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About Us

When your pet needs medical attention, you want a veterinary team you can trust.
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Full-Service Veterinary Hospital in Temecula

At Care Animal Hospital & Urgent Care, we believe every pet deserves exceptional veterinary care delivered with compassion and expertise. That’s why our full-service animal hospital in Temecula provides comprehensive medical care for dogs and cats. Whether your companion needs routine wellness care, treatment for an unexpected injury, or something else, our team is here for you.
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Our Goal

Our goal is to be your partner in pet parenthood.
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Great Location

We are proud to serve the communities of Temecula, Menifee, Murrieta, Lake Elsinore, San Diego, and the surrounding areas.

Our Team

Our dedicated team cares for you and your pet

Dr. Sunil Kakarla

Dr. Sunil Kakarla

DVM, PH.D, Owner

Dr. Sunil Kakarla, an experienced and compassionate veterinarian in Cary, NC, grew up in India. After graduating from the College of Veterinary Medicine in India, he practiced as a companion animal veterinarian for five years in a metropolitan city in India. He moved to the United States in 2005 with a passion for practicing high-quality veterinary medicine in an advanced setting. During that process, he pursued his MS and Ph.D. in a renowned lab at Marshall University in West Virginia.

As a graduate student, Dr. Kakarla performed cutting-edge research and had several high impact publications to his credit. While pursuing graduate studies, he simultaneously completed the North American Veterinary Licensing Exam (NAVLE) in 2010.
Soon after this accomplishment, he began volunteering at several local animal hospitals. He completed his clinical experience program and obtained his license to practice in the US the same year.

In 2011, after graduating with a doctoral degree, he joined a small animal practice in Durham/RTP where he established a huge clientele and treated about 6000 to 7000 pets per year.

With his continued passion to provide the best quality veterinary care, he joined the state-of-the-art Walnut Street Animal Hospital in June 2016. As a veterinarian in the RTP area of NC, he strongly believes in quality care for pets and in being available to his patients when needed.

Sunil Kakarla is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and has special interests in dermatology and soft tissue and orthopedic surgery, as well as emergency medicine. Dr. Kakarla is married and has a son and a daughter. He enjoys spending quality time with his family, including his 1-year-old Golden-Doodle, Brownie, and a 4-year-old Poodle, Milky. He enjoys serving his community by actively helping rescue groups and shelter pets, and in his free time, he plays volleyball.
Dr. Martinez

Dr. Martinez

Veterinarian

Growing up in LA, my life has always involved animals, starting with pet dogs, fish, and birds. My lifelong passion for animals has led me to a variety of jobs including working with feral kittens in the shelter, lab animal husbandry, and briefly volunteering as a zoo keeper aide.

Currently I have a cat and a leopard gecko, but I am hoping to expand my zoo soon. I look forward to starting my journey with the Care Animal Hospital & Urgent Care team!

I received a B.S. in Animal Biology from UC Davis. I spent 2 years working as a veterinary assistant in the Bay Area before continuing with my veterinary studies at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona.

Dr. Brown Veterinarian

Dr. Brown

Veterinarian

Dr Brown- I grew up near Berkeley, CA, and my first outing as an infant was to the Oakland Zoo. I've spent my entire life since then surrounding myself with animals, both at home and at work. I have worked as a dog walker, pet sitter, veterinary assistant, and even as an avian point count technician for a research project in the marshes of Delaware. While I love all animals, my biggest passion is wildlife medicine.

I graduated with a B.S. in Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology from UC Davis in 2018 before continuing my education at Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca, NY. In my free time I can usually be found hiking or birding with my husband, or snuggling up with my two cats while reading a good book.

Dr. Koushiek

Dr. Koushiek

Veterinarian

Koushiek graduated from a reputed Veterinary College in India. He began his veterinary career at a private pet practice in India, where he gained hands-on experience in small animal medicine, surgery, and client communication over a three years. During this time, he developed strong relationships with pet owners and a deep passion for delivering high-quality veterinary care.

After moving to US, he served as a Veterinary Director at Mission Bend Animal clinic in Houston. In this leadership role, he has focused on creating a compassionate and supportive environment for pets and their families, while guiding a dedicated team and implementing best practices to enhance patient outcomes.
While working as Veterinary Director, Koushiek ’s passion for clinical practice and animal care deepened further. This commitment drove him to complete all board examinations through the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG) program, administered by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), in May 2025.

