Meet Our Team of Vets and Staff of Cocoa Beach, FL

Our animal hospital in Cocoa Beach is not only in a beautiful location, but we have a wonderful team here, too! The veterinarians and staff who serve your pet are dedicated to their craft and also love what they do: the perfect combination! We strive to continue to better our services everyday so you can always expect our best. Learn about our team below or stop in some time to say hello!

Our Veterinarians

Dr. Adam Ballard - DVM

Dr. Adam Ballard graduated from Oregon State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 2012, after receiving his undergraduate degrees from Appalachian State University and Oregon State University. He is originally from Kentucky, but he was drawn to Florida by the sunshine and water.

Dr. Ballard has a special interest in orthopedic surgery, internal medicine, and cardiology. He enjoys spending time with his two sons, Whelan & Lochlain, and also his pets. His hobbies vary and he looks for any reason to get out on the water.

Dr. Adam Ballard, DVM

Dr. Adam Ballard

Dr. Diego Rafael Sobrino - DVM

Dr. Sobrino received his DVM from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in May 2013. As a child, Dr. Sobrino had two interests: animals and aviation. After graduating high school, he joined the Air Force and worked as an avionics technician on the B-1 bomber in South Dakota for four years. After being honorably discharged, he took a few detours in life before making his way back full circle to his love for animals. Dr. Sobrino is not only a fully qualified veterinarian, but is also a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist and a Certified Veterinary Rehabilitation Therapist. In his role, he enjoys being able to provide care and comfort to neurologic, orthopedic, and geriatric patients and improve the lives of both them and their owners.

Dr. Sobrino has one dog of his own: a brindle Pit mix named Eli Cash. In his spare time, he enjoys camping, hiking, fishing, and just about any outdoor activity. He’s also recently taken up growing bonsai trees and is dabbling in primitive skills.

Dr. Diego Rafael Sobrino

Our Support Staff

Justina - Lead Technician

Justina has many accomplishments under her belt. She is CPR certified, water rescue certified, free-dive certified, has a minor in human kinesiology of exercise science and nutrition from Penn State, and an AS in vet technology. She has also started working towards a BS in veterinary nursing!

Justina grew up in an exotic animal rescue in Pennsylvania (East Coast Exotic Animal Rescue) that her family still owns and operates today, so she has always been surrounded by animals. She didn't think of veterinary medicine as a career, but a way of life! It was natural for her to be a part of this profession, and now she manages a wonderful staff and continues to grow her knowledge. One thing she really loves is the "ah-ha" moment, when she's educating a person and it all "clicks" for them; it's very rewarding to be able to pass along her knowledge to others. 

Justina has several pets of her own: Murphy, a Collie; Maggie, a  Shiba Inu; Penelope Cruz, a domestic shorthair cat; and Pedro, a goldfish. When she isn't working, Justina loves surfing, hiking, wakeboarding, free diving, and gardening. 

Justina, CVT

Certified Veterinary Technician - Team Lead

Dina - CVT and Rehab Technician

Dina really enjoys being here at Island Animal Hospital; everyone is super friendly, helpful, and easy to get along with. Before joining our team, she attended Yuba College in Marysville, CA for its RVT program, and carried over her national technician license when she relocated to Florida to be closer to her grandchildren. Dina loves taking care of animals, especially the ones that are more fearful, and making them feel safe. She also loves seeing the joy in a pet owner’s eyes when their pet is healed.

Dina has 2 daughters and several grandchildren, and she also has 3 dogs: Benny and Diddle, both Chihuahuas, and Savanna, a Lab mix and Dina’s dedicated hiking, swimming, and kayaking buddy.

In her free time, Dina enjoys being out in nature. Her hobbies include hiking, kayaking, being with her family, and working in the yard. 

Dina, CVT

Certified Veterinary Technician - Rehab Technician

Tiffany - Veterinary Technician

Around 20 years ago, Tiffany worked at Petland alongside Dr. Sisserson. She knew she wanted to work with animals for the rest of her life. After Petland, Tiffany worked at the Human Society of Brevard for a few years, and met a lot of wonderful people during that time. One of those people called her one day, requesting that she put in an application for the position of veterinary technician here at Island Animal Hospital. Tiffany has wanted to work for Island Animal Hospital for a long time, ever since she got to work with Dr. Sisserson and Dr. Coris all those years ago. Joining the family at Cocoa Beach, she found her unicorn clinic and sees herself being here for many years to come.

As as veterinary technician, one of the most rewarding parts of the job is learning new ways to help animals and owners--it’s the best feeling. Tiffany also lives for figuring out what ails someone that can’t speak for themselves, and helping them cope and heal.

Tiffany and her husband Bill have 2 daughters, and their animal family consists of 3 dogs, 4 cats, 5 snakes, and a flock of chickens! Tiffany loves caring for her chickens; it’s very therapeutic. She could spend all day sitting with them and watching them. 

