MORE THAN A WISH: MAKE-A-WISH® BRINGS LASTING HOPE AND SUPPORT
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August 2023
PUBLISHER
Carmen Ionascu | Carmen.Ionascu@citylifestyle.com
MANAGING EDITOR
Josh Foster | josh.foster@citylifestyle.com
EDITORIAL COORDINATOR
Savannah Vasquez | savannah.vasquez@citylifestyle.com
Children and pets leave prints on our hearts!
Children are not merely the hope for a brighter tomorrow; they are the foundation upon which our society stands. Their innocence, curiosity, and boundless potential have the power to shape the world in ways we can only imagine. Kids represent our hardest work and greatest investment and we are happy to highlight the best for our kids in this issue.
Also, who could forget pets? The special kind of companionship can be a transformative experience for children and adults alike. Pets provide us with unconditional love, the opportunity to learn, grow and develop essential life skills in a nurturing environment. And who could ignore the bond between kids and their furry or feathery friends? The bond is often deep and meaningful, fostering qualities like empathy, responsibility, and companionship.
Although children are of infinitely more value, what children and pets share in common is that they need us. Our care, attention and intention shapes how they are raised and who they become. We hope this issue inspires you to pour a little extra into the children and pets in your life this month. Cheers!
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Make-A-Wish® to see if her wish to visit Disney World could be made a reality.
“The majority of our wishes are Disney World trips because Disney World is a place that everyone wants to go,” said Kathleen. “Make-A-Wish® has a strong partnership with Disney World and they make special preparations for Wish kids and families providing VIP services and fun for the entire family.”
This year a local Destin family was facing the worst news, their 3-year-old daughter Chloe was diagnosed with a brain tumor. When families face critical illnesses with children, it seems like the entire world is falling apart; that’s why MakeA-Wish Foundation® strives to bring hope back to these precious families and especially to the young fighters who are facing countless hospital stays, doctor’s visits, and medical restrictions.
“About 89% of medical professionals believe that a wish can have a positive influence on a child’s physical health,” said Kathleen Hampton, Make-A-Wish® Foundation’s NW Florida Region’s Director of Development. “Just the knowledge that their wish will come true seems to give these young patients a rejuvenated sense of being to fight their illness so they can go on their trip. These Wish experiences are something they hold onto because it helps them forget about their illness for a little while and gives them hope for the future.”
Chloe’s family followed their medical team’s referral and set up a discovery call with
In early March, Chloe’s Wish came true, as her family visited Disney’s parks for six days and five nights with park hopper passes to Disney's four parks, day passes to Universal Studios and Island of Adventure and a special surprise visit to LEGOLAND.
“Chole’s family also went to Peppa Pig Theme Park within LEGOLAND because that was something she was really interested in,” said Rebecca Make-A-Wish® Foundation’s Wish Coordinator for Central & Northern Florida. “Their family was amazing to work with, they were so kind. Her mom emailed me a ton of photos from the wish, they got matching t-shirts and looked like they had a really good time.”
"We had the most amazing trip!” Chole’s mom said in an email to Make-A-Wish® Central & Northern Florida. “We managed to make it to all seven parks, and we also did a lot of activities at Disney World. We cannot thank you and the Wish Foundation enough. This was the trip of a lifetime that we will never forget! Thank you so much for everything!"
After a wish is granted, the children and their families are welcomed into the Wish Alumni Community and encouraged to stay connected with their chapter post-wish. There are a variety of ways the Wish Alumni become involved, through volunteering, serving as a Wish Ambassador, and
wishing it forward by fundraising for future wishes to be granted.
The Central and Northern Florida chapter of Make-A-Wish® Foundation serves children from 45 counties. Last year, this chapter alone granted 306 wishes for kids ages 2 ½ to 18, residing in Central and Northern Florida. This year, the team already has 365 wishes scheduled, one for every day of the calendar year.
Kathleen shared that the average cost for granting a wish is $8,000, including cash and in-kind contributions. There is a need for local donors in the Northwest Florida area, especially for in-kind donations such as hotel stays and experiences families can take part in while visiting the Destin area.
“Make-A-Wish® does not receive any government funding and relies 100-percent on the support of individuals and businesses to fund wishes through monetary contributions and donations of in-kind goods and services,” said Kathleen.
For more information about becoming a local donor or in-kind supporter to Make-AWish@ Foundation, email Kathleen Hampton at khampton@cnfl.wish.org.
