Pet Urgent Care Of Wesley Chapel Now Open In The Pet & Fit Center!


The big, inflatable dalmatian on S.R. 56, less than a mile east of I-75, stands guard over the Pet & Fit Center plaza that is home to Pet Urgent Care of Wesley Chapel.

Earlier this month, St. Petersburg resident Diane Grey was driving home from north Florida with her dog, a 108-pound Rhodesian ridgeback named Morocco. She was getting close to Pasco County when she says Morocco began showing signs of illness. She got off the interstate and pulled into a gas station.

“I saw he was in distress, so I called my vet in St. Pete,” she says. Morocco was anxious because of all the travel and was suffering from heat exhaustion. Diane was told not to wait until she got home, but to seek help for Morocco immediately.

She searched the internet and found Pet Urgent Care of Wesley Chapel, which had only recently opened one exit away.

“I was so worked up and emotional,” she says. “When I saw the Pet Urgent Care sign, it was the best thing I ever saw. They were really friendly and took care of Morocco immediately.”

It is the kind of important emergency services for your pet management had in mind when Pet Urgent Care of Wesley Chapel opened on April 15, making it the first urgent care clinic for pets in the Wesley Chapel/New Tampa area.

Pet Urgent Care shares a building with Dr. Sree Reddy’s Seven Oaks Pet Hospital, which first opened in 2007, and moved to its current location on S.R. 56, just east of I-75, in the plaza called the Pet & Fit Center, in 2016.

Medical director Dr. Gina Ushi is one of three experienced pet emergency veterinarians you’ll find at Pet Urgent Care of Wesley Chapel.

The Pet & Fit Center is now a place where pet owners can visit their veterinarian, stop by the nearby retail store for pet products, such as food, toys, treats, beds and much more. The retail store is Pet Depot, and it occupies 3,000 square feet next door to the pet hospitals.

Seven Oaks Pet Hospital treat dogs, cats and exotic pets. When the pet hospital closes, the urgent care center opens.

Pet Urgent Care of Wesley Chapel is open seven days a week until 11 p.m. (see full hours at the end of this story).

Making Pet Urgent Care Closer & More Convenient

Gina Ushi, DVM, is the medical director for Pet Urgent Care of Wesley Chapel. Prior to joining the pet hospital, Dr. Ushi worked at an emergency clinic in Tampa.

Dr. Ushi earned her DVM degree in 2009 from the University of Florida in Gainesville. She had previously earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Biology from Xavier University in New Orleans, LA, in 2003.

“If people have an emergency with a pet in this area, we want them to know they don’t have to drive down to Tampa,” she says. “When I worked in Tampa, we would often get calls from Wesley Chapel where people would ask, ‘is there anything closer?’”

Now, she says, there finally is a closer option for pets with all kinds of urgent medical needs, such as bite wounds or lacerations, not eating or drinking, or toxin ingestion.

“We see pets with allergic reactions, ear and eye infections, vomiting and/or diarrhea,” Dr. Ushi explains, “or minor traumas, such as they jumped off the bed and now they’re limping.”

There are no scheduled appointments, so all patients are seen on a walk-in basis. Dr. Ushi says pet owners can call ahead so the staff is prepared for you when you get there, but even that isn’t necessary.

Pet Urgent Care of Wesley Chapel is fully staffed with veterinarians who are all experienced in emergency medicine. Dr. Ushi is joined by Dr. Megan Niedens, who was Dr. Ushi’s classmate and also received her DVM degree from UF in 2009, and Dr. Michele Lentovich, who received her DVM degree from UF in 2005. Each of the three doctors has more than 10 years of experience in emergency medicine for animals.

Dr. Ushi says their experience is critical when it comes to being able to save the life of a pet, because a doctor experienced in caring for animals is not the same as one experienced in handling emergencies. “When you visit our urgent care, you will see a doctor who has been in emergency medicine for at least 10 years,” Dr. Ushi explains. “You can rest assured you’re seeing a highly trained, highly experienced doctor.”

