Founder and owner of Lanoka Oaks, Jon is a native New Englander who doesn’t understand why people at the shore don’t like snow. After graduating college in New England, he traveled to Michigan where he obtained a master’s in Zoology and his doctorate in veterinary medicine, both from Michigan State. After graduating in 1986 (and marrying in 1983), his native New Jerseyan wife brought him to New Jersey where he found his first veterinary job here in Ocean County. After working there for almost two years, he decided to strike out on his own and founded LOVC. When not at the center, he can be found at home with his wife Laura, son Samuel, and his cats Simon and Fergus, and his crazy German Shorthair, Indi. On sunny days he is out in his garden, on rainy days, he is looking at seed catalogs planning his garden.

To listen to an interview with the doctor, click here.

Dr. Meghan Knox is a Jersey Shore native. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ in 2010. She completed her DVM degree at Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in North Grafton, Massachusetts in May 2014.

Prior to joining the LOVC family, Dr. Knox practiced small animal medicine in Brick, NJ. She has special interests in dermatology and soft tissue surgery.

Dr. Knox is affiliated with the American Veterinary Medicine Association (AVMA), New Jersey Veterinary Medicine Association (NJVMA) and the Jersey Shore Veterinary Medicine Association (JSVMA).

Outside of the hospital she enjoys spending time with her husband, Zach and their dog Darwin. She loves traveling, especially cruising, and reading.

Jenna joined the LOVC team as a client care representative on January 3, 2015, and the practice has never been the same since. Jenna brings such a joy and sense of humor that is strongly needed at times. She studied sign language for 2 years at Ocean County College. Jenna dog walks and pet sits. She loves spoiling her golden doodle Daisy every day. When Jenna is not working, she is hanging with Daisy, enjoying spoiling her niece and nephew or working out at the gym.

Ann is a resident of Forked River with a prior background in the insurance field. Married to her husband Pete of 23 years. Her daughter Stephanie is an educator at Burlington High School. Ann has a spoiled but lovable German Shepherd named Mason. She joined us in 2015 enjoys gardening, sunny days at the beach and long walks with her Mason.

Billie Jo entered the veterinary field in January of 1997 and has been employed at LOVC ever since. In January 2003 she passed the NJ State Technician Exam and became LOVC’s second registered technician. In her spare time, she enjoys shopping and taking day trips to various lighthouses in the area. She has four cats: Tyrone, Turtle, Fosis, and Clyde. She has a Beagle named Joey that she raised from 7 days of age. He is her four-legged son. The newest addition is Gonzo, a Chesapeake Bay retriever. Billie Jo and Thom were married on March 17, 2007, and are doing many home improvements in their new home.

Aubrey has been part of the LOVC family since August 1994. She started as an assistant and worked her way up to become a veterinary technician. She enjoys spending time with the clients and their pets and finds client education to be very rewarding.

She was married in the Bahamas in 2008 to her husband Dean, who has his doctorate in physical therapy. They welcomed little Dean into their lives in June 2011. When Aubrey is not busy at work or chasing after her son, she enjoys spending time outdoors, playing online scrabble and shopping for unique items to decorate her home. She has also for the past 10 years been a volunteer for her friend’s dog rescue Pug Planet.

Andy grew up in Lanoka Harbor and graduated from Lacey High School in 1997. He has worked with the Lanoka Oaks Family since February of 2000 and graduated from Johnson College’s Veterinary Technician Program and passed the State Exam in 2002. We were proud to announce that Andy was Lanoka Oaks first Certified Veterinary Technician. He is American Red Cross Certified in pet CPR and First Aid. His passion is in dental care for the pets and loves making happy healthy smiles for each and every one of them. When not working, he enjoys his 3 dogs (Hazel and Summer who are chocolate lab sisters and Sandy who is a yellow lab) and his 5 cats (Phoebe, Pru, Coal, Church, and Athena). Andy loves the outdoors, especially being at the beach and boating. He is also married to his longtime friend and soul mate Tara since August of 2010. They have a very handsome son, Aiden who was born in 2011 and a beautiful girl, Adelynn who was born in 2017. His goals at the moment are to continue his education especially in veterinary dentistry and someday work on a nice sunny Island with white sand beaches and calm waves and of course with his family by his side (furry and non-furry).