Chloe and her mom
Kurt Benkert and his family
Piercing blue eyes peered out at her, the fear palpable in the skinny mutt’s eyes. Carmen Ionascu had come to Saving With Soul after contemplating the idea of fostering a dog in need. It was May of 2020, right at the beginning of the national pandemic lockdown, and Carmen thought fostering a dog would give her newfound time at home a greater purpose.
Now, three years later, Destin City Lifestyle Publishers Josh and Carmen laugh as they call themselves failed foster parents. After having Lucy, a beagle and husky mix, for just two weeks, the couple decided to keep her. There was just no denying those big blue puppy-dog eyes.
Lucy has fully become part of the family. Carmen and Josh say she is like their child and her personality makes her irresistible even today. The couple says they call her a cat because Lucy makes them beg her for attention and she is scared of everything.
However, the little terrified dog has come a long way from that first day at the non-profit. Today, Lucy is a very spoiled and happy dog. She spends her days cuddling with her parents, riding in the golf cart and running on the beach.
CONTINUED >
From left, Lucy, Josh Foster, Carmen Ionascu and Gavin Bowman.
Carmen and Josh chose to foster with Saving With Soul because they saw it for what it was, and continues to be a true grass-roots nonprofit. No frills or gimmicks, no politics or agendas, just honest people trying to make the world a better place for lost and abandoned pets. When it comes to what they do, Saving With Soul is really all about saving the animals. The non-profit quietly rescues over 2,000 dogs a year.
“It never occurred to me that this is what I would be doing; running a dog and cat rescue,” said Saving With Soul’s Founder, Jennifer Hagedorn. “I was a writer; I wrote books for the real estate industry. I ended up writing about a local animal shelter and while there, I just had a wonderful time. Soon, I found myself going every day and I became the unofficial volunteer coordinator.”
Jennifer said that slowly but surely the rescue work took over her writing career and in 2017, she launched Saving With Soul as an official non-profit. Today the non-profit has seven employees and about 200 volunteers and foster families working to save dogs and cats in Okaloosa and Walton Counties.
“We are not breed or size specific, we basically say if it’s a nice dog or cat, we can save it,” Jennifer said. “We take in dogs and cats with special medical needs, old pets, you name it; we just don’t knowingly take in aggressive animals.”
When it comes to the highest percentage of dogs that are labeled as “bully breeds,” Jennifer said that 75-percent of the dogs in animal shelters are pit bulls, the most misunderstood breed. Luckily for the pit bulls in the Northwest Florida area, Saving With Soul has now partnered with Flex Fitness to offer the bully breed a new future.
"What we do is we sponsor the bully breeds adopted from Crestview Animal Services, Santa Rosa County Animal Shelter and Saving With Soul Pet Rescue,” said Dan Foster, owner of Flex Fitness. “When someone fosters or adopts a bully breed from one of those locations, they get a 3-month free membership to our gym."
Not only does Dan sponsor those opening their homes to misunderstood pit bulls and bull dogs, he is also leading by example with his brand-new police dog training program Pit Bulls on Patrol (POP). CONTINUED >
“We are taking pit bulls from local animal shelters that are toy-driven and training them for law enforcement,” Dan explained. “So far we have been working with Covington County in Alabama and we have given them two fully-trained dogs.”
Dan explained that the first dog he trained, Tyson, was a donation to the Covington County police force, to prove that the program works. Tyson was donated in May of 2022, and Dan said that not even six months after he became a deputy, the police force was offering to pay for a second dog.
"Tyson was the first pit bull police dog in the state of Alabama," Dan said proudly. "Our second pit bull, Ingrid, that we are almost finished training, will be the first female pit bull deputy in the state of Alabama."
Dan said he chose the pit bull breed to train for police work because not only are the dogs loyal, but they are also known for their powerful and keenly-focused personalities. Over the past five years, Flex Fitness and Saving With Soul have rescued over 500 pit bulls in Okaloosa County, and that number continues to grow.
“The reason we take the law enforcement route is because pits are such a loyal and high-energy breed," he said. "We try to take that energy and use it for the right reason. I’ve been a pit bull owner and advocate for 20 years and I try to show people the good in them because they have such a bad stigma.”
Dan is now in the process of building a custom facility for his North Crestview gym location. Flex Fitness will soon occupy a 12,000-square-foot building with excess property on which Dan plans to grow Pit Bulls On Patrol into a full-blown operation to train and certify future bully breed dogs for patrol.
