Laura Fontana, DVM

owner/Veterinarian

Dr Laura Fontana is originally from Hockessin, DE. Laura was always drawn to animals; family pets included dogs, cats, guinea pigs, gerbils, a bird, and a turtle. She began horseback riding at the age of 7 and at the age of 11, acquired her own horse Paint with whom she competed in Hunter and Dressage events. Originally Dr Laura envisioned she would become a human orthopedic surgeon, but she found that a career as a veterinarian would best unite her fascination with animals and her medical interests and strengths. Dr Laura earned an Honors degree in Animal Science from the university of Delaware in 2005 and then attended the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (VMRCVM).

After graduating from VMRCVM in 2009, Dr Laura completed an internship at Fairfield Equine Associates, a sport horse referral practice, in Newtown, CT. Following her internship, Dr Laura moved to Northern Virginia and worked part-time for 2 equine practices. In April 2011, she accepted an Associate position with Home Veterinary Care, a full service, ambulatory small animal practice, where she greatly expanded her medical, surgical, and management experience. To fulfill a long-term dream, in 2013, Dr Laura relocated to Southern California, where she has continued to provide veterinary care to dogs, cats, and horses. Because Dr Laura deeply values the individualized patient care and customer service that mobile practice affords, she established Signature Veterinary Services, a small animal house call practice, in March 2014. Special areas of interest include medicine, imaging, and hospice/palliative care. Outside of work, Dr Laura enjoys running, hiking, weightlifting, horseback riding, snowboarding, traveling, watching NFL games, and spending time with family and friends. She shares her home with husband Chris, daughter, 2 sons, and 2 dogs (Sugoi and Auggie). She also still has and rides her childhood horse Paint, who is now in his 30s.

We Have a Fear Free® Certified Veterinarian

Dr. Laura Fontana is Fear Free® certified and will help prevent fear, anxiety, and stress in your San Diego pets.
FF-Corporate-Logo

Gloria Simons, DVM

Associate Veterinarian

Dr. Gloria Simons is a graduate of the Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine.  She has practiced companion animal medicine since 2010.  She has an affinity for cats, but loves and treats all small animals including dogs, cats, pot-bellied pigs, pocket pets (guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, rats), and snakes and reptiles. 

Dr. Simons has a particular interest in soft tissue surgery and has spent many years focusing her continuing education on being able to provide the gold standard of soft tissue surgical care.  
As a proud veteran of our U.S military, Dr. Simons has lived all over the world, but is glad to call Southern California her forever home.   As a resident of Carlsbad she decided to take up surfing.  You may see her on the weekends attempting (albeit usually unsuccessfully) to stand on the board, but refuses to give up and welcome any tips and advice. You may also see her out with her 2 sons, Tyler and Miles, and her dog, a yellow lab (Saphira).

Meghan Fowler, DVM

Associate Veterinarian

Dr. Meghan Fowler was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska.  Growing up with dogs, horses, and a menagerie of pocket pets, she knew from the get-go that becoming a veterinarian was what she wanted to do.  She would accompany her father to their veterinarian, who was a dear family friend.  For them, the clinic’s back door was always open and watching the behind the scenes operations was the norm.  Dr Meghan was told from an early age that when she was old enough to drive, she could come work at the veterinary clinic.  She started working at the clinic her sophomore year of high school and never looked back.  Her experiences at that clinic, from high school, through college and veterinary school (when home on breaks) gave her well rounded and real world experiences, laying the foundation to becoming the veterinarian she is today. 

Dr. Meghan earned her Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln (GO BIG RED!!).  She graduated from Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2004.  After graduation, she moved to San Diego to complete a one year rotating internship at the VCA Emergency Animal Hospital and Referral Center.  She rotated through emergency medicine, internal medicine and surgery services.  Dr Meghan became certified in Veterinary Medical Acupuncture in 2016 through CuraCore.

 

Because San Diego was such a great place to live, Dr. Meghan took a position as an associate veterinarian in North County after completing her internship.  She has worked in large 24 hr care facilities, small day practices and now, visiting patients in their homes with the mobile practice.  Dr. Meghan truly enjoys getting to know her patients and clients.  By understanding who they are, she can make recommendations that will best benefit the pets she cares for. 

 

She worked full time in North County until she took on her greatest role, motherhood!  She now practices part-time and the rest of the time, she and her husband are raising their daughter and son.  They have one dog, two chickens, and spend time at the ranch riding horses, camping, exercising, swimming and finding adventures as a family!

