Dr. Miguel Rivas DVM 

Medical Director

Dr. Rivas grew up on the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. During his undergraduate studies, he worked at an equine racetrack. This helped cultivate his interest in Veterinary Medicine as a lifelong career path. He relocated to the island of St. Kitts and graduated from Ross University's School of Veterinary Medicine in 2010.

After graduation, he began practicing companion animal medicine in New York state, working in both corporate and private practices over several years.  Longing to return to a tropical environment and enjoy outdoor watersports year-round, Dr. Rivas decided to establish roots in sunny South Florida. Locally, he has worked in general practice and emergency facilities throughout Broward and Dade counties. In late 2023, Dr. Rivas made Weston Road Animal Hospital his "furever" practice, as the primary investing owner, taking the reins from Dr. Sam Strauss.

Dr. Rivas is extremely passionate about making every pet's visit as stress free as possible. He has been a Fear Free certified practitioner since April of 2018. He is an avid supporter of the human-pet bond and focuses on positive reinforcement, cooperative preventative care and low stress handling techniques for all his patients. Dr. Rivas also has a special interest in soft tissue surgery, dermatology, routine preventative medicine, and client education. He is an exceptional mentor and patient advocate.

In his spare time, Dr. Rivas enjoys spending time with his 4 dogs, traveling, engaging in health and fitness activities and outdoor water sports. He is also quite the comedian when he comes out of his shell...:-)

Dr. Sam Strauss DVM

Associate Veterinarian

A native of New York, Dr. Strauss attended Cornell University as an undergraduate, then completed his veterinary degree at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in 1982. Since then, he has been practicing small animal and exotic medicine in the cities of Pembroke Pines and Weston.

Dr. Strauss is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Broward County VMA, the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians, and the Association of Avian Veterinarians. His primary areas of interest include internal medicine, exotic animal medicine, and animal behavioral problems. He is an exceptional diagnostician for lesser known conditions and is very thorough in the care and treatment recommendations of his patients. 

Dr. Strauss's wife Judy, is an operating room nurse. He has two daughters the elder, Jamie, earned a Masters as a Physicians Assistant in Anesthesia from Emory University College of Medicine and works at multiple hospitals across south Florida. The younger, Melanie, attended the University of South Florida and is currently the proud owner and head instructor of Kicks Martial Arts in Cooper City where she teaches martial arts and self-defense. The Strauss family shares a home with two dogs, an African grey parrot, and an indeterminate number of orchids.

Practice Manager

Amy Barron

CVT, FFCP (Veterinary & Veterinary Avian)

Amy began her career in the animal industry at age 19 working with exotic animals in a sanctuary setting. Her intense love and devotion to caring for these beautiful creatures and educating others about animals fueled her passion toward veterinary medicine. She has been in the veterinary field for over 15 years. Her educational background includes a degree in psychology from Florida Atlantic University and a degree in Veterinary Technology from Penn Foster College. Amy has held various management positions in a variety of customer service oriented industries. In her spare time she maintains a household of rescued exotic animals and enjoys educating the public about her animals with an emphasis on responsible pet ownership. 

Veterinary Technicians & Assistants

Fern

Fern has been around animals all her life. She grew up on a farm in Brazil, helping her grandfather care for the animal. She started in veterinary medicine as an assistant at Banfield. She loves working with different types of animals, and has taken a special interest in exotic animal medicine. 

Jeanette

Jeanette has been working in the veterinary industry for over 20 years. She has worked in a variety of departments at different clinics in South Florida. She is a dedicated employee and always jumps in to help with whatever tasks need to be accomplished. From answering phones and booking appointments to walking dogs and monitoring anesthesia, She gives every patient her genuine love, enduring patience, and undivided attention during their visits. 

Raishan 

Raishan is working as a veterinary technician as she continues seeking her degree in Veterinary Medicine. She is a graduate from Cornell University with a bachelors in Animal Science. She has previously worked as a veterinary assistant and has joined our team to get more hands-on experience before continuing on to her doctorate. Raishan loves our collaborative environment. She enjoys learning and teaching as part of our team. 

Frank

Frank started as a hard-working volunteer through the veterinary program at West Broward High School. After graduation, he decided to continue in the veterinary industry as he earns a college degree. Frank has experience with a variety of native and exotic animals. He enjoys lending a hand in various areas of the hospital  while building his technical skill sets.  

Stacie, CVT

Stacie has been a veterinary technician for 10+ years. She has worked in various branches of veterinary medicine including emergency, surgery and internal medicine. She currently shares her skill sets with us part-time. 

Chris

Chris started with us as a kennel technician and has progressed to a veterinary technician over the years. He is currently enrolled in college and pursuing his degree in veterinary medicine. Chris joins our team between semesters to continue learning and enhancing his skill sets as he studies to become a doctor of Veterinary Medicine.   

Our Emotional Support Team

Murphy, Holly, and Puff are available when needed to provide emotional support to our team members and clients.

They can be seen around the hospital in random places providing cuddles, kisses, rubs and tail wags.

Client Services Staff

 Amy H. 

Amy joins us from Texas, where she had worked in the veterinary field for 3 years before taking time off for her family. Her favorite part about working in the field is watching the puppies grow up. Amy loves the outdoors. In her spare time, she goes off-roading or “jeeping”, kayaking, hiking and running. She enjoys taking on new challenges in the workplace and improving her skill sets.

Cecilia

 Cecilia has a background in customer service and genuinely loves to be around animals. She finds the veterinary environment a great opportunity for learning medicinal knowledge as she  pursues a degree in biological sciences at a local college. 

Melissa

Melissa has years of customer service experience. She is used to working in a fast-paced, high demand environment. WRAH captured her interest because of her love for animals. She enjoys the environment and ability to bond with people and their pets. She is always ready with the treats to make pets happy to visit!

Pet Stylist (aka Groomer)

Karin

Karin has been a certified groomer for over 10 years. She is exceptional with breed standard cuts and special requests. She genuinely loves spending time with your pets and styling them to look and feel their very best. She has worked in a variety of environments from grooming salons to puppy stores to veterinary offices. Her specialty is introducing puppies and young dogs to the grooming process in a patient and loving manner. She gives each pet her dedicated time and attention to make the grooming experience as fun and low stress as possible. She will also work with pet owners to set up best practices to maintain preferred styles at home. She is also currently working on her Fear Free Grooming certification and will be the only Fear Free Certified Groomer in the Weston area.

Kennel Staff

Melanie

Melanie is new to the veterinary field. She has always had an affinity for animals and enjoys observing their personalities. She is currently taking courses in zoology with a desire to work with wildlife in the area of rehabilitation. Melanie is fluent in both English and Spanish. 

Gemma

Gemma has always loved being around animals. She joined our team to get more hands-on experience veterinary with a variety of animal species. She hopes to grow with our team as a veterinary assistant or technician. Gemma is very attentive to our kennel occupants. She frequently takes extra walks with them and gives them extra individual attention and play time. She previously worked as a dog walker. She loves nature and takes every opportunity to get outdoors. 

 Kyleigh

Kyleigh started with us as a volunteer through the West Broward Veterinary Program. Her exceptional work ethic and care for the animals led us to hire her as a part time staff member as she continues to pursue her studies. She loves spending time with our boarding pets. She is also willing to jump in and help the technician team whenever necessary.

Danielle

Danielle is just beginning in the veterinary industry. She has always had a passion for animals She enjoys being around the animals and has become fascinated with animal behavior and medicine. She spoils our boarders with extra attention and enjoys the loving responses she receives from the animals staying with us.