Meet the Veterinarians & Team of Lone Star Animal Hospital in Victoria! We’re pleased to provide exceptional vet care for your pets!

Please call us at 361-570-7297 to speak to one of our caring veterinary staff members!

Veterinarians

Dr. Lee Zeplin

Owner/Veterinarian

Dr. Lee Zeplin was born and raised in Victoria, then attended Texas A&M University, graduating from the College of Veterinary Medicine in 1996. She practiced small animal medicine in the Houston area, eventually moving back to Victoria and opening Lone Star Animal Hospital in December 2004. She and her husband, Drew, have been married since 1996 and have 2 children; Tanner and Jordan who are attending college. Their family includes 3 rescue dogs and a polydactyl cat.  Outside of practice, Dr Zeplin enjoys spending time with her extended family, parents, 2 brothers, sister and their families and troupe of nieces and nephews. She also loves saltwater fishing, travelling, crafting, and building projects and anything outdoors including working on her family’s country place near Hallettsville.

Dr. Haley Daniel

Associate Veterinarian

Dr. Haley Daniel grew up in Rockwall, Texas where her father and grandfather served the community as veterinarians. After growing up in the practice, Haley headed to Texas A&M to follow her dream of becoming a veterinarian. She graduated from Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2016. During vet school, she met and married her classmate, Dr. Paul Daniel. They have 3 dogs and a new son who has brought pure joy to their lives. Outside of work, Haley enjoys Aggie football games, running, traveling, reading, and spending time with her family.

Dr. Candida Chairez

Associate Veterinarian

Dr. Candida Chairez grew up in the small border town of Del Río, Texas. She attended Angelo State University on a track and field scholarship and graduated with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in animal science. She received her DVM degree from the University of Missouri - College of Veterinary Medicine in 2023. She and her fiancé, Tyler, have two dogs named Chico and Gypsy. Outside of work, Candida enjoys everything outdoors, such as fishing and hiking, and spending time with family and friends.

Hospital Administrator

Drew Askew

Hospital Administrator

Drew Askew (Dr Zeplin’s husband) may be seen at the hospital behind the scenes. Though he refers to himself as “Just the Husband”, he has the important job of handling the business finances as well as his full time “real job” as a President of Patterson Veterinary Supply, a veterinary distribution company. Drew grew up on a large cattle ranch close to Richmond, Texas, graduated with an Animal Science degree from Texas A&M in 1994 where he and Dr Zeplin met, and has been in the veterinary sales industry professionally since graduation. Since he married Dr Zeplin June 1, 1996, he has been endlessly supportive and patient in understanding the demands of the profession. Outside work, he enjoys hunting and spending time with his family. Much of his free time is spent on their Hallettsville property, checking cows, accompanied by his trusty "ranch hand", their 3-legged rescue dog, Levi.

Practice Manager/Licensed Veterinary Technician

Holly Janak

Practice Manager/Licensed Veterinary Technician

Holly was raised in College Station, Texas. Her husband brought her to his hometown of Hallettsville in 2009, she has been a resident since. Holly has been in the veterinary field for 15+ years. In 2015, she graduated from Vet Tech Institute of Houston, where she was secretary of their student organization, on the deans’ list and received the vet tech award. She has an associate degree in applied science and became a licensed veterinary technician in 2016. She is currently taking online courses to further her education. Holly’s 10-year-old daughter is also interested in the veterinary industry. She has a family of animal lovers. They have a variety of animals including 5 dogs, 5 horses, 2 cats, 1 donkey, 1 turtle and a herd of beef cattle. Outside of work, she spends time volunteering with organizations that are close to her heart, spending time with her family and showing her horse.

Receptionist

Amy Prince

Receptionist

Amy moved back to South Texas several years ago when her husband who retired from the military. They have one son; he currently serves in the military. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her dogs, reading and being outdoors. She likes to freshwater fish with her husband whenever they get the chance.

Jessica Brewer

Receptionist

Jessica rejoined the team at Lone Star Animal Hospital as Receptionist in 2022. She was a Lone Star client long before being a part of the staff. Jessica has had a special love for animals since childhood – especially dogs. She loves that her job enables her to help pets and their people receive the best service and veterinary care available. She and her husband Jason live out in the country in Meyersville and have a daughter, 5 rescue dogs and 1 donkey. In her spare time, Jessica loves spending time at home with her family and their dogs. She also enjoys fishing, crafting, and watching movies.