The Doggy Bag bakery offers delicious home-made pet treats
ARTICLE BY SAVANNAH VASQUEZ | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBERT YOUNG
If you need a specialty treat for your favorite fur baby, The Doggy Bag in Crystal Beach Plaza in Destin is the place to find it. The pet bakery has everything from custom birthday cakes to primo pet food and everything in between for your canine or feline family members. Destin City Lifestyle sat down to talk to the Carol Genteman, owner of The Doggy Bag to see just what goes in to making those irresistible pet treats.
DCL: WHAT DO YOU OFFER THAT IS UNIQUE TO THE AREA?
Carol: We are a bakery for dogs and cats, so we make a lot of birthday cakes, freshly baked cookies, and treats. We have premium dog and cat food that you are not going to find at the big box stores. And we sell toys, clothes, and treats; anything you could need for your animal!
DCL: WHAT GAVE YOU THE IDEA TO OPEN A DOG BAKERY?
Carol: In 2006, I had just moved back to Destin from Japan, and I needed something to do. The bakery was for sale at that time, so it just kind-of fell in my lap. I had never done retail before and had no idea what I was getting into, but I knew I loved animals so now, 17 years later, here we are! I grew up with dogs, horses, cats, we even had a monkey at one time. I just thought, if I am dealing with dogs, I can do this.
DCL: WHAT IS YOUR MOST POPULAR ITEM?
Carol: The most popular item is our top-of-the-line pet food, Carna4 brand, that I have gotten a lot of people into. But our most popular bakery item is our peanut butter squirrels, which are peanut butter and carob cookies that are decorated like squirrels. Everybody’s dog loves squirrels!
DCL: TELL US ABOUT YOUR DOGGIE BIRTHDAY CAKES, WHAT IS THE PROCESS WITH THOSE?
Carol: The birthday or celebration cakes are all custom order and I ask at least three days lead time for those. They are bone-shaped cakes made with carob chips and peanut butter,
then I ice them with either peanut butter or yogurt icing. I also try to incorporate any theme a client might have into the cake, such as a beach theme, and I always put the dog’s name on it.
DCL: LET'S MEET YOUR PETS, I’M SURE THEY HAVE BECOME THE MASCOT'S OF YOUR STORE.
Carol: I have a pit bull boxer mix, Aubie, named for the Auburn University mascot. I rescued Aubie when she was a tiny puppy and now, she is six. Then I have my grand dog, a Schnauzer named Charlie who is 11 years old. They are here all the time; I’m not allowed out of the house without them – their rules! They taste everything I bake, and everybody loves to give them treats when they come in and of course, both dogs love getting them.
DCL: ARE PETS ALLOWED TO COME INTO THE STORE?
Carol: Yes, pets are allowed to come in. I have had a wild array of pets come in. I had a parrot come in and sit up at the front with me while her owner shopped. Cats and lots of dogs come in. We are just a fun, happy place and people and their fur-babies love coming in.
“I had never done retail before and had no idea what I was getting into, but I knew I loved animals so now, 17 years later, here we are!” said Carol Genteman.
Animals have always been part of Ciarra Elle’s life. Growing up in Kauai, Hawaii, Ciarra began her love of animals among the brilliant array of animal life that call the tropical islands home.
“I grew up with dogs, cats, chameleons, snakes, birds and moremy home was like a small wildlife sanctuary!” Ciarra said. “I spent my weekends volunteering at animal shelters and during my free time I was often watching my idol, Steve Irwin on television.”
In 2012, Ciarra sought out Off Leash K9 Training in Virginia and worked under the organization’s creator Nick White. What originally began as a learning journey became her full-time passion, as Ciarra discovered this method of training brought her lasting joy.
“Now, every day, I get to wake up and experience the joy of working with a wide range of amazing dogs and their owners,” Ciarra said. “For me, training dogs is not a job - it's a lifestyle that allows me to create happier lives for dogs and their humans alike.” CONTINUED >
Ciarra moved from her Hawaiian home to the Emerald Coast and launched Off Leash K9 Training 30A (OLK9) in 2019. As fate would have it, the global pandemic followed shortly after, but Ciarra said the commitment of their trainers to providing a quality program and the trust of their clients in the 30A area carried them through.
“We've remained consistently booked months in advance, even during those testing times,” Ciarra said. “We're extremely grateful for the ongoing support from our local community. It's an honor to contribute to a community that values and promotes responsible dog ownership.”