Koushiek ’s professional interests include soft-tissue surgery, and emergency medicine.

Outside of work, Koushiek enjoys spending time with friends, cooking and watching movies.
Sarah Van Staalduinen

Sarah Van Staalduinen

Administrative Director

Sarah is an NC State graduate with double majors in Animal Science and Applied Nutrition. She has lived with animals her entire life and has always had a special place in her heart for them. She has been with the company since 2019, and she loves her job. Not only does she have the opportunity to meet new people and pets on a daily basis, but she also gets to help those fur babies stay happy and healthy with their families. Her favorite things to do outside of work include spending time with her furry kiddos; two dogs named Ochi and Denali, and two cats named Juniper and George. When she’s not at work, you can find her hiking with her dog, or taking part in any other activities in which she can include them.
Caitlin O’Neil

Caitlin O’Neil

Client Coordinator

Hello! My name is Caitlin, and I have been with Walnut Street Animal Hospital since 2017. I started out as a receptionist and after being with this practice for a year, I was promoted to Manager and transferred to our sister location, Capital Boulevard Animal Hospital. I absolutely loved the experience of opening a new clinic and getting acquainted with all of the rescues. I am excited to start my new role as Client Coordinator with the company. I have always loved working with clients and making sure the owner and furbaby have a positive experience. In my free time, I am with my 2 human kiddos as well as my own furbabies.
 Misty Practice Manager

Misty

Practice Manager

I have been passionate about veterinary medicine since I was a little girl. I started at a small practice in 2012 in Orange County while going to college at California State Univeristy of Fullerton. I learned all the basic fundamentals of working in a hospital and it made me fall even more in love with this field. I eventually got promoted to lead technician , then Practice Manager. After 8 years with that practice, I was ready for new beginnings and growth to expand my knowledge. I am so grateful to lead the team at Care Animal Hospital & Urgent Care.

In my free time, I love spending time with my 3 children. I love being a mom. We have 3 dogs (Luna, Lily and Lola). We love being outdoors, the beach, Disneyland, shopping and spending time with family. We hope to own a ranch some day! California State University of Fullerton; BA – Bachelor of Arts in Business Management and Administration.

Londyn Veterinary Technician

Londyn

Registered Veterinary Technician

Since I was young I have always had a love for all types of animals, but it was not until I started working at Care Animal Hospital & Urgent Care that I knew I wanted to pursue a career in this field.

It has been such a great experience seeing a wide variety of animals each day, and assisting in caring for them is very rewarding. I enjoy working alongside the rest of our staff and hope I can take what I learn and become a veterinary technician.

I currently live with my two kitties Flynn and Nala, and hope to adopt more animals needing homes in the future.
Odiee Veterinary Technician

Odiee

Veterinary Assistant

Odiee is a graduate of Platt College’s Registered Veterinary Technician program.

Odiee has a soft spot for Pitbull’s and Elephants, and hopes to one day go to Thailand to work with elephants.

She is a talented dancer performing Ballet de Folklorico for many years.

Kimberly Veterinary Technician

Kimberly

Registered Veterinary Technician - Supervisor

Ever since I was a little girl, I always knew that when I grew up I wanted to work with animals. As I’ve grown, I have realized that working in the veterinary field is my passion, and working at Care has definitely solidified that.

I graduated from Platt College’s Registered Veterinary Technician program as a vet tech and came to work at Care immediately after. I love helping all the cute pets that come in and knowing I can help them, is very rewarding to me.

In my free time, I enjoy horseback riding and spending time with my family. I have a Min Pin named Lucky, who I enjoy spending time with.

Vanessa Veterinary Technician Assistant

Vanessa

Veterinary Technician Assistant

I started working in veterinary medicine by chance over 10 years ago, filling a part time receptionist roll. Over the years, I realized I thoroughly enjoyed working with animal, alongside the doctors and clients to provide the best quality of care for their pets. I have worked as an assistant/technician for the last 5 years. I am so excited to further my knowledge and skillset here at Care Animal Hospital & Urgent Care.

Genesis Veterinary Technician Assistant

Genesis

Veterinary Technician Assistant

Hi! My name is Genesis and I have wanted to work with animals for as long as I can remember, especially wildlife. I was born in Houston, Texas and graduated from Pima Medical Institute in 2024. I currently volunteer at Taxonyx Mini Horses and will be starting to volunteer with Project Wildlife very soon!

