Owner | Veterinarian

When he was five years old, Dr. Thurmond went on a hunting trip in the West Texas mountains. When his father found him behind their truck whispering for the deer to run away, it was clear what Dr. Thurmond would choose as his career! As the Head Veterinarian and owner of The WellPet Center, his ability to help animals now goes way beyond secret whispered warnings to wildlife. 

Dr. Thurmond grew up outside of the San Antonio and Dallas areas, then moved to New Mexico during high school. In 1991 he graduated from New Mexico State University with degrees in Animal Science and Business Administration in Finance. He then went on to receive his DVM from the College of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Medicine at Colorado State University in 1995. He opened The WellPet Center to offer compassionate care to the animals of the Katy community and beyond.

Client education is an area that Dr. Thurmond especially enjoys. He also likes dermatology, as nothing seems to make a pet and their owner happier than when the itching and licking stops and everyone can get some sleep at night!

Dr. Thurmond met his wife Kim during their last year of undergraduate studies in New Mexico. They have two children—their daughter Kennedy and son Kaden. Their pets include a blonde Saluki mix named Dancer and a long-haired mini dachshund named Bongo. During the warmer months, they keep several show rabbits and a goat.

Outside of work, Dr. Thurmond is an avid sports fan. His favorite teams are the Texans and the Astros, and he enjoys playing golf when he has the time. He also enjoys coaching his son’s church sports league.

info@thewellpetcenter.com

Partner | Veterinarian

Practicing veterinary medicine runs in Dr. Bryan Ping’s family, as both his uncle and grandfather were veterinarians. Having grown up surrounded by animals of all kinds, only one choice made sense for Dr. Ping—veterinary medicine is truly his calling!

Dr. Ping grew up in Fort Bend County and received his undergraduate and veterinary degrees at Texas A&M University. Since 1995, he’s been practicing small animal medicine in the area. In early 2015, Dr. Ping joined The WellPet Center family as Partner and a full-time Veterinarian. His professional interests include dermatology and internal medicine—both require investigative work, and Dr. Ping loves putting together the puzzle to make a pet feel better!

Dr. Ping’s wife, Amy, is a talented landscape designer who works in Fort Bend. They have two sons, Tyler and Trevor, one of which has joined his father in the veterinary field! The family is rounded out by two dogs named Dottie and Zoey.

The Pings enjoy traveling and spending time together at the coast as a family. Dr. Ping particularly enjoys golfing and tending to his elaborate home garden.

drbping@thewellpetcenter.com

Associate Veterinarian

For as long as she can remember, Dr. Aswad was working towards the goal of becoming a veterinarian. When she was eight, Dr. Aswad created a drawing depicting her future aspirations–and as a surprise graduation gift from veterinary school, her parents re-gifted this drawing to her 20 years later.

Dr. Aswad loves her life working as a veterinarian and greets each day with enthusiasm on her way to work. She is grateful for the opportunity to help pets develop and grow from the time that they are young to well into their senior years, and her cornerstone is the bond that develops over time with both the pet and their owner.

Dr. Aswad provides comprehensive education to each client on their pet’s condition so that they can fully understand the problem and the ins and outs of potential treatments. She believes that if a condition and the significance of treatment options and follow-up is fully understood by a client, then a pet’s health is better managed and a long, happy life can be achieved. Dr. Aswad focuses on making each visit as low stress as possible, creating a friendly environment that is full of positive reinforcement minimizing potential pet anxiety.

She and her husband have a daughter, son, and a Golden Retriever.

Dr. Aswad treats each patient as if they were her own pet. Her approach to veterinary care involves recommending the best plan for testing/treatment while also remaining realistic about the possible outcomes associated with different treatment options. She educates each client individually on all possible outcomes so that collectively, a solution is found that makes everyone happy.

draswad@thewellpetcenter.com

Associate Veterinarian

Dr. Bowling grew up in a small town where there wasn’t always a veterinarian available to help when needed. This instilled in her a deep compassion for pet owners and their furry loved ones. Dr. Bowling has always been enamored by the complexity of living things and how they function, and her goal is for each client to leave with a full understanding of their pet’s situation as well a sense of trust in her role as their pet’s doctor.

