Meet the Team at Mellina Animal Hospital

1. How long have you been at Mellina Animal Hospital or in the veterinary profession?
After attending Texas Christian University for my undergraduate degree, I returned to my home state to attend veterinary school at Kansas State University and graduated in 2007. After living and practicing in New York, my husband and I found our way back to Fort Worth. I have been working part-time at Mellina Animal Hospital since 2018.

2. What do you pride yourself in when it comes to your job and/or taking care of your patients?
I love being a veterinarian, and I strive to be an advocate for my patients while also effectively communicating with pet owners.

3. What do you do in your free time?
Right now, most of my free time is spent chasing my three small children. We also love Texas Christian University sporting events, enjoying time at the lake, and spending time with extended family.

4. Favorite quotes or sayings?
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi

5. What animal would you be and why?
A Labrador retriever; usually happy, likes to be around people, and loves to eat!

1. How long have you been at Mellina Animal Hospital or in the veterinary profession?
I have worked at Mellina Animal Hospital as a veterinarian since October of 2019. This is my second time working here. I worked summers and Christmas breaks as a veterinary student from 1984 to 1987. I graduated from the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine in 1988. I worked at Handley Animal Hospital in East Fort Worth from 1988 to 1998. I owned my own practice in Flower Mound from 1999 to 2016. I worked at Safari Veterinary Care Center in League City, Texas, from 2016 to 2019. Coming back to Mellina Animal Hospital is like coming home. Dr. Mellina had the most significant influence on my professional career. His influence has carried over into every aspect of my career. It is great to be 60 years old and still have a hero. I have always said if I ever grow up, I want to be like Dr. Mellina. Of course, I have never grown up…

2. What do you pride yourself in when it comes to your job and/or taking care of your patients?
I pride myself on always offering the best that veterinary medicine has and explaining its benefits. Then let the clients decide. It is their family member, and they know them better than I do. I also try to remember that veterinary medicine is both an animal and human profession. What people will do for their pets is truly wondrous. Relationships are the most crucial thing in veterinary medicine. I have clients that have come to see me at three different practices, sometimes from long distances. I have taken care of pets for two to three generations of several families. That is something to be proud of.

I also pride myself on practicing what I preach. I do the same things with my pets that I ask my clients to do, including brushing their teeth. My pets are family members, and I want to have them live as long and happy a life as possible. Even though I am a veterinarian, my dogs and cats have the same issues my client’s pets experience—these range from skin and ear disease through heart and kidney trouble to cancer. I want to satisfy myself, knowing that I have done everything possible to make their lives as long and as good as possible. These experiences can be used to help guide my clients in their decisions. I can also freely answer the common question of “what would you do if this was your dog or cat?”

Clients today are smart and want to know how to take care of their four-legged family members. I take a lot of pride in educating clients on how to prevent illness. Above all, I take pride in letting people know I genuinely care about their dog or cat. I am convinced that clients don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

3. What do you do in your free time?
My passion is Texas A&M football. My dad took us to my first Aggie game (according to mom) when I was a babe in arms in 1961. My first memory of a game was 1965. I have been to 330 games all over the country (since 1966, that I can directly recall).

I have had a strong interest in model railroading most of my life and have been continually active in the hobby since 1975. I have built five layouts. The most recent layout encompassed almost the entire upstairs of our home in Lewisville, made from 2005 – 2016. It included advanced electronics, detailed structures, and rolling stock, and hand-painted backdrops that allowed me to depict railroading on the West slope of the Continental Divide in Colorado in the fall of 1956. Through this hobby, I have learned about carpentry, electronics, geology, and vegetation. I have conducted an extensive study of America’s structures, vehicles, clothing, lifestyle, and culture in the 1950s. Most of all, the hobby has allowed me to meet many people who have become lifelong friends. My veterinary skills have been advanced by mastering the skills necessary to build highly detailed models. My goal is to recreate a (hopefully) better layout soon once a suitable home has been found. In the interim, I continue to build models for the next great endeavor.

If that is not enough, I also like to travel to Colorado to study the area of the railroad I model traverses. I also want to see most of Texas. Then, I also hope to see most of the United States.

4. Favorite Quotes?
“Love your clients so much that they would be afraid to leave for fear of a harsher world outside your door. “ – Mark Opperman

“I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I am going to be happy in it.’’ – Groucho Marx

“Every day when I wake up, I listen and sniff the air. If I don’t hear sobbing or smell flowers, I know it’s okay to get up.”

5. Favorite Sayings
I want to live forever. So far, so good.
Diagnose before you treat.
At the end of the business day: Did we do some good today?
My dad told me that when we get over 60, the first thing we lose is our memory. I asked him what the second thing was that we lost. He said he couldn’t remember.
My wife said she wanted to marry a man who would listen to her and remember what she said. She didn’t want that at all.
20 years from now, how important will this thing you are stressed about be to you?
When everyone around you is angry or upset, hide in a corner and throw chocolate.
When you are stressed, pet a cat. It will probably make you feel better. It will make the cat feel good. For the cat, that is good enough.
A veterinarian has the world’s coolest job. We get to play with other people’s pets for a living.
A wise man once said…

6. What animal would you be and why?
I could be either a cat or a dog. Cats are independent thinkers, meticulous, clean, intuitive, and focused on objectives. I also want to learn to have a nap like my cat eventually. He looks so happy. Dogs have many attributes I admire. They are loyal and intelligent (German shepherds). They are always excited and want to share that happiness with those around them (golden retrievers and boxers). They always want to make you happy (Australian shepherds). They can make you laugh (French bulldogs). Those are all admirable traits. I have often thought that if I could learn these traits and learn to use my eyes as a dog does, I could accomplish great things!

