Tustin Legacy Animal Hospital Team
Learn more about usMeet the Veterinarians & Team of Tustin Legacy Animal Hospital! We’re pleased to provide exceptional vet care for your pets!
Our Veterinary Team
Our veterinary team is a kind and caring group of experienced professionals that focuses on building a long-term, helpful, and meaningful relationship with you and your pet. We are attentive, responsive, and provide outstanding customer service. The team is led by Dr. Celine Hayek and Dr. Kristen Negvesky, two talented and experienced veterinarians who spend their days going above and beyond to make sure animals under their care are healthy and happy during scheduled appointments.
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TLAH is also very proud to have two Registered Veterinary Technicians (RVTs), Shelby and Balle, as well as two technicians trained in RVT programs, Katie and Yitzi, taking excellent care of your pets. RVTs go through additional schooling and must pass a rigorous set of national and state licensing exams to obtain their certification, delineating them as highly experienced and knowledgeable pet nurses. We’re so excited to have them on our team!
Dr. Hayek and Dr. Negvesky’s passion is education and helping pet owners understand how to best care for their furry family members. Not only are the doctors passionate about practicing high-quality, modern veterinary medicine, but they are also involved in the community. They eagerly participate in local events to share their knowledge and serve as a trusted source of information about pets.
Drs. Hayek and Negvesky met in 2015 while working at another hospital together, and they were instantly great friends. In 2017 they decided to band together and create their own hospital, a place where they can practice progressive medicine in a friendly, fun environment. They’re very supportive of each other and work together to ensure they have plenty of work-life balance and time to enjoy their personal lives and families. They also spend a lot of time together outside of work and like to try new foodie restaurants and go shopping and double dates with their husbands.
Dr. Kristen Negvesky
Likes
Anything to do with the beach and ocean; traveling with Alex, her amazingly supportive husband; riding her beach cruiser anywhere and everywhere; baking and eating pastries; watching movies & TV with aforementioned amazing husband; learning new things, and doing Pilates and yoga to help feel strong and balanced.
You may find her...
Esoterically quoting her favorite movies; entranced by petting kitties; staying up late for no good reason, and enjoying long conversations with friends and clients about anything and everything.
Personal Stats
An Air Force brat, she has lived all over the country but always came home in the summers to visit family in SoCal. Her mom, Sherry, is a dental hygienist, and her dad, James, is a hospital administrator. Her husband, Alex (did she mention how amazing he is?), is a computer systems engineer who manages a technology team for a financial firm. She has 2 cats named Fiona (rescued at 8 weeks old & is now 15 years old), who is a super sweet gray domestic shorthair who’s always by her side, and Morgan (rescued at 1 year old after spaying her in veterinary school for the local humane society & is now 7 years old) who is a crazy loving ball of fur tortie/calico mix. She and her husband excitedly welcomed their first child, Calvin, in November 2019.
Favorite Parts of Her Job
Dislikes
Mayonnaise (with the fiery passion of a thousand suns!); rude people; and waking up early.
Superpowers
Detecting heart murmurs in pets that others can’t hear; making friends easily, and a wickedly sarcastic sense of humor.
Professional Stats
DVM from University of Guelph (Ontario, Canada); MS from UCLA (Physiological Science); BS from UC Irvine (Neurobiology – zot zot zot!).
Favorite Medicine Topics
What Dr. Hayek Loves About Her:
Dr. Negvesky knows how to give her undivided attention to whomever she speaks with and really cares about you. She brings with her an exciting atmosphere that resonates with everyone in the room. In addition, she is a lovely friend and partner, and I am so excited to be working with her!
Dr. Celine Hayek
Likes
Milk or dark chocolate, creating fun flyers online for the hospital, traveling abroad, hiking, walking her dogs, jewelry making, trying new foods with her husband.
You may find her...
Relaxing in her backyard with her dogs, drinking tea, and soaking up the sun.
Personal Stats
Got married in 2017 to the love of her life, Jeff. He immediately got along with her dogs (made her love him even more), a Chihuahua named Dulce (De Leche), and a Jack Russell terrier mix, Pace. Dulce has been with her since her internship in Ventura, California, and Pace has been with her since her first year of working at a general practice in Orange, California. Our new hobby is hanging with our son, Leo.
Favorite Parts of Her Job
Meeting people with their pets and learning about them. Making sure that the people around her are happy and go home happy. Finishing up with a day that is filled with helping animals and their human friends.
Dislikes
Marzipan, coconut flakes (except for the real fruit), driving slow, people who dislike dogs and cats.
Superpowers
Taking photos of things from a different perspective and having them turn out awesome! Also great at working the microscope!
Professional Stats
DVM from St. George’s University, West Indies, with a clinical year at the University of Pennsylvania (2010). Two years of internships in Ventura, California, one year for multiple specialties, and the second year for Radiology and Oncology (2010-2012). Working as a DVM since 2010, with multiple years of animal experience before then; working toward being certified in Fear-Free medicine.
Favorite Medicine Topics
What Dr. Negvesky Loves About Her:
Dr. Hayek is very loving and kind and has a way of instantly putting people at ease. She always has a positive attitude and an infectious smile, spreading happiness wherever she goes. She is a wonderfully supportive friend in every way, and I’m so excited to share this journey with her!
Dr. Carissa Cruz-gsell
Likes
You may find her...