Pet Urgent Care of Wesley Chapel sees dogs, cats, rabbits and ferrets. The doctors will sometimes see other exotic animals and birds, but that’s at the doctor’s discretion. Not every doctor is comfortable with every animal, so it will depend upon which doctor is available.

Dr. Ushi advises that anyone who has birds or small exotic animals should call before walking in to determine whether or not they can be seen at the urgent care facility. Most exotics can be scheduled at the regular hospital by appointment.

“We are a bridge between your family veterinarian and an overnight emergency facility,” explains Dr. Ushi. Sometimes, she says, a pet’s illness is so critical that they must be sent somewhere else for overnight care but, in most cases, they are able to be treated and sent home.

In fact, Dr. Ushi says, many of the cases they see are minor issues where a pet owner simply can’t get to their own vet during regular office hours.

Whether a pet is regularly seen at Seven Oaks Pet Hospital, or any other veterinarian, they are still welcome to come to Pet Urgent Care, if needed.

Diane and Morocco will forever be grateful. She says the doctors at Pet Urgent Care of Wesley Chapel were able to stabilize Morocco so he could travel the rest of the way home.

“When you’re so stressed like that, it was a wonderful feeling that everyone had great customer service,” Diane says, “from the receptionist to the vet who treated him. The facility was clean and easy to navigate. They saved my dog’s life.”

She says that Morocco is doing much better now. She also took her paperwork from the visit to her vet back home and asked if the services that were recommended, such as blood work, were necessary, and if what she was charged was reasonable.

Her veterinarian confirmed that he agreed with the recommendations of Pet Urgent Care of Wesley Chapel. “So, they have integrity, too,” says Diane.

Pet Urgent Care of Wesley Chapel is located at 27027 S.R. 56 (look for the big, inflatable dalmatian). Pet Urgent Care of Wesley Chapel is currently offering a special of 10-percent off the regular exam fee for all new clients. It is open Monday-Friday, 6 p.m.–11 p.m., 2 p.m.–11 p.m. on Saturday and 5 p.m.–11 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, call (813) 279-6500 or visit UrgentPetCareOfWesleyChapel.com.

It’s A Family Affair For 2019 Wharton Valedictorian

Victoria  (Tori) Bell is the third member of her family to earn class valedictorian honors at Wharton High.

For Wharton High’s 2019 Valedictorian, Victoria “Tori” Bell, being at the very top of her class runs in the family.

Both of Tori’s older brothers, Earl and Jared, were also Wharton valedictorians. Earl is now serving in the military, and Jared is earning his undergraduate degree in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology at the University of Florida in Gainesville. 

“It was always assumed that I would follow in their footsteps, but I never felt forced into it,” says Tori, 17, who earned a 9.01 GPA at Wharton by completing several Advanced Placement STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) courses while simultaneously earning an Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree from Hillsborough Community College. 

Tori, a National Merit Scholar and member of the Mu Alpha Theta  Mathematics Honor Society and the Science National Honor Society, received fully-financed offers from Florida Gulf Coast University and the University of South Florida, but had her heart set on attending UF.

“My brothers both went there, and it’s always the school I wanted to go to,” said Tori, who was awarded the Benacquisto and Presidential Scholarship from UF, which will more than cover her full tuition and living expenses. 

Tori says her recipe for success was, “consistency and determination with measured doses of goofing off,” which she did by playing video games, going to the gym, and enjoying lots of movies and TV shows by herself and with friends.

“I absolutely love stories,” said Tori, whose favorites include the Ender’s Game series, Marvel comic book movies, and the British drama hit “Killing Eve.”

Tori also is an avid reader who has whiled away many an afternoon at the bookstore, reading Gillian Flynn, Emily Danforth and Agatha Christie.

Her parents, Ed and Diana Bell, teach math and language arts at Wharton; however, her mother says that Tori is very self-sufficient and never asked either of them for help with homework.

Tori plans to major in Accounting, although she says that career choice is not set in stone, and plans to minor in English at UF. She’s also looking forward to living in Gainesville, closer to her brother Jared.

“My parents and family have been absolutely amazing, and I know I wouldn’t be here without them,” she said.

