Dr. Robert Calabrese (“Dr. Rob”) offers Firehouse Belterra clients a common sense approach to their pet’s medical care. He focuses on involving clients in patient care plans, communicating clearly, achieving positive outcomes, and educating clients to maintain health and happiness for pets at home. Clients enjoy Dr. Rob’s kindness, sense of humor, and empathy. Dr. Rob has a special interest in dentistry, nutrition, and preventive medicine.

To offer patients current and well-rounded treatment plans, Dr. Rob regularly reads research journals to keep abreast of industry trends. A seminar that stands out for him was the recent AFAST/TFAST Ultrasound course. He has also presented new web and vet tech ideas to a group of industry colleagues in London.

Dr. Rob earned his undergraduate degree from Texas A&M in 2009. He earned his veterinary degree at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. He has a yellow lab named Birdie. On weekends, you’ll find the Calabrese family enjoying Austin’s live music scene or swimming in a Hill Country river.

Ali relocated to Austin in 2013 after graduating from the University of Florida (Go Gators!) with her BA in Psychology and minors in Latin American Studies and Brazilian Portuguese. Ali always had a love for animals and found her way into the veterinary field as a part-time client service coordinator. Developing relationships with clients and their pets, as well as Firehouse’s focus on creating a stress-free environment, brings her fulfillment.

Ali is taking part in Communication Training at Firehouse and she also attends frequent continuing education courses to learn new skills that improve the client experience. She loves taking the workload off clients by doing the heavy lifting. Her favorite thing about her role is relating to clients and their pets as a pet owner herself.

When she’s not helping clients at Firehouse, Ali enjoys hiking with her pup, mountain biking, going out on the lake or trying out new Austin restaurants.

Clara was born and raised in Austin, Texas. She began her career in the veterinary field in 2015 while finishing her degree in Biology at the University of Texas.

Once she realized her passion for veterinary medicine, she hit the ground running and joined the Firehouse team in Belterra Village in September 2019. Her main interests include dentistry and surgery. Outside of the surgery suite, she enjoys educating clients about our Wellness Philosophy and the importance of wellness lab-work. Clara is working towards her Fear-Free Certification, in order to provide all patients that walk through our doors the best experience possible.

Outside of Firehouse she enjoys soaking in the sun outdoors and traveling when she gets the opportunity!

Barbara makes veterinary visits easier for clients and their pets. She goes above and beyond to greet clients at the door and help when there are multiple pets who need to get into the hospital safely. Barbara takes the time to get to know each pet, using her Fear Free techniques to make dogs and cats feel more comfortable before their medical exam. Clients praise Barbara’s strong communication skills and obvious love for her profession.

Her vast experience working with geriatric pets has led to a passion for helping older pets age gracefully. Barbara has insights for mobility and comfort, tricks for enticing older pets to eat right and take their medications, and know-how for keeping routines to help with cognitive dysfunction.

In her free time, Barbara and her husband love to cook and entertain, go to the beach, and hike. They also enjoy bird watching. Together, they have fostered over 40 greyhounds! Their current pet family includes Katie, a seven-year-old naughty and goofy greyhound, as well as Max and Mia, their 8-year-old “best ever” cats!

Ruby enhances each client’s visit to Firehouse with her communication skills and calming presence. Appointments are less stressful when Ruby is around. She uses Fear Free techniques to help scared or anxious pets through difficult situations. Plus, she is accomplished at helping with surgeries and speaks fluent Spanish and is learning Korean.

When not at school or at Firehouse, Ruby enjoys free time with five pets: Bella, a seven-year-old Husky; Maximus, a four-year-old husky; Blue, a four-year-old German Shepard; Paloma, a four-year-old lab/husky mix; and, Oso, a 3-year-old pitbull mix.