Dr. Bowling’s family includes her husband, Jeremiah, and her cat, Trixie. She met her husband at Texas A&M at the Dixie Chicken while meeting with friends to play dominos. Her cat Trixie was a stray she found in College Station. Trixie enjoys being obnoxious, has a catnip problem and does tricks for treats.

Dr. Bowling adheres to the Golden Rule of always treating people the way that you want to be treated. Kindness is contagious.

drsbowling@thewellpetcenter.com

Associate Veterinarian

Dr. Hessell has always loved being around all types of animals, and knew from the age of three that she wanted to be a veterinarian—and that dream never changed.

She lives with her husband, Ken, whom she met while attending undergraduate school at Michigan State University. They have two daughters, Madison and MacKenzie. They also have an English Bulldog named Bentley, a French Bulldog named Harlie, two cats named Sparty and Bruno, and two rats named Piper and Maizy.

After working in a small animal clinic for 20 years in Michigan, she and her family relocated to Texas in the summer of 2016. Dr. Hessell strives to provide the best quality veterinary care possible while forming long-term relationships with clients and patients alike. Dr. Hessel’s philosophy is very simple: make every day count.

drmichelle@thewellpetcenter.com

Associate Veterinarian

As a young child, Dr. Jessica Rivera grew up visiting and helping with the animals on her grandparents’ farm. At the age of 12, she witnessed a live birth on her uncle’s farm—and it was then she knew veterinary medicine was her calling. It has been a passion of hers ever since, and she is grateful God chose her to care for His furry creatures—every day is a blessing. She loves medicine, problem solving, and educating clients, but most importantly she loves helping pets and people.

Dr. Rivera’s goal with every visit is to listen to and meet the needs of the pet and client. She has a passion for internal medicine, and is particularly interested in geriatric medicine. Her goal is to make her patients as comfortable as possible while providing the utmost quality of care.

Dr. Rivera graduated with her DVM from Texas A&M in 2011, and previously earned both a master’s and a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Science—also from Texas A&M. Dr. Rivera lives with her husband, Victor Porras, Jr. who is also a graduate of Texas A&M University and owns and runs his own law firm. They have two children, Eliana and Alexander.

In her free time, Dr. Rivera enjoys spending time with family and friends, camping, crafting, fishing, and reading.

It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. Galatians 2:20.

drjrivera@thewellpetcenter.com

Associate Veterinarian

Some of Dr. Ping’s earliest memories are of going to his dad’s animal clinic at all hours of the night and assisting him with his patients. He’s wanted to be a veterinarian ever since he was a young child, and being able to work side-by-side with him helping animals is the culmination of a lifelong dream. 

Being a veterinarian has always been Dr. Ping’s life’s goal and passion—and he strives to develop great client relationships, make every patient feel loved and cared for, and to make both clients and patients enjoy coming to the veterinarian.

His house consists of a lynx point Siamese cat that he adopted during his clinical year at Texas A&M.

“When you feel pain at the sight of the suffering of another being, do not give in to the initial urge to hide from the sight of suffering and to flee from the victim, but on the contrary, rush to the victim and look for a way to help them.” – Leo Tolstoy

drtping@thewellpetcenter.com

Associate Veterinarian

Dr. Faist grew up on his family’s farm and thoroughly enjoyed taking care of the animals, and in turn has cherished taking care of his patients for more than 18 years. His goal is to provide top quality veterinary care and client education, and to help each patient with whatever problem they may have.

His home consists of his wife, Jennifer, who is a teacher, and his two children, Wyatt and Claire.

