Sandbridge Veterinary Center

08/26/2026

Happy National Dog Day!!

🐶❤️

08/20/2026

We’re so proud to celebrate Nellie, one of our recent summer interns, who completed her internship and then remained with us as an employee! 🎉

It has been a joy watching her grow, learn, and become such a valuable member of our team. Now, she’s heading off to college and we couldn’t be more excited for her as she begins this next phase of her learning journey! 🎓✨

And there is more good news because this isn’t goodbye! She plans to return from time to time to lend a hand, work with the team, and keep being part of our Sandbridge work family. ❤️

Congratulations and best wishes for an amazing college experience! We’ll be cheering you on every step of the way! 🌟 ♥️ 💛

08/08/2026

As summer comes to a close, we’re also saying “see you later” to two very special members of the Sandbridge Veterinary Center family.

Over the past two years, Carissa and Noah have been much more than high school students with part-time jobs—they’ve been dedicated teammates who have helped care for our patients, supported our clients, and made a lasting impact on our hospital.

🐾 Carissa has grown tremendously during her time at Sandbridge, working in our kennel, at the veterinary reception desk, and most notably alongside our medical team as a veterinary technician. Her compassion, wonderful attitude, work ethic, and eagerness to learn have made her a favorite among both our staff and clients. We’re excited to see her begin this next chapter at the University of Florida (UF) studying Animal Biology/Pre Vet. **

🐾 Noah is a family friend of the Bissells who played baseball with their oldest son Ethan when they were 11 yrs old. Noah has worn many hats during his time with us, working in our Pet Resort in Daycare, Boarding, and at the Resort reception desk. His positive attitude, reliability, and willingness to jump in wherever needed have made him an invaluable part of our team. This fall, he’ll be heading to the University of Central Florida (UCF) studying Physical Therapy, and we know he’ll accomplish amazing things.

Watching both of you grow from high school students into confident, capable young adults has been a privilege. Thank you for your hard work, your kindness, and the countless ways you’ve contributed to Sandbridge over the past two years.

We are incredibly proud of you both and can’t wait to see where this next adventure takes you. Remember, you’ll always have a home here at Sandbridge Veterinary Center.

🧡💙Please join Dr Bissell and Sandbridge in wishing Carissa and Noah the very best as they begin their college journeys!



Carissa’s graduation party’

Noah doing his usual and snuggling a cute dog!

08/07/2026

Meet Dr. McAlpin!

Dr. Jessica McAlpin was born in Boone, NC, but spent her childhood in Maui, Hawaii before attending the University of Florida. There, she earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees. It was also at UF where she met her husband, Jacksonville native Dr. Ryan McAlpin.

Together, they have two children, three dogs, two cats, and seven chickens.

Dr. McAlpin loves every aspect of veterinary medicine—from surgery and internal medicine to the many specialties in between—but her favorite part is building relationships with clients and educating them to strengthen the bond they share with their pets.

Outside the clinic, Ryan and Jessica enjoy traveling with their family, whether it’s skiing in Utah, rock climbing in North Carolina, surfing in Costa Rica, or fishing in the Bahamas. Their children stay active year-round as competitive athletes in gymnastics and soccer.

After joining the Sandbridge team in January 2026, Dr. McAlpin is excited to continue growing alongside the team, clients, pets, and the entire Sandbridge family.

And of course… Go Gators! (And Jags too!)

07/27/2026

Happy Monday from Sandbridge!

Tucker made sure to give us his best Monday morning impression in the last slide 😆🦮

07/25/2026

🐾 Meet Dr. Zachary Bissell 🩺

Originally from Virginia Beach, Dr. Zack Bissell earned his Animal Science degree from NC State before receiving his DVM from the University of Florida. As owner and medical director of Sandbridge Veterinary Center, he’s passionate about building lasting relationships with families while providing compassionate, personalized care for every pet.

Outside the clinic, he enjoys spending time at the beach, fishing, cheering on the Florida Gators, and making memories with his wife, Kelli, their three children, and their pets. 💙🐶🐱

07/24/2026

🎉 Fun Fact Friday! 🐾

Did you know? 🤔

🐶 A dog’s sense of smell is up to 100,000 times stronger than a human’s!

🐱 Cats use the roof of their mouth to “smell.” When they make that funny open-mouth face after sniffing something, they’re using a special organ called the Jacobson’s organ to analyze scents.

Which fact surprised you the most?👇🐾

07/24/2026

Your much needed dose of Duke and Doug! 🐶 🐕

Whether it’s for the day or the week, your pet will enjoy endless fun, personalized care, and a safe, happy place to stay!!

07/04/2026

06/17/2026

Happy Birthday Dr. Cunningham! Thank you for all you do for everyone at Sandbridge and all of our pet families❤️