OLK9 30A offers a range of training programs from basic obedience training for puppies to advanced obedience training, and from therapy dog training to aggression and reactivity behavior modification. When it comes to their most popular program, Ciarra said their two and threeweek board and train programs have made the most impact.
“During this program, dogs stay in the trainer's home and receive daily training sessions along with socialization experiences in a variety of environments,” Ciarra said. “One of the standout features of our board and train programs is that we provide daily picture and video updates. This way, owners can closely follow their dog's progress and see how they are doing throughout the program.”
In addition to the training programs, OLK9 30A also offers lifetime guarantees and free training refreshers for all of their programs.
“This commitment to continued support underscores our belief in the effectiveness of our training and our dedication to ensuring lasting results for every dog that goes through our programs,” Ciarra said. “Ultimately, our goal at Off Leash K9 Training 30A is not just to train dogs, but also to educate owners by teaching them how to effectively communicate with their canine companions.”
Ciarra said one of the most rewarding parts of her job is when she watches a dog have a breakthrough moment of mastering a new command or overcoming a previous fear. The appreciation on the owner's face when witnessing the change in their dog's behavior is what OLK9 30A strives for.
"What truly amazes me is that regardless of their size or breed, all dogs can learn and follow this training," Ciarra said. "It is a beautiful reminder that with patience, consistency, and effective communication, every dog can develop into a confident and well-mannered companion. This is the heart and soul of our work at Off Leash K9 Training 30A."
It was a long time coming, but last year Lynn Nevens finally launched her dream job, a music class for children called Destin Kid’s Musik Garten. Nevens taught music in some form or another in a classroom setting for over 15 years but said it was her dream to retire to Destin and open her own studio for kids.
“I’d kind of given up on the dream,” Lynn said. “I was actually about to donate all of my music curriculum to a local school, but one day I was talking to my pastor’s wife, and she asked me if I would like to start it right in our church building.”
Destin Kid’s Musik Garten, hosted at Safe Harbor Presbyterian Church on Airport Road, offers classes for children 15-months to five years old with age-appropriate activities, games, stories, poems, dancing and of course lots of music.
“I believe that all children have an aptitude towards music,” Lynn said. “You put music on with children in the room and immediately you are going to get some type of response. If the music is upbeat and lively, you will have children wanting to sing and wanting to move along with the music.”
Lynn explained that the Musik Garten curriculum encourages music introduction and awareness from birth as a means for infants to begin identifying with different sounds.
“It’s never too early to train music with babies,” Lynn said. “As soon as their ears start developing in the womb, babies can pick up on patterns, sounds and movements in the music.”
Musik Garten is unique to other music programs as the curriculum is all-inclusive with the cost of the initial class so there are no expensive add-ons or surprise costs. Parent and guardian involvement is also a big part of Musik Garten, and as the child grows and becomes more independent, the adult role slowly lessens.
ARTICLE BY SAVANNAH VASQUEZ“The parents only come into class for the last 15 minutes when they get into the older age group,” Lynn said. “At this stage, the children are learning all the different instruments, the dynamics of an orchestra, what notes look like and pre-reading and pre-writing music. We are getting them ready to read and write music.”
“I LOVE SEEING THE CHILDREN CONNECT TO THE MUSIC,” LYNN SAID. “I REALLY ENJOY SEEING THEM FALL IN LOVE WITH MUSIC AND BEGIN TO DEVELOP THE LOVE OF MUSIC BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH BEAUTIFUL MUSIC OUT THERE.”
Musik Garten curricula also follows the flow of the seasons, incorporating elements of nature such as animal sounds, plant movements and even butterfly cycles into the lessons. Lynn explained that as music is a universal language of the world, so are the rhythm and patterns of nature.
“Nature is very involved in our lessons,” Lynn said. “Children respond well to the natural world around them so in class, we talk about hearing different bird calls and I encourage the children to listen to birds in their backyards and try to identify the different sounds.”
Lynn said that Musik Garten does have curriculum for infant classes as well as group piano classes, both she will consider adding if the demand arises. She explained that music is the first language many children understand, as they hear sounds in the womb, so every age child has a place in music training.
“I love seeing the children connect to the music,” Lynn said. “I really enjoy seeing them fall in love with music and begin to develop the love of music because there is so much beautiful music out there.”
Destin Kid’s Musik Garten runs from August to May. Enrollments are open now. Classes meet weekly at 801 Airport Road in Destin.
Families are welcome to participate in one free discovery class. Find out more online at www. makingmusik.com/DestinKids/ or call 847-331-2891.
