Get to Know Our Team of Exotic Pet Professionals in Philadelphia, PA

When it comes to devoted and enthusiastic care for exotic pets, you won't find a better team than Dr. Susan Tyson and her fellow animal lovers. We're all about guiding you through the complexities of your pet's healthcare needs while offering a comprehensive list of services to cater to those needs at each life phase. Our mission is straightforward: To help you and your unique pet enjoy as many joyful, healthy years as you can together.

We're eager to meet you and your exotic pet. Why not take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with our team? To set up an appointment, just call (215) 995-4049

Make an Appointment

Susan J Tyson, VMD, MS

Dr. Tyson’s love for veterinary medicine began at a young age while she was growing up with caimans, parrots, dogs, cats, and turtles. She is a Philadelphia local with strong ties to Pennsauken, NJ. Dr. Tyson graduated from Rutgers, then received her master's at Drexel University's School of Medicine. Following graduation from The University of Pennsylvania Veterinary school in 2011, Dr. Tyson continued at Penn Vet as a focused exotics intern.

Currently, Dr. Tyson is a board member for Freedom Center for Wildlife and is the veterinarian for Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. She has experience with a wide range of species, and her main interests are avian, reptile, and wildlife medicine, surgery, ophthalmology, and dentistry. She has continued her work with exotics, focusing on managing advanced surgical and medical cases and supporting elderly and aging pets. She has a strong interest in managing arthritic rabbits, birds, and reptiles with multimodal pain management.

At home, Dr. Tyson and her kids have a menagerie of pets including elderly cats, two adorable cockatiels, a green-cheeked amazon called Goblin, an ornate and three-toed Mississippi Box turtle, a ball python, salamanders, tarantulas, isopods, and bearded dragons. In her free time Dr. Tyson enjoys outdoor activities, the Shore, sports, and the arts.

Support Staff

Goblin, Mascot

Goblin is a green-cheeked amazon parrot. He has minimal education but lots of on-the-job experience, including:

Supervising the human staff members
Babysitting doc and the little humans at home
Owning countless pets at home (including 2 turtles, 1 snake, 1 quail, 2 cats, 2 cockatiels, and 3 tarantulas)

Goblin is 19 years young (as of 2023) and enjoys greeting new friends, taking strolls along the fireplace, foraging for snacks, riding with doc to work, and chanting “oh boy oh boy oh boy.” He also loves doing the EAGLES chant.

Alexis, Head Nurse, Surgery, Training and Inventory

Alexis has a Bachelor of Science degree in forensic biology and has worked as a pet care specialist and nurse to dogs, cats, and various exotic pet species. She loves all kinds of animals and has a diverse family of pets at home to prove it! Alexis has three cats named Kiwi, Butter, and Titan, a ball python named Levi, a baby hognose snake named Linguine, a pink-toed tarantula named Charlotte, and a scorpion named Phoenix. When she isn’t working Alexis enjoys spending time with her pets, taking care of her plants, going to concerts and music festivals, and doing all kinds of outdoor activities.

Venice, Virtual Administrative Assistant

Venice's journey in the field of veterinary medicine began in 1994, and she has since accumulated a wealth of experience and expertise in various aspects of pet care. She has held a range of roles, starting from general practice and emergency care and eventually specializing in exotic animals over the last 11 years. Her dedication and compassion have made her an invaluable member of the veterinary team.

One of Venice's distinctive passions is client education. She recognizes the importance of informing and guiding pet owners in understanding how to provide the best care for their animals. Her commitment to educating clients helps foster a stronger bond between pet owners and their furry, feathered, or scaled companions, ultimately contributing to the well-being of the animals under her care.

Outside of her professional life, Venice shares her home with a diverse group of rescued pets. Her two rescue dogs, Bentley Bean (a Schnauzer- Cairn terrier mix) and Lola Lemon (a yorkie), as well as her cat Mr. Jingles and her beloved cockatiel Cooter, all find comfort and care under her roof. This reflects her genuine love for animals and her dedication to providing them with safe and loving homes.

Venice and her husband lead an active life together, They take pleasure in attending local wine festivals, where they can savor various wines and immerse themselves in the festive atmosphere. Live music is another passion they share, as they enjoy the experience of live performances and the energy of the crowd.