Salutatorian Also Headed To UF

Wharton’s salutatorian Ashley Joseph, who came in just behind Victoria with an 8.41 GPA, was, like the valedictorian, determined for success from the beginning.

“My parents taught me the importance of education from an early age,” says Ashley, 18, who took additional online and dual enrollment courses as a freshman and sophomore specifically to meet high school graduation requirements as soon as possible. “From there, I followed my passions and learned continuously.”

Ashley volunteers weekly in the emergency room at AdventHealth Tampa, interacting with patients and helping at the front desk, and works as a tutor at Kumon Math and Reading Center in New Tampa. 

“My goal is to become a doctor,” says Ashley, who also will attend UF. “The ability to help others is extremely meaningful and rewarding (to me).”

Wharton High’s 2019 graduation ceremony will be held at the Florida State Fairgrounds on U.S. 301 in Tampa on Thursday, May 30, at 12:30 p.m.

New Tampa FIRST LEGO League Team Tries For National Title This Weekend!

Of 48 teams that competed in the FIRST LEGO League State competition on April 6 in Delray Beach, a team of six fifth and sixth grade students from New Tampa, called Team TechnoWizards, took home first place and are on their way to competing for a national title.

The team consists of Pride Elementary fifth grade students Ayona Bagui, Dhruv Kulkarni, Naina Sethi and Nikhil Katiyar, along with sixth grade students Anika Prasad, who attends Benito Middle School, and Netra Vijay, who attends Williams Middle School.

The team has been working together for two years now, under the guidance and support of coach Sudhir Katiyar, who also Nikhil’s father, along with other parents of team members. Last year, Team TechnoWizards qualified to go to the State tournament, but didn’t place at that competition.

This year, they placed second at the Florida-West Coast Regional competition in February, which qualified them to compete at State. At the State tournament, their improved performance landed them the first-place prize, outmatching all of their competition.

“That happened because the team worked together in all aspects,” says Sudhir.

FIRST LEGO League teams use STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) as the basis for innovative learning and competition. FIRST also is an acronym that stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.” The theme for the 2018-19 season was “Into Orbit.”

The league uses LEGO Mindstorms robots as one part of its competition. Teams had to design, build and write programs to cause a robot to perform assigned tasks related to the theme.

More Than Just Robots

Robots are only part of the competition, though. 

Teams also have to complete and are judged on a project. For this year’s competition, the team members  researched numerous topics regarding problems in space and chose one that was most important to them — the well-being of astronauts.

They created a prototype to depict possible solutions to prevent health hazards to the astronauts, like loneliness.

“They are not judged just on the technical aspects” explains Sudhir. “They are also judged on the FIRST core values, such as how did you resolve issues and conflicts within the team, and how did you solve problems when your coach wasn’t around?”

FIRST’s core values include discovery, innovation, impact, inclusion, teamwork, fun, gracious professionalism and cooperation.

Throughout the competition season, which runs concurrent with the school year, Team TechnoWizards also explored and served their community at the public library and in their schools, as well as for Feeding Tampa Bay, the Children’s Home Network, St. Joseph’s Hospital, American Heart Association and an aerospace museum. 

A field trip to NASA in Cape Canaveral gave the team a chance to meet with a real astronaut, and a trip to iFly Indoor Skydiving gave them a simulation of an experience in space. 

Thanks to its win at the State level, Team TechnoWizards was invited to attend the FIRST LEGO League Razorback Invitational, a 72-team championship tournament that includes national and international teams. 

It is being held this weekend on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville.

Dozens Of New Tampa Swimmers Helping Beat Cancer

Emma Bryan, a Wharton High School freshman, fills her back with the names of people she knows and who have lost their battles with cancer, before participating in Swim Across America. She is one of at least 25 swimmers from Greater Tampa Swim Association who raised money for cancer research at the event in St. Petersburg today.

Emma Bryan put on a bathing suit and cap this morning, warmed up and swam, like she’s done most days of her young life. As a 15-year-old competitive swimmer, she spends a lot of time in the pool.

Today, she swam in open water, for her grandmother, her aunt, and her elementary school friend — all people she has lost to cancer.