Fatima - Veterinary Assistant

Fatima

Veterinary Technician Assistant

Passionate about animals and veterinary medicine, I’m a dedicated full-time dog mom who loves nothing more than caring for my babies! I have  a deep love for helping animals and committed to making a difference in their lives. Whether it's caring for my pups or pursuing my career in vet med, I bring warmth, compassion, and a little bit of pink to the world around me.
Talia

Talia

Veterinary Technician Assistant

I joined the Care Animal Hospital & Urgent Care team in January of 2022. I’ve always had a strong lifelong passion for all animals, with an emphasis on exotics, wildlife & conservation. As a veterinary assistant here, I have the privilege of working with and caring for so many incredible animals daily, both the pets & the wildlife rescues that we receive.

Before working at Care, I have been involved in wildlife rescue for over 6 years, and I am now currently in training to become a certified wildlife rehabilitator. I do my work with wildlife in conjunction with Project Wildlife & several rehabilitators throughout Southern California to assure our wildlife gets the proper protection & care that they need, when they need it.

At home, I have two friendly leopard geckos with big personalities; one is a male named Gekyume, & the other is a female named Lasagna.
Melanie - Veterinary Technician Assistant

Melanie

Veterinary Technician Assistant

Hi my name is Melanie. Growing up I've always had a passion for animals. When I learned about veterinary science I knew that, that was what I wanted my life career to be. Veterinary medicine has always been something I have been interested in and had a passion for since highschool where I had the opportunity to work with livestock animals. I started my journey in vet med a little over a year ago at an emergency hospital where I expanded my knowledge in small animal medicine. I went to Platt college where they taught me the fundamentals of veterinary science. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my 3 fur babies. I have two cats and one dog who I would do anything for.
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Monse

Veterinary Technician Assistant

Bio Coming Soon.
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Briana

Veterinary Technician Assistant

Bio Coming Soon.
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Tatum

Veterinary Technician Assistant

Bio Coming Soon.
Ashley

Ashley

Veterinary Assistant

Hi my names Ashley. I have always wanted to work and save animals since I was a little girl. I have been working with animals since 2012 and have loved it since. I have learned so much over the years and hope to continue to learn and grow. On my time off I normally spend it with my kids and 3 doggies. Trips to the parks are hectic but every one of them really enjoys it.
Sarah Reception Supervisor

Sarah

Reception Supervisor

Spending summers at my grandparents farm really sparked my love for animals.

I started in the veterinary medicine field in 2004 at a large animal hospital. I have been a veterinary nurse and receptionist. Being a receptionist is where my heart is. Clients are my favorite part.

When I am not working, you can catch me with my husband and five kids at the local dragstrips, racing our cars.
Kayla Receptionist

Kayla

Receptionist

As a veterinary receptionist, I’ve always had a deep love for animals. Every day brings a new set of challenges and rewards as I interact with clients and their furry, feathered, or scaly companions. I love being part of a team that provides top-notch care for our patients. When I’m not wrangling appointment schedules or offering comfort to worried pet parents, I’m embracing the beautiful chaos of motherhood as a first-time mom. Becoming a first-time mom has been a whirlwind of emotions, sleepless nights, and endless joy. While the days may be long, the moments are precious. I’m grateful for the opportunity to build a loving family while pursuing a career that I’m passionate abo
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Alyssa

Receptionist

I’ve been working in the veterinary field for over 4 years and have a little over a year of focused experience in canine nutrition. In addition to my clinic work, I’ve also provided at-home medical care for pets, giving me a deeper understanding of how to support animals in a calm, familiar environment. I’m passionate about supporting both pets and their owners, and I enjoy being part of a team that truly cares about every patient’s well-being.

At home, I share my life with four fluffy pets who keep me smiling and remind me why I love what I do. I’m excited to be part of the Care Animal Hospital family and look forward to meeting you and your pets!
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You’re in the Right Place!

Compassionate veterinary care in Temecula

Care Animal Hospital & Urgent Care provides comprehensive veterinary care for dogs and cats in Temecula, Menifee, Murrieta, Lake Elsinore, San Diego, and the surrounding areas.
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Care Animal Hospital & Urgent Care provides loving, high-quality veterinary care for dogs and cats in Temecula.

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Hours

Open 7 Days a Week
8:00am- 11:59pm