, VMD
Medical Director
Bio Coming Soon!
Hospital Manager
Skip LaRoche
Skip was a client at Laurel Pet Hospital before he started working here. He initially started as a consultant to see how he could improve the workflow of LPH before being offered a full-time position as Hospital Administrator.
Skip received his BA in History from the College of William and Marry, an MA in History from the University of North Carolina, and an MBA from Duke University.
In his free time, Skip enjoys traveling, going to the gym, and spending time with friends.
Additional Team Memebers
Jared Leibson
Operations Manager
Bio Coming Soon!
Domingo Cruz
CSR Manager
Bio Coming Soon!
Michelle Balestrieri
Patient Care Manager
Bio Coming Soon!
Tony Ebling, MD, VMD
Born and raised on his family farm in rural Pennsylvania, Dr. Tony Ebling learned to care for a large menagerie of dogs, cats, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, cows, and rabbits from an early age. Going into the veterinary field was a natural progression for Dr. Ebling and his sister. He attended Penn State University, earned his master’s degree from Washington State, and his veterinary doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania. He began his career as a dairy veterinarian in Chino and Bakersfield. However, seeking more personal interaction with clients and working with dogs and cats was too much to resist. In 2007 he moved to West Hollywood and started at Laurel Pet Hospital as an associate veterinarian. Dr. Ebling lives in West Hollywood with his husband, their Puggle, and two cats. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, spending time with friends and family, and catching up on movies and shows.
Priyanka Mehta, DVM
Dr. Priyanka Mehta grew up in Southern California and graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a major in Animal Science. She then went on to attend St. George’s University School of Veterinary Medicine and finished her clinical year at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.
In her free time, she enjoys scuba diving, art, and graphic design. She also loves staying active; when she is not lounging at home with her rescue cat, Esther, she is outside hiking or at the gym! Animals have always been such a huge part of Dr. Mehta’s life since she was a child, and she was lucky enough to grow up with a variety of pets. Dr. Mehta knew she wanted to be a veterinarian very early on in life, and she is so excited to start her career at Laurel Pet Hospital.
Cardiology
Nick Russell, BVSc, MVS, FANZCVS, DACVIM
Dr Russell is a board-certified veterinary cardiologist that graduated from the University of Sydney, faculty of Veterinary Science in 1998. He went on to complete a master’s degree and residency in small animal medicine at Murdoch University, Australia. He then moved to the USA and completed a residency in veterinary cardiology at the University of Pennsylvania. During this time he achieved both fellowships of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists (ANZCVS), chapter of small animal medicine; and gained Diplomate status of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM), in the specialty of cardiology.
Dr. Russell’s cardiology expertise includes assessment, diagnosis, and advanced treatment of all cardiovascular diseases in animals. His extensive broad training in multiple specialties enables an integrated approach to patients’ cardiovascular disease in light of the rest of their body systems. Dr. Russell has performed hundreds of interventional cardiac catheterization and surgical procedures, including pacemaker implantation, pantent ductus arteriosus (PDA) embolization, and balloon valvuloplasty.
Dr. Russell aims to provide specialty and compassionate care to animals, and helping owners maintain optimal quality of life for their pets.
Internal Medicine
JD Calsyn,VMD, DACVIM
JD Calsyn grew up in Southern California and attended college at University of California Los Angeles. After graduation from the University of Pennsylvania College of Veterinary Medicine in 2002, he did a rotating internship at the Bobst Hospital of the Animal Medical Center in New York City. Following his internship, Dr. Calsyn worked as an emergency doctor at Red Banks Veterinary Hospital in Tinton Falls, NJ. Following his time as an emergency doctor at Red Banks, Dr. Calsyn started his 3-year residency in Internal Medicine. Since passing his boards, he has worked at Laurel Pet Hospital as the Medical Director.
Dr. Calsyn enjoys outdoor activities such as basketball, hiking, and skiing. He is currently a football coach at Flintridge Preparatory School in La Canada. He coaches the outside linebackers and quarterbacks as well as calling the plays for the Junior varsity offense.