This was the fourth year that Emma, who is a freshman at Wharton High, participated in the Tampa Bay Swim Across America event, which raises money for cancer research and took place at North Shore Park in St. Petersburg.

Participants chose between the half-mile, 1-mile or 2-mile distance, Kayakers and paddleboarders also participated.

“Every year I raise around $1,500,” she says, “and 100 percent of that goes to cancer research centers, so I know it’s going to a good place.”

Proceeds from the Tampa Bay event go to the Moffitt Cancer Center and pediatric cancer research at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital.

Emma is just one of many kids and teenagers participated in the event. They swam together as part of the Greater Tampa Swim Association (GTSA), and their coach encourages them to participate.

“It’s great for our kids to help out their community and do things that are outside of themselves,” says Julia Lamb, who is the owner and head coach of the New Tampa branch of GTSA (there also is a South Tampa branch). “The kids really take ownership of it. They register and create their own page and go out and get donations.”

The fund-raising goal was of $20,000.

Julia said Emma and the event’s team captain, Brooke Harrigan, did a great job and thought outside the box to raise money, such as selling bracelets and hosting spirit nights.

Brooke is a senior at Brooks DeBartolo High School who lives in Live Oak Preserve. She says she loves participating, in part because she knows that all expenses for the event are covered by sponsors so that 100 percent of the donations made to her and her team go directly to Moffitt and Johns Hopkins.

Moffitt Cancer Center acknowledges on its website that, since 2012, the Tampa Bay Swim Across America event has raised more than $1.1 million to fund Moffitt’s Adolescent and Young Adult Program activities and has supported clinical trials for more than 40 patients with stage 4 metastatic melanoma.

Julia adds that Johns Hopkins just enrolled its first patient in an immunotherapy trial that was specifically funded by Swim Across America.

The swimmers all believe that their fund-raising efforts are making a difference in the lives of those who are affected by cancer.

“When I swim at the event, there’s a list on my arm of who I’m swimming in memory of or in honor of,” says Brooke. “Every year I add to that list. It’s bittersweet to know another person’s been impacted by cancer, but it’s one more person I can impact through this swim.”

Swim Across America is a national organization that started with a single event in Nantucket, MA, in 1987, and has grown to 20 open water swims and 100 pool swims across the country this year.

Team Gosselin — Local Realtors Who Are Also Community Leaders

After joining Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Properties Group a year ago, Karen and Renynold (pictured here with company CEO/Chair Gino Blefari), became members of the Chairman’s Gold Circle, awarded to the top 2% of Berkshire Hathaway’s 50,000 sales executives worldwide.

Proverbially, Realtor Karen Tillman-Gosselin wears a lot of hats, including serving as the current chair of the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce, the membership director of the Rotary Club of New Tampa, and on the board of several other local organizations.

And, she and her husband and real estate partner Renynold Gosselin also have been sponsors of the Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel since their Rotary Club took over hosting the event in 2017.

But Karen, who joined Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Properties Group in 2018, is still not too busy to help her real estate clients with the tiniest of details, even if it’s picking out paint colors and furniture for their new homes.

“She’s absolutely remarkable,” says Karen’s client Ken Merrill, who says that’s exactly what she helped him do, as the single dad set up his home in Wesley Chapel. “She set a new standard for me.”

Ken says he relocated to the area when he bought a local Allstate insurance agency about a year and a half ago, then says he was referred to Karen and Renynold Gosselin, through their mutual Rotary Club.

He describes Karen and Renynold as “tireless,” as they took him and his kids, ages 16 and 13, out to see houses. Ken changed his mind a few times about exactly what he was looking for, and each time Karen and Renynold would simply find more homes for them to visit.

“Renynold is a virtual encyclopedia of information about the Tampa Bay area,” says Ken. “He knew every corner, every drug store, every market, and knew all the school districts.” 

Ken says it was 55 homes later before he finally found the perfect one.

 “Now, I absolutely love my house,” he says. “When I walk in, a feeling of warmth comes over me because of how much I love it.”

But, he also says visiting those 55 houses was just the tip of the iceberg of what the Gosselins did for him. 

