Meet Our Vets

TLC has chosen each of its staff veterinarians based on their demonstrated academic excellence, training and kind and caring hearts. At TLC, we pride ourselves on the fact that most of our doctors have been employed with us for greater than 5 years, which shows their commitment to our clients and patients.
Johanne Lu, DVM	Dr. Johanne Lu received her veterinary degree from the University of California at Davis in 2004 and completed her undergraduate work at the University of California at Berkley in 2000. She successfully completed an internship at Animal Specialty Group in 2005. Dr. Lu enjoys the variety of general practice and has a passion for surgery. Dr. Lu is a vegan and shares a home with her dog, Jezebel and cat, Diesel; both are rescues. In her free time she likes to snowboard and travel the world. johanne@tlcvet.com
Maureen Roberts, DVM	I grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina and graduated from North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2003.  I have an undergraduate biology degree from UNC-Chapel Hill.  In 2004, I completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Animal Specialty Group in Los Angeles. I have been with TLC since 2004, and since 2006 I’ve been the resident “vampire,” working the overnight shift from 6 PM to 8 AM. I enjoy running and competing in short-distance triathlons and I’m currently training for my first marathon.  I also enjoy reading (and attending the TLC Book Club), knitting, and a Japanese embroidery craft called temari.  I hate cooking, but I love to eat! In 2008, I finally admitted I’m a California girl now, and bought a house in Pasadena, where I live with my dogs Laika, Darcy, and Kate. maureen@tlcvet.com
Linnaea Scott, DVM	Dr. Linnaea Scott graduated from University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 2002 with honors.  Upon graduation, she immediately moved back to the Golden State, and pursued an internship at Sacramento Animal Medical Group in small animal medicine and surgery. Dr. Scott joined the TLC family in 2006.  It is a great joy for her to serve the community that she grew up in.   She enjoys general practice, surgery, and emergency medicine.  She also enjoys mentoring local high school students.  “This really is the most fantastic profession, no doubt about it.  We are so lucky to combine science, medicine, community service, etc. in a profession that challenges us and inspires us on a daily basis.” In her free time, Dr. Scott enjoys vegan cooking, gardening, and spending time with her wonderful family.  Dr. Scott’s dog Ellie (pictured) is a parvo survivor who sometimes donates blood to parvo victims at TLC.  Ellie’s a pit bull mix, but the cats of the house keep her in line! linnaea@tlcvet.com
Lori Pickell, DVM	Lori Pickell, DVM graduated from Texas A & M University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1990 with honors. She has practiced in the Pasadena community for more than 15 years and has worked for TLC for over 4 years. She enjoys working in the community she lives in and resides with her 2 children, 2 cats, a tortoise, 2 rats, a gecko and a frog. lori@tlcvet.com
Valerie Tesauro, DVM	Dr. Tesauro received her veterinary degree from the University of California at Davis in 1994 after completing her undergraduate work in zoology at Cal Poly Pomona. She has been practicing in the San Gabriel Valley since 1994. While predominately a canine and feline medicine practitioner, she also enjoys working with small mammals such as rabbits, rodents, chinchillas and ferrets. Dr. Tesauro moved to California from New York in 1977. After spending eight years haunting the barns at summer camp in Connecticut, she knew that she was destined to work with animals in some capacity. After resigning herself to the fact that eight years of higher education were unavoidable, she foraged ahead to become a small animal veterinarian. Dr. Tesauro is an avid baseball fan, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are a source of great joy and disappointment to her at times! Her spare time is spent with her husband Jeff, as well as their toy poodle Rally and Badger, the basic black rescue cat. Other interests include travel, fine food and wine, cooking, hiking and reading. Future plans include golf lessons… valerie@tlcvet.com
Melody Wallace, DVM	Melody Wallace, DVM graduated from Ross University in 1993. Since graduation Dr. Wallace has worked overseas and in emergency hospitals and general practices in Southern California. She has been practicing at the TLC South Pasadena location for over 8 years. She has extensive experience in small animal emergency medicine and surgery as well as an interest in reptile and small mammal medicine. melody@tlcvet.com
TaMarra Woodling, DVM	Dr. TaMarra Woodling graduated from the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine in 2005. Prior to relocating to California and joining TLC in 2011, she completed a small animal internship with Garden State Veterinary Specialists. Dr. Woodling has worked in both general practice and emergency medicine, and enjoys combining both of these passions in her current position. She believes that there is an opportunity to learn something new every day, and finds client education and compassionate patient care to be the most important aspects of her work. Dr. Woodling spends her time away from the clinic visiting nearby beach communities, exploring new children's activities and destinations with her family, discovering new recipes, and occasionally finding a minute to read novels and write good, old-fashioned letters to family. She shares her home with Jezabel,a rescue dog from the streets of New Jersey, as well as three rescue cats (Bart, Lily, and Sashi), an adopted corn snake named Tallulah, and a Betta fish named Boop.