Dr. Gianna Plaksa received her veterinary degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 2023. She graduated from Central Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences and a minor in Business Administration. She grew up doing gymnastics and was a division 1 gymnast at Central Michigan.

Dr. Plaksa grew up in Mountain Top, which is in northeast Pennsylvania. She traveled all around the country for gymnastics and has competed in the Fort Worth Convention center! She is excited to explore more of the Fort Worth/Dallas area. She has a dog named Odin and new kitten named Grimm. She enjoys reading, watching movies, and exploring local restaurants with her husband, Danny.

Dr. Plaksa practiced for one year at a general practice in Georgia prior to moving to Texas. She has special interests in preventative care, ophthalmology, and internal medicine. Additionally, her goals are to become certified in acupuncture and rehab medicine for companion animals.

1. How long have you been at Mellina Animal Hospital or in the veterinary profession?
I have spent 10 years at Mellina Animal Hospital and 16 years in the veterinary profession overall.

2. What do you pride yourself in when it comes to your job and/or taking care of your patients?
I pride myself on the compassion I give to my patients and their families.

3. What do you do in your free time?
In my free time, I garden/work in the yard with my son helping. I also enjoy hiking, running, reading, and traveling.

4. Favorite quotes or sayings?
“There is a sunrise and sunset every day, and you can choose to be there for it. You can put yourself in the way of beauty.” 

5. What animal would you be and why?
I would be an elephant – peaceful, strong, and a good leader. They stay in small groups but extremely loyal to those around them.

1. How long have you been at Mellina Animal Hospital or in the veterinary profession?
I have been at Mellina Animal Hospital for two years and in the veterinary profession for a little over eight years.

2. What do you pride yourself in when it comes to your job and/or taking care of your patients?
I pride myself on the compassion I have for the patients and their owners.

3. What do you do in your free time?
I like spending time with family, playing video games, and reading.

4. Favorite quotes or sayings?
“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”

5. What animal would you be and why?
I would be a goat – headstrong, motivated, gentle, and quiet.

1. How long have you been at Mellina Animal Hospital or in the veterinary profession?
I have worked at Mellina Animal Hospital for about eight years.

2. What do you pride yourself in when it comes to your job and/or taking care of your patients?
I don’t let the hustle and bustle of this line of work get to me. I keep cool under pressure.

3. What do you do in your free time?
I read, draw and tinker with things. When I’m not doing those things, I play video games and board games with friends.

4. Favorite quotes or sayings?
“There is no one as dangerous as he or she who has nothing to lose” – Rebecca Solnit

5. What animal would you be and why?
I would be a turtle. They have a hard shell with soft innards.

1. How long have you been at Mellina Animal Hospital or in the veterinary profession?
I have been with MAH for only a couple of months, but I have over 600 volunteer hours at a clinic back in high school.

2. What do you pride yourself in when it comes to your job and/or taking care of your patients?
I pride myself on being eager to learn how to properly take care of the animals, as well as improving on handling them.

3. What do you do in your free time?
Spending time with my niece and nephews.

4. Favorite quotes or sayings?
“It be like that sometimes.”

5. What animal would you be and why?
A piggy because I snort when I laugh.

1. How long have you been at Mellina Animal Hospital or in the veterinary profession?
I have been in the veterinary field for 5 years and have been at MAH since 2020. I recently completed my undergraduate studies at LSU, where I majored in animal science. I am currently applying to vet school.

2. What do you pride yourself in when it comes to your job and/or taking care of your patients?
I take pride in the care I show for owner and their pets, as I like to care for all animals as if they were my own.

3. What do you do in your free time?
I enjoy fishing, working out, walking my dogs, and spending time with friends.

4. Favorite quotes or sayings?
“I will always choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong and will never be content with a half-truth when the whole can be won.”

5. What animal would you be and why?
I would be a hippo that lives in the zoo, free food and a pool are two things I would really enjoy.

1. How long have you been at MAH or in the veterinary field?
I have been in the vet field for about 3-4 years. I started as a kennel tech and while completing my bachelor of animal science degree I worked as a tech in Stephenville. I’ve been at MAH for about 2 months now.

2. What do you pride yourself in when it comes to your job and/or taking care of patients?
I take pride in knowing I am helping an animal that can not speak for itself and helping communicate with the owners.

3. What do you do in your free time?
I am usually spending time with my husband and kids, taking a nap with my doggies, or working on some arts and crafts.

4. Favorite quote or saying?
“you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think”

5. What animal would you be and why?
I would be a white tiger because they are unique and strong like me

1. How long have you been at Mah or in the veterinary field?
Been in the vet field for about a year, at MAH for 2 months.

2. What do you pride yourself in when it comes to your job and/or taking care of the patients?
When a client receives good news I can help someone during a tough day.

3. What do you do In your free time?
I play my X-box, Bake, and hike in my free time.

4. Favorite quote or saying?
“We can’t live without our planet, but our planet can live without us”

5. What animal would you be and why?
A hawk, So I could fly and see new places that I may not be able to otherwise.

1. How long have you been at Mellina Animal Hospital or in the veterinary profession?
I have been on the staff at Mellina Animal Hospital for a little bit over a year.

2. What do you pride yourself in when it comes to your job and/or taking care of your patients?
I pride myself on the smiles on the pet’s faces as we help them live a long and happy life!

3. What do you do in your free time?
I love to read in my free time.

4. Favorite quotes or sayings?
“Bright and sunny.”

5. What animal would you be and why?
All cats and dogs, their communication is so fun and funny.

Extra: The love of animals is joyous and freeing.