“Always put forth full effort and dedication to anything that you do.”

drafaist@thewellpetcenter.com

Associate Veterinarian

Dr. Emily Rimes (Galvin) always knew she wanted to help others through a career in the health industry after her first day of shadowing a veterinarian. She knew she wanted to be able to help both animals and their owners as a part of her job.

Dr. Emily’s goal is to create an enjoyable experience for both her clients and her patients by utilizing a team-based approach. In doing this she hopes to provide the best care for her patients, strengthen the human animal bond, and create meaningful relationships.

She met her husband Jeff at Texas A&M. He served in the army for four years before taking a pharmaceutical sales position in Houston. They have a cat named Minnie (short for Minerva) they adopted right before Dr. Rimes started veterinary school. Her dad is a dentist, her mom loves to cycle, and her sister is training to be a pilot.

dremily@thewellpetcenter.com

Practice Manager | Hospital Administrator

When she was nine years old, Kandis’s grandfather (a veterinarian himself) encouraged young Kandis to ask a vet at a new clinic in town if she needed help. The next day, Kandis was walking dogs, cleaning cages, and doing whatever was needed of her. By 14 years of age she was assisting with surgeries, examinations, and performing lab work!

Originally from Cameron, Texas, Kandis attended Tarleton State University in Stephenville to start working on her Bachelors of Business Administration in Management. She now lives in Katy with her husband Waylon. At The WellPet Center, Kandis wears many hats, from Vet Tech to Receptionist to Hospital and Practice Manager. Kandis enjoys being outdoors, fishing with her husband, and cheering on the Houston Texans and Astros. Kandis has a cat named Charlie that she rescued when he was two days old and a very active Jack Russell named Franny.

kandis.keen@thewellpetcenter.com

Veterinary Technician Manager

Sarah has always had a special place in her heart for animals. As a Veterinary Technician here at The WellPet Center, she gets to improve the quality of life for pets and their owners on a daily basis! Sarah is also the Technician Supervisor, and she feels truly lucky to be a part of the team.

Born in eastern Texas, Sarah moved to Fort Bend County with her family as a young child and has been here ever since. She attended the Vet Tech Institute in Houston to receive her veterinary technology degree, and is particularly passionate about client education, vaccinations, and other preventative care measures. Sarah also loves to help out with surgeries.

Outside of work, Sarah enjoys crafting and restoring furniture, hunting and fishing, cooking, boating, and spending time with family and friends. She has a rescued Catahoula Leopard, Flinn, as well as two horses who are a huge part of her life.

sarah.sprague@thewellpetcenter.com

Front Office Supervisor | Client Service Specialist

Bio coming soon!

Licensed Veterinary Technician | Client Service Specialist

Penny worked in the human medical field for years before realizing that her true passion was with animals. Her hope is for clients and patients to leave the hospital feeling as comfortable and satisfied as she did when she brought her own pets to the center.

Penny is thankful for her two grown daughters, her dog, and grandkitty.

Client Service Specialist

Erica has always held a deep passion for animals, feeling deep inside that animal health care has been her calling. She is appreciative for the opportunity to continue her career caring for animals.

She places emphasis on excellent customer service, superior animal care, and a warm and friendly experience.

At home you can find her with her fiancé, three little boys, dog, two ferrets, and a bearded dragon.

Erica’s life philosophy is simply to live, laugh, and love hard.

Veterinary Technician

Bio coming soon!

Certified Veterinary Assistant

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Certified Veterinary Assistant

When she was growing up, Heather always told herself that she wanted to work with animals—so becoming a veterinary assistant was a natural fit for her. She started her career working at an animal shelter, eventually moving her way up to the medical side of the field, which she loves.

She aims to ensure the best care possible for both patients and their owners.

Certified Veterinary Assistant

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Veterinary Assistant

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Veterinary Assistant

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Veterinary Assistant

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Certified Veterinary Assistant | Technician Assistant

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Certified Veterinary Assistant/Technician Assistant

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Technician Assistant

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