Personal Stats
Favorite Parts of Her Job
Dislikes
Superpowers
Professional Stats
Favorite Medicine Topics
Dermatology and surgery. And on the side, wildlife conservation medicine
Shandell
Practice Manager
Dr. Shandell Maxwell has a sincere passion for supporting veterinary teams so that they can focus on patient care. Her background includes experience in human health, staffing & recruiting, veterinary laboratory and management, and higher education. Shandell is a business coach, a continual learner, and an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. When Shandell’s not at work, she enjoys spending time with her daughter and their rabbit.
Katie
Veterinary Technician
My name is Katie, and I’m so excited to be working at TLAH! I graduated with my AA in Environmental Science in 2011 and have worked with a couple of local nonprofit environmental groups before deciding that veterinary nursing was my true calling. I have loved and wanted to work with animals since I was very young, so becoming a veterinary technician was the right choice for me! I went to Heritage College and OCVAS to get my vet tech certifications, hoping to have my RVT license by the end of the year! I have worked as a veterinary assistant since 2015 and have loved every minute! When I’m not at work, my favorite activities are: spending time with my boyfriend Dylan and our pets Annie and Perla, hiking/camping/enjoying nature, watching new shows and movies on Netflix, or reading.
What the doctors love about her:
Katie’s genuine love of animals truly shines through. Not only does she love helping animals in need, but she is a very understanding and patient person to work with. She continues to grow in her technical skills. Our clients love her and ask for her when they need questions answered. We could not have asked for a better person to work here, and we love her!
Shelby
Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT)
Hello TLAH Clients! My name is Shelby, and I am SO thrilled to have the opportunity to meet you and care for your precious pets! My journey to becoming an RVT first began at the OC Zoo when I was 16. This is where I learned how to care for many animals such as mountain lions, bears, bobcats, and even bald eagles. Soon after working at the zoo, I started my first job as a veterinary assistant at Bristol Memory Animal Clinic. This is where I had the pleasure of meeting Yitzi, who is currently a technician at TLAH! Yitzi then introduced me to Stanbridge University, where I achieved my AA degree in Veterinary Science and my license as a Registered Veterinary Technician. I enjoy hiking, camping, playing the violin, and learning more about veterinary science during my free time!
What the doctors love about her:
Shelby is an enterprising young woman. She recently became an RVT (Registered Veterinary Technician), and she is so eager to learn everything about veterinary medicine and the veterinary field. Her smart nature will take her far, and she is already doing great with us at TLAH in such a short time. Shelby gets along well with everyone and has the sweetest character.
Balle
Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT)
Hi! My name is Balle (pronounced Bailey). I graduated from Platt College in 2019 and became an RVT in 2020. I have experience in both emergency and general practice hospitals. I have had a lifelong passion for helping our fur friends, starting with rescuing stray kittens as a young girl. I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling, and hanging out with my boyfriend, Steven, and our (not so furry) kitty, Bruce.
What the doctors love about her:
Balle is one of our newest staff members, and we love working with her already! She handles tasks quickly and efficiently and is always ready to jump in to help her coworkers. They’ve said, “she’s the missing puzzle piece we didn’t know we needed!”. She’s an RVT (Registered Veterinary Technician) and is great with gentle patient handling and technical skills. Balle always has a positive attitude and gets along well with everyone.
Alexus
Client Service Representative
Hi, my name is Alexus, and I’m excited to introduce myself as one of the client service representatives at TLAH! I’ve worked and studied mental healthcare since 2013 until I decided I wanted to follow my dreams of working with animals. Currently, I’m in the veterinary technician program at Mt. Sac while working on getting my vet tech license. I spend most of my time with my cat Flynn Rider, hiking or rollerskating.
What the doctors love about her:
Alexus is a very fast learner and surprises us every day with what she already can do at the hospital. She needs minimal monitoring, and she really gets the job done without hesitation. Last but not least, she is always smiling and always polite – perfect for the front office staff environment. She is an asset to the hospital, and we are really enjoying getting to know her.
Liv
Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT)
Hi! 🙂 My name is Liv, and I love caring for your fur babies! I graduated with an Associate’s Degree in Veterinary Science in 2019 and received my RVT license in 2020. Animals have been a passion of mine since I was very young- I knew that vet-med would be my calling when I first got my chubby boy Spyro (Puggle) and my spoiled girl Bella (Cheagle). When I’m not loving on your fur babes, I’m roller skating at the skatepark or watching horror movies with my boyfriend, Kenneth.
What the doctors love about her:
She is very sweet and accommodating. You can tell she truly cares about the animals’ welfare and ensures that the animals in the hospital are comfortable. She puts others before herself, which is a great quality, but at the same time, the doctors want her well-being as well as the rest of the employees’ well-being to be healthy! We are so happy she has joined the TLAH family!
Aurelia
Veterinary Technician
Hola everybody! My name is Aurelia
(pronounced Uh-rel-lee-uh), and I’m excited to care for your fur babies! I graduated with an AA degree in Veterinary Science in 2022, and I’m now working towards getting my RVT license, Lord willingly! I may be new to the team, but loving animals is not new to me! I grew up watching Steve Irwin, so I’ve had my share of caring for different types of pets. When I’m not here working with your fur babies, I’m either hanging with my family, friends, my boyfriend Derek, and or my dogs Finn and Molly!
Britany
Client Service Representative
Hi! My name is Britany. I’m very excited to be part of the TLAH team as a client service representative. I have four years of experience in customer service. I am currently attending Saddleback College and studying Python programming! I’ve been around animals since I was very young, and I enjoy spending time with my two rabbit “fur babies”, Mochi and Jane. When I’m not working, I’m with my boyfriend Angelo playing video games and going to coffee shops trying different lattes, as well as listening to some of my favorite music artists which are The Weekend and Steve Lacy.
