Things are taking shape at 5040 Shoreham Place in San Diego. Walls are going up, and with them, a clearer picture of what the Janice K. Hobbs UC Davis Veterinary Medical Center Southern California will become. What began as a building purchase and a bold vision is quietly, steadily becoming real.
Cupcake came to the UC Veterinary Medical Center, San Diego in need of care from the center’s cardiology specialty team. Thanks to compassionate care funds made available through philanthropic support, Cupcake received critical treatment at the time she needed it most.
Here is Cupcake's inspiring story.
With heartfelt appreciation and love, we want to thank you for your generous support of Cupcake’s Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) surgery.
For Joseph Castro, RVT, a career in veterinary medicine wasn't planned from the start — it grew from a simple desire to help. Now a Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) on the cardiology team at UC Veterinary Medical Center, San Diego, Joseph is one of the familiar faces that greets patients and their owners every day, making sure every visit runs smoothly and every concern is heard. "I started working for a mobile low-income vaccine clinic," he said. "After several months I decided to work in an actual clinical setting. Since then, I've been in veterinary medicine."
In March, 2024, the school announced that with the assistance of donor Janice K. Hobbs it purchased a building in San Diego to expand its veterinary services in Southern California.
As the new UC Davis Hobbs Veterinary Center buildout continues, the construction team has been laying the foundation and groundwork for the center to start being framed out. The floor has been placed, along with most major utilities.
Dennice Wilson and Choon Neo Siow grew up in very different environments, yet both found deep connection with the animals around them. Dennice sought out pets and animals everywhere she could as a child growing up in Southern California. Choon Neo lived in an urban Singaporean jungle where monkeys and wild boars lived hidden in rainforest that the city island still preserved, wild animals would encounter from time to time.
For Ashley Lahti, caring for animals of every kind is at the heart of everything she does. She is one of the Animal Health Technicians at the UC Veterinary Medical Center, San Diego, with a focus on the center’s cardiology specialty. Her care for each patient is central to her day to day work at the clinic. Ashley’s vision also extends beyond the clinic, as her long-term career goal is to eventually work in conservation medicine (wildlife medicine) as a veterinarian.
Scheduled to open in summer 2026, the Janice K. Hobbs UC Davis Veterinary Medical Center Southern California will usher in a new era of veterinary care for the region. For more than 25 years, the UC Veterinary Medical Center in San Diego has served pets and their families with excellence and compassion — but demand for advanced veterinary services has far outpaced capacity.
Margaret Wilson (Maggie) has worked with the UC Veterinary Medical Center, San Diego for almost nine years, and loves that every day is a little different. As one of the clinic’s Client Services Representatives, she enjoys meeting pets and their owners and helping them navigate questions with the care team. “Visiting the clinic can be stressful for the pets and their owners, too. I enjoy working with them to make sure their experience is as smooth as possible.”
When Sarge, a Belgian Malinois, first joined Sydney and her husband Dahlton Seel's family, he was still young – under a year old. Dahlton trains dogs for families, and he bonded with Sarge immediately. Sarge was a happy puppy, and got along well with their other two dogs.
“Our work has so much variety to it. In one day, I could put it in a jug cap, place a catheter, I could draw blood, collect urine. I could be in the pharmacy coordinating medications. And I'm also calling clients to see how their pet is doing, checking in to see if they have any other questions about their recent visit.”
Susan Darling knew she wanted to make a difference – being adopted herself, she adopts animals that are without an owner. She has brought in cats (and occasionally a dog) needing a forever home for decades. Her care has helped the lives of many animals, and yet Susan wanted to do even more.
Renovations of an existing building are under way, with design/build team architect Safdie Rabines and builder Swinerton.
The new Janice K. Hobbs Veterinary Medical Center Southern California will be a state-of-the-art facility. When doors open in 2026, the existing UC Veterinary Medical Center, San Diego, will move to 5040 Shoreham Place in the University City area of San Diego and become the Janice K. Hobbs UC Davis Veterinary Medical Center Southern California.
Time spent on his grandfather’s farm as a boy in Brazil led Andre Le Sueur to become a veterinarian. But that wasn’t enough – veterinary school sparked an interest in nephrology, which studies and treats diseases and conditions of the kidneys, and it took additional years to develop that specialty. Le Sueur served two years as a small animal internal medicine resident at São Paulo State University and then earned his master’s degree specializing in the field.
A typical day for a veterinary cardiologist is usually not “typical” due to the variety of cases, says Dr. Timothy Hodge, DVM, DACVM, veterinary cardiologist at the UC Veterinary Medical Center, Southern California. This specialty is essential for diagnosing and managing different types of heart-related issues in companion animals, and sometimes in larger animals such as horses, and those at the San Diego Zoo.
