Dr. Kaitlyn Guerrido Started as a Kennel Tech. Now She's Opening Her Own Practice.

There are veterinarians who went straight through the pipeline, undergraduate to vet school to clinic, and there are veterinarians who learned this profession from the ground up, one role at a time, until they had touched every part of it. Dr. Kaitlyn Guerrido is firmly in the second category, and on May 26, that journey arrives at its next chapter when she opens CityVet Casselberry in Casselberry, Florida.

The clinic, located at 202 State Road 436, will offer a full range of services including preventive and wellness care, diagnostics, dentistry, surgery, and urgent care. But the story of how Dr. G, as she is known, got here is the part worth telling first.

She has done every job in this building.

Dr. Guerrido entered veterinary medicine in 2012 as a kennel technician. From there she moved through client service, veterinary assisting, technician work, and eventually into the doctor's role after earning her DVM from Ross University in 2020. That is not a resume detail. It is a philosophy. Having occupied nearly every position in a veterinary practice gives her a quality that is genuinely rare in ownership: she knows exactly what each person on her team is doing, what it costs them, and what they need to feel supported in it.

She has also experienced what it feels like when a workplace culture gets it wrong. That experience has made her intentional in a way that only people who have lived the alternative tend to be. CityVet Casselberry is being built from the inside out, starting with the team.

"My journey through veterinary medicine has shaped both the leader I am today and the kind of clinic I want to build," she said. "Having worked in so many roles throughout a practice has allowed me to connect more deeply with both teams and clients. As an owner, I now have the opportunity to support others in their growth and create a workplace culture rooted in respect and collaboration."

She chose Casselberry on purpose.

Dr. Guerrido did not land in Casselberry by accident. She saw firsthand that the area had a genuine need for accessible, high-quality veterinary care, and she made the decision to be the person who filled it. That community-first thinking shapes her approach to everything from service offerings to how she communicates with clients, particularly in the moments that are hardest for pet families to navigate.

"I deeply empathize with pet parents, always striving to understand their perspectives and challenges," she said. "My approach is to provide the best possible care for each animal while helping pet owners feel supported and informed during stressful moments."

As a pet parent herself to Chardonnay, Gus, and Biggie Smalls, she understands the weight of those moments from both sides of the exam table.

CityVet Casselberry opens May 26. If you are in the Casselberry area or know someone who is, this is one to watch.