DESTIN KID’S MUSIK GARTEN
Katie Anderson of Let’s Get Social is allergic to dogs, so the fact that she now owns two Australian Shepherds is a testament to her love for her pets; a trait her two pups easily reciprocate.
“It was a spur-of-the-moment thing,” Katie said of her choice to get a dog. “We got Russell as a quarantine puppy, and I kind of just learned to deal with my allergies.”
Katie graduated from Troy University the same year she adopted Russel, in 2020, and began her career in retail and real estate marketing. After seven years of that, Katie decided to branch out on her own and launched Let’s Get Social earlier this year.
“I love working for myself,” Katie said. “Let’s Get Social offers social media management, logo design, graphic design, and branding photography.”
Recently, Katie adopted a little brother for Russell; Ripely. Rip made his debut on the social platform in June and is already winning the hearts of Katie’s friends, family and clients.
“Australian Shepherds are very human-like dogs,” Katie said. “They are very loyal; very about their people.”
Jessie Orbovich, owner of wine label Slay Rose’, is a self-described dog person. Although she grew up with Golden and Labrador Retrievers, Jessie is now the proud mama of Martha, a West Highland Terrier, and Teddy, a Cavachon.
“I love my doggies,” Jessie said. “Martha got her name because she looked like a little old lady, and Teddy, my boyfriend’s dog, is just so fluffy!”
When it comes to their personalities, Jessie said the pair couldn’t be more different.
“Teddy is sweet, very well-mannered and just the kindest thing. He’s a little snuggle muffin,” Jessie said. “Martha is wild and crazy and is not scared of anything, she’s definitely the wild child.”
Even with their opposing personalities, Jessie said her favorite thing to do with both pups is snuggle.
“I’m constantly trying to get them to snuggle with me,” she laughed. “I love their snuggles, kisses, hugs and of course, walks on the beach.”
Jessie moved back to the Destin area three years ago after a successful business venture in Boston. What started out as a slogan to help sell vintage t-shirts quickly morphed into a wine brand as Jessie trademarked the phrase “Slay Rose’.”
“I owned a consignment store in Boston, and I was thinking of something catchy to print on my shirts,” Jessie said. “I asked my young employee, ‘What are all the kids saying these days?’ and she said “Slay” so I tossed around some ideas and landed on “Slay Rose’.” From there, I did a fashion show and that shirt line sold out immediately.”
Jessie knew she was on to something special and set out to find the best winemaker to create the finest rose’. Today, Slay Rosé of Abiouness Wine’s, is a small batched, vineyard to bottle,100-percent pinot noir rosé out of Napa Valley.
“Everybody does rose’ now, but ours, being a Pinot Noir rose’, is a drier, bolder rose,’” Jessie said. “It’s a very nice wine; a wine person’s wine.”
“I love my doggies,” Jessie said.
“Martha got her name because she looked like a little old lady, and Teddy, my boyfriend’s dog, is just so fluffy!”
Jessie Orbovich
Owner of wine label Slay Rose’
Have you ever heard of a Yorkshire Terrier guard dog? That’s just what Sarah Timmons of Scenic Sotheby’s International Realty calls her little Yorkie named Bruiser.
“At my first job out of college, they let us bring our dogs to work and Bruiser became our unofficial company guard dog, they even put him up on our website with a little bio,” she said.
When asked if his name fit his personality, Sarah said while he got his name for being rough-and-tumble, today, at the ripe old age of 15, Bruiser is the sweetest soul.
In addition to Bruiser, Sarah has another Yorkie; 7-year-old Rudy. While Rudy is mischievous and gets into trouble, Bruiser is easygoing and empathetic; the pair seem to balance each other out.
“They are a funny little pair,” she said. “I really do believe that Rudy has kept Bruiser young for so long by just being so pesky. Rudy looks up to Bruiser like a big brother; it’s so cute.”
Just like their human owners, Sarah said her Yorkie sons love their routine. Their morning walk has become one of Sarah’s favorite pastimes because her dogs have a unique routine.
“When we wake up and go on our morning walk, they have their favorite spot on the golf course,” she said. “It’s so funny because every day Bruiser goes to the same little tee box and runs down the side of it and does a little hop and his ears flop; it’s just his favorite thing.”
Now, ten years into that routine, Sarah said she is happy she decided to move back to the place that held her childhood memories.