Carly, Nurse

Carly has always had a passion for animals since she was young. Starting out having some animals of her own growing up, then found a volunteer position in training service dogs (for 8 years) for people with mobility disabilities. In high school she took as many animal related classes as possible. She then went on to become a Veterinary Technician and received an Associate’s Degree doing so. At first, she wanted to work with dogs and cats but going through school she figured out her love for exotic medicine. Carly has lived in a couple different states working as a nurse and getting experience with exotic animals since she graduated. She joined our team in May of 2023. In her past time, you can find her crafting, baking, going to hockey games, traveling, going to concerts, and being outside.

Jordan, Nurse

JP (Jordan) was born and raised in West Philly. Growing up with a huge variety of household pets, he knew very early on that he wanted to be in the veterinary field. He has experience in emergency, critical care, specialty surgery, shelter, and exotic animal medicine. He is also a certified fear-free technician. His favorite aspect of practicing is client education, as more education produces better outcomes for the pets. His goal is to one day become a shelter Veterinarian and to continue to promote diversity within the animal industry. During his free time, he loves to spend time in nature hiking and tending to his large collection of house plants. He shares his home with his herd: Beanie and Lentil, the French bulldogs, his cats, Ori, Black, Ginger, and Cali, Chuckles the Umbrella Cockatoo, Sully the Macaw, two jumping spiders and a revolving door of French Bull Dog fosters.

CC, Veterinary Assistant

CC graduated from UCLA in 2019 with a Bachelors of Arts in Geography. While serving for the Peace Corps in Guatemala, CC realized she wanted to be part of the solution to stray animal overpopulation, and began her career in veterinary medicine shortly after. Since starting out as a customer service representative, CC has continued to grow and learn within the field- working as a veterinary assistant and most recently earning her “technician” title with dogs and cats.

CC works as a veterinary assistant at Avian Exotic Philly Vet. Currently she is completing pre-requisite courses in preparation for applying to vet school. She shares her life with a 9-pound rat terrier-chihuahua mix named Phoebe whose favorite words are “do you want a yummy?!” CC also fosters cats through several local rescues. In her free time, she enjoys reading, crocheting and learning.

Ashlan, Veterinary Assistant

Ashlan holds a certification in Zoo and Aquarium Science from the Animal Behavior Institute and has been working with animals for almost a decade. While she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance and has done much in the world of musical performance, her true passion has always been animals. She has been a pet caregiver since high school, a foster parent to over twenty cats and kittens, and an employee of the Philadelphia Zoo. She has been a proud member of the Philadelphia Zoo’s Conservation Education team and interned in animal care with the Philly Zoo’s “KidsZooU.”

Ashlan loves animals of all shapes and sizes, especially her critters at home. She has four cats (Merry, Pippin, Luthien and Eggs), one Shetland sheepdog (Goldberry) and a corn snake (Clementine).

When not working with animals, Ashlan enjoys crocheting, directing musicals, reading, and lots of nerdy hobbies.

Ren, Veterinary Assistant

Swapping textile engineering and graphic design tools for a stethoscope and stopwatch, Ren changed her attention to veterinary medicine at the end of 2018 to work for a feline-specific practice. Lover of all animals, Ren joined team Avian and Exotic at the start of 2024 to broaden her technician skills and expand her purview to domestic exotics. Keen on proper handling and husbandry, she is excited to engage with you regarding your animal's health and wellbeing! Always maintaining a focus on veterinary medicine, she hopes one day to work with large exotics and wildlife conservation.

Amina, Veterinary Assistant

Amina is a recent graduate of Albany Medical College with a background in Neuroscience. She has devoted her life to loving all creatures great and small and is a proud mother to three dogs and three cats. Amina began her career working with zebra finches at Widener University where she studied the stress response in the brain and went on to study reproductive neuroendocrinology for her Master of Science degree. Since then, Amina has served as an Animal Care Intern at Philadelphia Zoo, where she cared for a multitude of species such as reptiles, birds of prey, porcupines, hedgehogs and more. She also worked as a Veterinary Assistant at various other exotic pet hospitals. An aspiring veterinarian, Amina hopes to attend the dual-degree VMD-PhD program at the University of Pennsylvania to develop her skills as both a scientist and a veterinarian.

Kristin, Client Service Representative