Our Mission

Robin Catlett, co-founder, president of the Board of Directors and Practice Manager is a native of Anne Arundel County, MD who has dedicated over 25 years to the field of animal welfare, overcoming early personal challenges to foster a lifelong passion for animal care. Her career began in 1999 at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Anne Arundel County (AACSPCA), where she held various roles from Animal Caretaker to Director of Operations. Concurrently, she gained valuable experience as a Veterinary Assistant at Greater Annapolis Veterinary Hospital. Robin holds a bachelor's degree in the Biological Foundations of Animal Behavior from Franklin & Marshall College, and her extensive professional journey includes significant contributions to Anne Arundel County Animal Care & Control (AACACC), where she enhanced both the live release rate and public perception of the municipal shelter. Recognizing the critical need for accessible veterinary services in her community, she co-founded H.E.A.R.T., a 501(c)(3) non-profit veterinary service. Robin leverages her deep expertise in animal welfare, shelter operations, and customer service to expand access to essential veterinary care, addressing root causes of animal homelessness and strengthening the human-animal bond. 

Dr. Holly Mazzurco, is a Co-founder, is on the Board of Directors and serves as both the Medical Director and the Veterinarian of Record for H.E.A.R.T. She received her Veterinary Medical Doctorate in 2016 from the University of Pennsylvania. Following her graduation, she gained extensive experience in emergency veterinary medicine, general practice, and animal sheltering. Her initial years were dedicated to emergency veterinary practice, after which she served as Medical Director at the Linda Kelly Animal Shelter. She then transitioned to general practice before returning to shelter medicine in 2022. Throughout her diverse career, Dr. Mazzurco discovered her primary passions: saving animals' lives, performing spay/neuter and other critical surgeries, ensuring animals' quality of life, and helping families stay united with their pets. At H.E.A.R.T., she will leverage her extensive veterinary expertise to enhance access to much-needed veterinary care in the community, fulfilling her role as Veterinarian of Record with dedication and proficiency. 

Dr. Lisa Beagan, is a founding board member, is a distinguished graduate of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University (1995) and the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland (2023), brings a wealth of expertise to H.E.A.R.T. With a diverse career spanning New England, Florida, and Maryland, she founded Mobile Pet Vet in 2003 to focus on her passion for small animal internal medicine. Before her veterinary career, Dr. Beagan completed General Electric’s financial management program and held various management positions in sales, marketing, and finance at GE Plastics, experiences that have proven invaluable in her dual roles as a veterinarian and business owner. An advocate for pet health education, she has published articles in Dog Fancy, Cat Nip, and Veterinary Technician and hosted an "Ask the Vet" forum on VetCentric.com. Dr. Beagan has also dedicated considerable time to volunteering with local non-profits, providing veterinary care and treatment plans for animals in need. Recognizing the current shortfall in veterinary care access, she eagerly joined H.E.A.R.T. to leverage her business acumen and veterinary expertise to enhance community services. As a founding Board Member, she is committed to ensuring the organization's sustainability and success in meeting the needs of people and animals alike. 

Doreen Coates,  

She has been a principal with Accounting with Debits and Credits with Coates and Hutchinson, PC for 36 years.

During the time she has managed the day to day operations of the firm and worked with clients assisting in their tax and accounting needs.

She got her Bachelor of Sciences Degree in Accounting and Business from the University of MD in 1989.

She got her CPA in 1991

She has served in various positions in the West Anne Arundel Chamber of Commerce

In her spare time she likes to spend time with her husband, kids and grandkids. She also loves to travel.

Recently, she has started to love volunteering at the local animal shelter in her community. 

Jennifer Carney, HEART Secretary. She holds a Master's degree in Higher 

Education from the University of Maryland and is currently completing a second Master's in Classical Studies at St. John's College in Annapolis. Her passion is teaching, which she has done for nearly 20 years in the classroom and for nearly 10 outside of it as a parent. Her educational background is now professionally invested as the Coordinator of Education and Outreach at a non-profit organization supporting disabled dogs, Jennifer leverages her extensive educational background to advocate for and improve the lives of differently-abled animals. As a lifelong educator and passionate animal lover, with three dogs and nine cats, including two differently-abled pets, Jen is deeply committed to the outreach initiatives of H.E.A.R.T., aligning closely with their mission to enhance animal welfare and community education.

Theresa Hutchinson, is a Board Member. 

She has been a principal with Accounting with Debits and Credits with Coates and Hutchinson, PC for 35 years.

During that time, she has managed the day-to-day operations of the firm and worked with clients, assisting in their tax and accounting needs.

She got her Bachelor of Sciences Degree in Accounting and Business from the University of MD in 1989.

She earned her CPA in 1990.

She serves as Treasurer for the Humane Farm Animal Care in Middleburg, VA.

She serves as the Troop Money Manager for Girl Scout Troop # 2268.

In her spare time she likes to spend time with her husband and daughter. She also likes to bake, do crafts and travel.

Christina Lopez, is a Licensed Veterinary Technician in the State of Maryland.  She will serve a lead technician for H.E.A.R.T., has been dedicated to veterinary medicine and animal welfare since 2001, Her career began at the SPCA of Anne Arundel County, where she excelled as the Volunteer/Foster/Events Coordinator before transitioning to a role as a veterinary assistant. While working at a veterinary hospital, she pursued her certification as a veterinary technician in Maryland. In 2017, Christina began working part-time as the Behavior Coordinator at Anne Arundel County Animal Care & Control (AACACC), where she accumulated over 400 hours of continuing education in animal behavior and earned certifications in both fear-free veterinary and fear-free shelter practices. By 2021, she had taken on a full-time role at the shelter, managing a team of approximately 100 volunteers, coordinating foster care for hundreds of animals, organizing events, and collaborating with rescue partners to enhance live release rates. Christina's extensive experience and passion for veterinary medicine, fear-free care, and animal welfare converge in her role at H.E.A.R.T., where she will leverage her skills and dedication to improve the lives of animals in the community.