Dee

Certified Veterinary Assistant/ Administrative Assistant / Client Care Representative

Dee joined Signature Veterinary Services in August 2015. Relocating from Wilmington, Delaware, Dee is excited and proud to join her daughter Dr Laura in growing her mobile veterinary practice. Dee has worked for many years in the human medical field; she graduated with a degree in respiratory therapy in 1982 and then entered performing noninvasive arterial and venous testing and subsequently, she functioned as a certified professional coder.
Over the years, Dee has provided much love and care as a pet owner (of dogs, cats, guinea pigs, gerbils, a turtle, and a bird); as a volunteer feline foster through the Delaware Humane Association; and also as a pet sitter for her neighbors’ dogs, cats, and chickens. She currently shares her life with 5 cats and a horse.
As a certified veterinary assistant, Dee is happy to be able to combine her love of animals with her medical knowledge so as to provide compassionate and capable care. She also provides tremendous administrative support, working behind the scenes to keep us functioning optimally.

Chris

Fleet/Operations Manager

Chris is originally from Mount Ayr, Iowa. He grew up on a family farm where he helped with the livestock and family pets. Highly active in sports, he graduated from Buena Vista University with a Fitness/Sport Management degree in 2007. From there, Chris accepted a management position with Anytime Fitness and trained in two locations with the long-term goal of gym ownership.In the fall of 2008, Chris answered his calling to to serve his country and joined the United States Marine Corps as an Infantry Officer.
His first duty station was in Lejeune, North Carolina; in 2013, his orders brought him to Camp Pendleton. It was here in Southern California that Chris and Dr Laura met.
Chris began to assist with Signature Veterinary Services upon its inception and has thereby gained experience with veterinary house-call practice. He enjoys the unique business model while implementing and expanding his operational skills to include vehicle maintenance.
In April 2015, Chris and Dr Laura married and they combined families. Their “dog-ter” Sugoi and “dog-son” Auggie are best friends and love going on runs/walks and playing in their yard. While his SVS management and Marine Corps officer duties keep him very busy, outside of work, Chris enjoys spending time with family and engaging in a variety of activities, including weightlifting, football, and basketball

Leslie

licensed veterinary technician / Social Media Manager

Leslie was born and raised in Virginia. She is as a full-time licensed veterinary technician (LVT) at a small animal hospital in Northern Virginia (NOVA) and also works remotely for SVS to maintain our online presence. She has always had a passion for animals. While getting her BS in Biology at James Madison University (JMU), she decided the veterinary field was for her. While working in the field after graduating from JMU in 2005, she realized she wanted to be a veterinary technician.
She completed her degree in Veterinary Technology at Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) in 2009. Leslie has worked in several small animal hospitals in NOVA and was also a Veterinary Technology program instructor. In 2011, Leslie and Dr Fontana met while working together at a house call practice. Leslie was instrumental in Dr Fontana’s transition from equine medicine to mobile small animal medicine. Leslie is extremely knowledgeable, very technically-inclined, and a master of all things training and teaching-related.
Her professional interests include pain management, dental health, nutrition, and hospice care. She lives in Springfield, Virginia with her husband, 2 adorable sons, and 2 cats. In her spare time, she enjoys crocheting, crafts, and hiking

Kat

veterinary technician / Office Manager

Kat was born in Milwaukee Wisconsin, but like so many others was always drawn to Southern California with its beautiful weather and fun atmosphere. In 2014, she decided to follow her dreams. She packed her things and moved herself and her fur child Sylvia to start out on a new adventure.
 

Kat has been in the veterinary field since 2013. Since she was little, like many of her colleagues, she felt a very strong love for and connection with animals. Providing animals with a voice and advocating for them as well as educating pet owners are her mission. To continue fulfilling her passion in a more personalized setting, Kat joined the Signature Veterinary Services team in 2021.

Sylvia, Kat’s wonderful dog-ter, is a beautiful, senior Beagle/Basset Hound mix. She is the love of Kat’s life and to whom most of her free time is dedicated. They love being outside and exploring as much as they can. In addition to spending time with Sylvia, Kat also enjoys exercise, nutrition, and traveling.

Lauren

certified veterinary assistant / client Care representative

 
Lauren was born and raised just east of the San Francisco Bay Area and moved to Southern California in 2018.  She has always had a love for animals, especially dogs, as her family was never without a canine companion (or two).
 
After moving to Carlsbad for an opportunity to work in the veterinary field, she quickly developed a passion for veterinary medicine. She enrolled at MiraCosta College and became a certified veterinary assistant in 2019, so that she could better prepare herself for working alongside the doctors and technicians she so admired. 
 
Lauren joined the SVS team in April of 2021 and has been able to apply her assisting skills and her love of helping others to her days on the road with the doctors, as well as with clients over the phone, as one of SVS’s Client Care Representatives. Lauren understands that vet appointments can be stressful for pets, and their people, so she will always do her best to ensure that client’s questions and concerns are addressed. 

Though Southern California is growing on her, you won’t catch Lauren, a SF Giants fan, in Padres gear any time soon. And though she still does prefer the Northern California mountains to the San Diego beaches, that doesn’t keep her from enjoying the SoCal weather! In her free time, she enjoys exercising, hiking, and paddle boarding, as well as reading and drawing. But chances are, on her days off, you’ll most likely find her at home on the couch with her husband Brett and their rescue dog Jack binging their favorite Netflix shows.