Tiffany

Veterinary Technician

Jessica - Veterinary Technician

Jessica has always loved animals, and when she started a job at Petsmart, she realized she wanted to work with them, too! She obtained her veterinary veterinary assistant certification and started her first veterinary job not long after, working her way up from kennel technician to the position she holds today.

Getting to work hands-on with her rescue cat, Winston, has been one of the most rewarding things Jessica has been able to do in her career. Winston needed extensive wound care, and she got to treat him daily and see him grow from a scared feral cat into a loving house cat. Along with Winston, Jessica and her husband Thiago also share their home with Peggy, a Pomeranian/Poodle mix, and Haze the cat.

Jessica’s hobbies outside of work include riding her bike, gardening, and playing video games. She has also had the pleasure of doing conservation work in Madre de Dios, Peru, which she considers to be one of her biggest accomplishments. 

Jessica

Veterinary Technician

Chelsea - Veterinary Technician

Chelsea earned her veterinary assistant certificate from Animal Behavior College, and graduated from the vet tech program at SPC in December 2020. One of her favorite things about being a veterinary technician is getting to watch sick patients make their journey to recovery and go on to live a healthy, happy life.

Chelsea’s four-legged family member, Link, has been with her since he was 2 months old (he is 7 as of 2021), and they do everything together. In her free time, Chelsea also enjoys boating on the lake where she lives. 

Chelsea, CVT

Certified Veterinary Technician

Bobbi - Customer Service Representative

What is special about Island Animal Hospital? Bobbi believes it's all the terrific clients we have. She feels blessed to call many of them friends. And, she's very thankful to have the opportunity to work with this new group of people.

Before working for Island Animal Hospital on Cocoa Beach, Bobbi worked for Dr. Bernard of Beach Animal Hospital for 23 years until he retired and sold the location to Island Animal Hospital.

Veterinarians in Cocoa Beach: Bobbi

Bobbi

Customer Service Representative

Valerie - Customer Service Representative

Valerie was born and raised in Cocoa Beach and considers herself very blessed to be able to live, work and play here! She received her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from UCF and worked in a veterinary hospital while in school. While she originally wanted to become an elementary school teacher, she loved her job so much that she decided to stay in the veterinary field! She loves working with people and their pets in the Cocoa Beach community.

Valerie is married to her husband of 23 years and has three teenagers who keep her busy! Additionally, she has three dogs: Bruna, a Rottweiler; Kipper, a Cocker Spaniel; and Zoie a Poodle mix. She also has one cat, Finley! When she’s not working at the clinic, she enjoys being on the beach, camping traveling and practicing yoga.

Veterinarians in Cocoa Beach: Valerie

Valerie

Customer Service Representative

Susie - Veterinary Receptionist

Susie has been in the veterinary industry since 1995. She has worked with non-profit organizations, corporations, and the private sector. She chose this field because happy pets start with good health care and pet parent education. Susie is a Certified Canine Behavior and Training Specialist through Starmark Academy (formerly Triple Crown Dog Training Academy). She is also a Certified AKC Evaluator, Certified Professional Groomer, and is currently attending Penn Foster’s associate in veterinary technology program.

Susie’s family includes her husband Rick, their 7 children, and 9 grandchildren. Her pets are all foster fails: Budkus (German Shepherd); Ginger (Belgian Malinois); Mod (Chiweenie); Bark Bark (Chihuahua); Fat Albert (Norwegian Forest cat); Walter (Manx/Maine Coon mix); Avocado (DSH); and his brother Cheese (DSH). Susie’s home also receives an occasional flow of foster pets. Outside of work, Susie loves family time, along with fishing, volunteering, training her dogs, traveling, and cooking.

Veterinarians in Merritt Island: Photo Coming Soon!

Susie

Veterinary Receptionist

Kristal - Veterinary Technician

Kristal has broadened her veterinary education with courses on pericardial effusion, laryngeal paralysis, new surgical trends and technologies, and cannabinoid science for pet health. She is grateful to be able to help save the lives of peoples’ four-legged family members and be a source of hope for pet owners. She and her family have a few pets of their own: Jojo (Pug/Tibetan Spaniel); Orca (DLH); and Spot (Ragdoll). Kristal’s hobbies include playing piano, singing, swimming, and spending time with her daughter. A dream of Kristal’s is to one day open a practice and dedicate it to her family dog “Lady”.

Veterinarians in Merritt Island: Photo Coming Soon!

Kristal

Veterinary Technician

Jessica P - Veterinary Technician

Jessica always knew she wanted to work with animals but was a little unsure of how exactly she wanted to work with them. She began by working at stables, ranches, and training barns for horses before starting her career as a tech, and she hasn’t wanted to do anything else since! For Jessica, pets are more than pets; they are family. Being able to help prolong their lives and give people peace of mind about their pets is extremely rewarding.

Jessica and her husband have 2 dogs, Ada (German Shepherd) and Belle (mix). When she’s not at work, she enjoys hiking, paddleboarding, kayaking, diving, and traveling.

Veterinarians in Merritt Island: Photo Coming Soon!

Jessica P

Veterinary Technician