Lindsey Lara

Receptionist

Lindsey has been with Lone Star Animal Hospital since November of 2006. She has worked in every aspect of the clinic beginning as a kennel attendant then to technician and now front desk receptionist.
Born and raised in the Amarillo area, Lindsey relocated to South Texas in 2005 to expand her horizons and attend college. She is married with 2 children and lives on a little farm in Nursery.

Veterinary Assistant

Brittany Hempel

Veterinary Assistant

Brittany was born and raised in Victoria, Tx and then moved to Houston, Tx to pursue her career as a vet tech at Vet Tech Institute. She started at LSAH as an intern to finish her degree. She has since graduated and decided to join our team late spring of 2020. She will soon take her test to become a licensed vet tech. She has two dogs, one three-legged blue tick coonhound and the other is a corgi mix both she rescued. In her free time, she loves spending time with her friends and family.

Eileen Garza

Veterinary Assistant

Eileen is happily married with 3 beautiful children. She and her husband currently own 9 working dogs and 1 house dog. She loves animals of all kinds and thrives to give the best care and effort in her line of work. Her hobbies include adult softball, outdoor hunting, and fishing along with many other outdoor activities.

Felicia Skalak

Veterinary Assistant

Felicia is a lifetime resident of Calhoun County. She started her career as a veterinary assistant 7 years ago at Port Lavaca Vet Clinic and fell in love with the field. She has 3 wonderful boys: Thomas 14, Landon 11, and Brantley 7. She has 3 dogs (Ghost, Taks, and Tootie), 2 leopard geckos (Lucy and Ricky), and her newest addition is a special needs kitty named Timmy. When she is not helping, take care of your fur babies, she enjoys spending time at the beach, going to movies, camping, traveling, going to concerts, and having fun with my family and friends.

Rylee Tucker

Veterinary Assistant

Rylee grew up in Goliad and has always loved animals. She was active in FFA, had pets of her own, and volunteered at the local animal shelter and pound. She has 4 pets of her own: Moose and Milo are her cats, Miller is her Catahoula mix, and Gerald is her 4lb Chihuahua. She graduated from the Veterinary Assistant program at Pima Medical Institute and She started at LSAH in May of 2023. She loves her job and helping your pets feel their best!

Certified Veterinary Assistant

Kelly Bueno

CVA1

Kelly grew up in Meyersville, TX and joined the LSAH team in January of 2021. She came to the LSAH after spending 2.5 years at Dorothy O’Conner Pet Adoption Center to further her knowledge and gain more experience in treating and caring for companion animals. Animals play a huge part in her life. Kelly has a greyhound name Camo, a lab named Macy and a cat named Tigger. Kelly and her husband Victor recently added a new member to the family, a maltipoo, they named Marley. In her free time, she enjoys hunting, spending time with family and friends, and of course her fur babies.

Animal Care Attendant

Anah Mullins

Animal Care Attendant

Anah wants to become a veterinary assistant. She enjoys spending time with her husband and dog Bart. She just rescued a new dog, Pepper. She is a very proud dog mom. She has always had an interest in working in the veterinary field. She is just starting out and has a long way to go, but is very excited to further her education!

Madison

Animal Care Attendant

Madison moved to Victoria in 2020. She enrolled at the Victoria Community College right after high school to take her basic courses. She plans to transfer to the University of Houston-Victoria to pursue her bachelor's in biology. She then wants to apply to the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine. Her passion for animals started when she was a young child and she has always had a desire to help every animal in need.

Avea

Animal Care Attendant

Meet Avea, before coming to Victoria she was a collegiate athlete at CBC in Beeville and then transferred to TAMU-CC in Corpus Christi. Now she lives here in Victoria with her boyfriend and their dog, Gio. Avea was a zookeeper at The Texas Zoo here in Victoria and was a personal trainer in Corpus before she started with us. She loves being outdoors, hanging out with friends, cooking, and spending time at home. She has always had a love for all types of animals and plans to become a veterinary technician in the future.