Kristin joined the LOVC family March of 2011. When she is not at LOVC doing her assistant duties, you can find her outside tending to her ducks on her 10-acre property in Toms River. She also likes going hiking with her 2 daughters, Rylee and Alexa, and nature in general. Cape May is definitely a place she would love to spend the rest of her life, eventually. She has 2 dogs, and 3 cats which keep her on her toes.

Matthew began working with LOVC in 2014 as an assistant. While he worked as an assistant his passion for helping animals grew and he made the decision to further his education in the Veterinary field. In 2017 Matthew began his schooling at Johnson College, where he graduated with an Associate’s degree in Veterinary Technology in May of 2019. Matthew is thrilled to be back at LOVC working as a technician with all the wonderful, dedicated, and loving staff members. During his free time Matthew enjoys spending days at the beach, or with his friends and family.

Becky started working at LOVC in July 2016. She has always had a love for animals and prior to joining the LOVC family worked as a groomer for 8 years. She has a cat, cockatiel, and a piranha. When not at work she enjoys being creative by crafting or baking and also likes spending time with family and friends.

Kerstin is a resident of Lanoka Harbor and joined LOVC in October of 2017. Prior she worked as an Administrative Assistant for several Ocean County companies. Kerstin grew up on a dairy farm in Germany. She met her husband who served in the US military and was stationed overseas. They got married and moved to the United States. They raised their three children in Lacey Township. She loves spending time with her husband, children and grandchildren. Some of her hobbies are spending time at the beach, animals, traveling and cooking.

Melissa joined the LOVC team in September of 2018. After graduating from Stockton University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Biology, she moved to Lanoka Harbor and started working with us as a client care representative.She currently has 2 dogs named Molly & Ginger, a hamster named Carm, and a fish named Walle. When Melissa is not working or spending time with family, she enjoys running, hiking, swimming, and eating desserts! Melissa is excited to grow with LOVC as a team and to help pets and parents alike!

Annalisa joined the LOVC family October of 2017 as a veterinary assistant. Since she was young, she has always had a love for animals. At home, she has a fur baby that she loves unconditionally. Annalisa can’t wait to start her journey in the veterinary field. When she is not at work you can find her hanging with friends or family.

A lifetime animal lover, Sabrina received her Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from Rutgers University and proceeded to work as a veterinary technician for Dr. Wyman. Together with her husband Kevin they moved to a small farm to soon fill it with animals and children. A mother of four, she has kept busy by sharing her interests with others and volunteering as a 4-H leader. Most recently in the position of Program Associate for Rutgers Cooperative Extension, she coordinated the 4-H Animal Science program in Monmouth County. Sabrina has a passion for community development, event planning and optimizing human resource potential. She has been professionally recognized with an Honorary degree by the N.J. F.F.A. and received numerous team-building awards from the Rutgers Youth Development program. In her free time, she enjoys cooking for family gatherings and relaxing with her two dogs, Rosie and Bob.

Valerie joined the Lanoka Oaks team in May of 2019. She studied Veterinary Assistance at OCC in the Fall/Winter of 2018, and passed her AVA exam in the Spring of 2019. Valerie has always had a love for all animals. When she is not working at LOVC she is home taking care of her pets, of which she has a dog, a bearded dragon, a snake, 3 rats and 6 fish. When she is not working with animals Valerie enjoys spending her time doing arts & crafts, making pottery, and playing guitar. She also has a love for nature and photography. Valerie is very eager to join the LOVC team, and looks forward to continuing to grow in the Veterinary field.

Megan joined the LOVC team in May 2019, after she graduated from Lacey Township High School in June of 2018. Megan is currently a full-time student at Ocean County College, while also being a full-time LOVC Veterinary Assistant. In the future, Megan hopes to continue her education in order to become a certified Veterinary Technician. When she is not working, you can find Megan with her friends and family, or her pets: Jake, a Jack Russell Terrier, and her Leopard Gecko, Irwin.