“My grandparents moved here in 1991, so I grew up knowing this area as a second home,” Sarah said. “I decided to move to the beach and do real estate.”
“It’s so funny because every day Bruiser goes to the same little tee box and runs down the side of it and does a little hop and his ears flop; it’s just his favorite thing.”
Sarah Timmons
Whitney Cooley of Scenic Sotheby’s International Realty is a rare Miramar Beach native. Growing up in the Crystal Beach area, Whitney is now raising her own family on her home beaches. Along with her husband Michael and her daughters, 12-year-old Brinkley, and 3-year-old Briar, the Cooley’s have two fur babies as well; Yeti, a Golden Retriever and King, a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel.
“Yeti is goofy and sweet and probably the most chill and relaxed big dog you would ever meet,” Whitney said. “We sometimes call him Eeyore because he is so laid-back. King is a snuggler, but he also loves to play and he loves to chase squirrels in the backyard.”
Whitney said the family loves to go to the park, on walks or bike rides and to Seaside together. She added that her dogs are huge crowd pleasers so when people notice them, the two pups bask in the attention.
“Both of my dogs love attention from anyone who will give it to them,” Whitney laughed. “Anywhere where kids are around, they love to show how cute they are.”
When asked if either of the dogs favor a certain family member over the others, Whitney said, neither dog is picky, although both dogs like to sleep with her.
“Yeti sleeps at my feet every night and King likes to sleep on my head,” she said. “But honestly, my dogs love everyone. If you give them attention, they will love on you.”
Whitney joked that she has her two girls and her two boys so her little family is complete.
“My two fur babies are the best!” she said. “They are adorable.”
Whitney Cooley
Sometimes it is hard to find your true calling and other times, you just seem to be born with it. Dr. Kelly Brawner of 30A Vet is one of the latter; before she could even remember, she loved animals.
“The way my parents tell it, my first word was dog, not dad,” Brawner laughed. “I grew up on a professional quarter-horse farm in Alabama, so animals were just our way of life. We had mainly horses, but we also bred Labrador Retrievers, had some goats, a few cows and a fish tank.”
Growing up with a physician as her father, Kelly said that she always knew she would go into medicine of some sort. From her first job as a pharmacist, to working in a large animal practice during high school, Kelly got to try her hand at a little bit of everything. Still, it wasn’t until she was a few semesters into her undergraduate degree that she decided to focus on her true passion; animal medicine.
“At first, I was intrigued by everything from aerospace to marine biology, but I’ve always loved and had compassion for animals, it’s always been my thing,” she said. “I went the
pre-med route but changed my major to zoology during my undergrad at Auburn."
From there, Kelly went on to finish her graduate studies at St. Matthew's University then began a hard and fast-paced job in a specialty hospital in Fort Myers.
“It was hard working in an emergency animal hospital, but I learned a lot,” she said. “Now, I just want to bring the best of animal medicine here to the Destin area.”
When it comes to unique offerings to veterinary medicine in the area, 30A Vet is one of the only practitioners in the area to offer laser therapy. This therapy is unique in that it does not use invasive measures to treat inflammation and can be used to target a variety of different ailments.
"Laser therapy is a red-light laser that we use, that helps with cell regeneration,” said 30A Vet Practice Manager Chelcie Barden. “It helps to heal damaged cells and even multiply and regenerate cells. We can use it for ear infections, post-surgery incisions, practically everything except cancer because you do not want cancer cells to multiply or regenerate.”
ARTICLE BY SAVANNAH VASQUEZ PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBERT YOUNG, FOREVER YOUNG IMAGESCONTINUED >
Kelly explained that the laser technology can be customized to each patient down to the minute details of weight, hair length and skin type and can be dialed in to target tissues at the molecular level.
“I call it my Voodoo magic,” Kelly said “I can see my patients relax during the therapy and it can be utilized on any tissue that is inflammatory but not cancerous. It has worked wonders for my personal family as well.”
Nestled in the heart of Gulf Place, on Scenic Highway 30A, 30A Vet offers a boutique veterinary experience. The clinic has been serving dogs and cats of every size in the 30A area since 2013, with Dr. Kelly Brawner acquiring the practice in 2018.
"We’re super small at 900-square feet, but we squeeze a lot in with three exam rooms and a surgical suite," Kelly said. "We are very blessed with the clients that trust us to care for their pets. We treat everybody like family, and stay very involved with the community.”
“We are very blessed with the clients that trust us to care for their pets. We treat everybody like family, and stay very involved with the community.”
