Dr. Amy Charlton
Dr. Amy Charlton was born in a small town in upstate New York, as the youngest of 2 children and the daughter of a firefighter she learned early the value of life and how precious it is. She always had a love of animals and knew early on that she wanted to be a veterinarian. At the age of 13 she got involved in a 4-H pre-vet club held at the local animal shelter. Her father felt that it was important to see both sides of Veterinary Medicine, and to realize that not all animals have loving homes, some needed to be euthanized solely due to the lack of available homes to care for them. Undeterred Dr. Charlton went on to pursue her undergraduate work at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX in pre-Veterinary Medicine. While in Texas she worked at a Veterinary emergency clinic as a technician at night and during holiday and school breaks she worked as a technician for Neal Animal Hospital. Also while in Texas she met her husband Bruce, who in which she married on May 16th, 1992. After completing her undergraduate requirements Amy and Bruce moved to Sand Springs, Oklahoma where she worked full time at a day practice as a veterinary technician. She applied and was accepted to Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine where she worked in the small animal hospital as a surgical technician until she graduated with her DVM in 1997. Wanting to be closer to her family, Dr. Amy took a position in Edison, New Jersey as her first job as a Veterinarian working for a very large twelve doctor practice called Raritan Animal Hospital, the birthplace of Science Diet Pet food. It was here that she gained invaluable experience dealing with a large caseload and long hours.
Dr. Amy’s parents were snowbirds to Florida in 1989 then moved to Florida full time in 1998. When her father became ill and sadly passed away, she and her husband decided that Florida would be their family’s permanent home in order to remain close to her Mom. Dr. Amy worked in Orlando for 5 years before opening Countryside Animal Hospital in Saint Cloud, where her home has been since 1999. While in Orlando Dr. Amy started pursuing additional training in alternative medicine, herbal therapy, and (at the prodding of her mentor) Acupuncture, in order to try and improve the outcomes of her cases and to offer more natural ways to treat the common problems encountered in daily practice. Since then Dr. Amy has completed the Acupuncture course at the CHI Institute in Reddick, FL and has taken additional courses in herbal therapy. Dr. Amy loves learning new things and mentoring aspiring future veterinarians.
As a Christian Dr. Amy believes that God has given each of us talents, not only for our benefit but for the benefit of others. With this in mind she has a strong sense of community and giving back. Countryside Animal Hospital proudly supports multiple missionaries throughout the world on a monthly basis as well as local groups such as the Police department’s anti-drug programs, The Florida Baptist Children’s home, youth rodeo programs and numerous sponsorships of youth activities in Saint Cloud. She has volunteered her time to the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine admissions committee from 2010 to 2013 as well.
Dr. Amy has three children, two sons, and a daughter. Clayton born in December 1995, Kazimara born in October 2000, and Malcolm born in December 2007. In her spare time she loves to watch all her children compete in rodeo, Kazimara compete in volleyball, and Malcolm competes in martial arts. She also enjoys the beach, traveling, horseback riding, and snow skiing with her family. She has one lab named Doc, three cats- Bobbi, Meeshu, and Barbi, four horses- Rebel, Dash, Diesel, and Tom, and three chickens.
Cassie Cummins – Veterinary Technician
Cassie has been a part of our team since 2010. She has been in the veterinary field since 2001. She attended Valencia College and graduated with her A.A. in Business Management. She is RECOVER CPR certified and has also attended the Chi Institute and is certified in Tui Na (medical massage), Chinese Herbal Medications and Acupuncture. Food therapy and alternative medicine is one of her favorite subjects. Cassie resides locally along with her Husband Brentlee, her daughter and their 8 pets – Harlee, Freya, Jack, G.G., Kingston, Sassy, Karma, Klauss. She enjoys her free time cooking, going to the beach, and spending time with her family and pet sitting.
Jasmin Diaz – Veterinary Technician
Jasmin began volunteering in March 2020 and later was brought on as a member of the team in November 2020. She graduated from Harmony Highschool in 2023 and obtained her certification in veterinary assisting from the Harmony Highschool Veterinary Assisting Academy the same year. Because of her hard work, dedication and hunger for knowledge Jasmin was promoted to a veterinary technician in October of 2023. Jasmin is currently attending Valencia College on her journey in become a veterinarian. She has a Beagle named Buddy that she has had since 2015. In her spare time, she enjoys painting, drawing, and hanging out with her family.
Linda Chimento – Receptionist
Linda joined our team in November 2020 as a receptionist. Originally from Pennsylvania, Linda moved to Central Florida in 1987 and has lived here ever since. She has 2 sons, 7 grandkids and 1 great-granddaughter. Linda and her husband Jimmy owned and operated ‘Chimento’s Spaghetti House’ for 29 years until they sold it. In her spare time, she enjoys the beach, watching hallmark, cooking, and baking. Linda is the ultimate Gators fan along with all the Philadelphia teams.
Amber Mixon – Practice Manager
Amber worked for Countryside from 2007-2014 when she decided to pursue her passion for shelter medicine and animal cruelty investigations. She became a Certified Animal Cruelty Investigator in 2015 and was able to pursue her dream. In 2020 Amber decided to leave shelter medicine and pursue a career in Veterinary Practice Management as that is where her a large part of her heart has always been. She is passionate about staff advocacy, especially when it comes to mental health and the challenges those in the veterinary field face every day. Amber has worked in general practice, emergency medicine, internal medicine, surgery, and shelter medicine. She loves all things ocean, especially sharks and in her free time she enjoys traveling, fishing, kayaking, and snuggling her extremely opinionated, monster of a cat, Pop Pop.
Steven Rodriguez- Veterinary Technician
Steven joined our team in June 2024 as a Veterinary Technician. He was born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Since he was a child, he enjoyed playing baseball, horseback riding, and cutting hair. Over time, he started his own food truck “Sabrosura Jibara”. He completed a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and Pre-Vet at the University of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico in 2023. His short-term goal is to apply to veterinary school to become a veterinarian and specialize in equine care. Steven has gained experience in shelters, veterinary clinics, and research with goats, sheep, cows, and dairy farms to help achieve his future goals.
Victoria Jeffcoat- Veterinary Technician
Victoria has spent the past four years working as a veterinary technician, where her love for animals and passion for their well-being shines through in everything she does. Currently, she’s pursuing her Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT) certification to deepen her knowledge and skills. Whether she’s assisting in surgery, administering care, or simply comforting a nervous pet, Victoria is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of animals and their owners. Her journey in the veterinary field is driven by a genuine commitment to providing the best possible care and support.