“They negotiated an exceptionally favorable deal for me,” says Ken, who raves about the low price-per-square-foot he paid, and then lists the ways the Gosselins have shown outstanding kindness to his family —from helping him hire a top-notch roofer at a lowest-bid cost, to giving him and his son tickets to a USF football game.

And yes, they also helped him pick paint colors and furniture.

This beautiful 5BR, 4BA home in Saddlebrook in Wesley Chapel is one of many gorgeous luxury listings by Karen Tillman-Gosselin and her husband, Renynold Gosselin. They use the same impactful photography, marketing techniques and attentive customer service for buyers and sellers at any price point, even those who are purchasing or selling their first home.

Karen says she first got into real estate when she was working as an interior designer, often staging homes for sale for real estate agents. She’s happy to help her clients make their homes look their best, whether it’s a home they just purchased, or one they want to stage to sell. 

Award-Winning Service!

As real estate agents, Karen and Renynold represent buyers and sellers who want to purchase or sell a home. While Karen sells many luxury homes all over the Tampa Bay area, the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area is her long-time home, and she works with people whose budgets are at any price point, even first-time home buyers and sellers.

The pair joined Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices in July of 2018, which Otis Bass, who is the president and managing Broker of the Florida Properties Group, says recently became the largest real estate company in the United States.

“Thanks to (chairman and CEO) Warren Buffett, there’s a lot of name recognition with Berkshire Hathaway, and it has prestige,” explains Renynold. 

However, Karen says there’s much more to why they chose to join the agency. 

“Berkshire Hathaway is a great company with a lot of tools for agents, including a network for referrals from agents around the world,” she says.

More referrals to the Gosselins means more buyers looking at the homes they currently have listed for sale, which is helpful to local sellers.

“Berkshire Hathaway has more resources than other brokers,” says Karen, “and they’re always looking out for the best for their agents. They have created a very positive culture here.”

Recently, the Gosselins were awarded membership to the distinguished Chairman’s Gold Circle, representing that they are in the top 2 percent of the nearly 50,000 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices real estate sales executives worldwide.

Prior to joining Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Properties Group, Karen worked for many years for local offices of Florida Executive Realty, Keller Williams, Casa Fina Realty and most recently, Smith & Associates.

Karen and Renynold both got their real estate licenses in 2000. Reynold worked “behind the scenes” for many years, until he recently retired from a 30-year career with Verizon and became Karen’s full-time partner in real estate.

During her decades-long career in the business, Karen has sold more than $200 million of real estate.

She says she continues to be successful because she is a trusted advisor to clients who refer their friends and family to her and Renynold.

“Having a real estate agent who will listen to your wants and needs and help you find that one house you will make your home is crucial,” Karen says. “That agent needs to put you first, then properly coordinate all aspects — from negotiations and inspections to ensuring that the transaction becomes a reality.”

Marketing Your Home

Karen and Renynold say that marketing also is a big part of their success, and that having great photographs online is key to marketing a home for sale these days.

“Most buyers start on the internet,” says Renynold, “that’s why photography is so important.”

So, Karen and Renynold provide a 3D tour of each home they list. The tour is so comprehensive, it can even be viewed in virtual reality to feel like you’re actually walking through the home.

The 3D tour often is accompanied by a separate video walk-through of the home, plus drone photography, and photos and video of the community, too.

“We’re selling a lifestyle,” Karen says. “If you live in a community with a pool with slides, we’ll have photos of that or incorporate that into the video, to show people who want to move here the kind of lifestyle they can have.”

Karen says she and Renynold are by their clients’ side throughout the entire process, paying attention to every detail.

“It can be very overwhelming to sell a house,” she says. “We try to take some of the load off, because we know you’re not only selling, you’re also moving.”

Karen and Renynold’s expertise can make the entire process much easier on buyers and sellers.

Ken Merrill seconds that. “I would refer (them) to anybody,” he says. “It goes way beyond the transaction of real estate. It’s been an incredible experience, and they’re now family, as far as I’m concerned.”

To schedule a free, no-obligation consultation in your home, visit FineHomesofTampa.com or call (813) 629-1502.