Dr. R. Takalo, DVM

Medical Director and Emergency Care

Dr. Takalo was born in Monterey, California and spent her early childhood in Naples, Italy. The daughter of a Naval Aviator, she moved to Pensacola with her family when her father retired. She earned a degree in Pre-Professional Biology, graduating Summa Cum Laude from the University of West Florida. She then attended Auburn University’s prestigious College of Veterinary Medicine, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 2011.

With a passion for emergency medicine, Dr. Takalo returned to the Gulf Coast to practice and has been an emergency doctor at VERC since the fall of 2011. In her spare time, Dr. Takalo enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

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Leanna & Austin Bounds

Dec 02, 2024

"Nothing is more stressful than a sick pet. Dr. Baker made the entire experience so much easier on us. We had to bring in our Husky mix Penny after a scary incident of him swallowing a lot of plastic. We were terrified when we saw Penny had blood in his stool, so we brought him in for a possible obstruction. Knowing that surgery was a possibility, we were terrified. Dr. Baker gave Penny an x-ray that showed a small possible spot on his stomach that could have potentially needed surgery. When we left, we agreed to surgery late afternoon. That evening, we received a call from Dr. Baker. After consideration, he took more x-rays of Penny after we left, and they showed that Penny had passed the obstruction. Surgery was not necessary. Dr. Baker was excellent. He took time and careful consideration on helping us make decisions about Penny. He was considerate of the trauma surgery could cause, considerate of the possibility of his case getting worse, and he also was considerate of the financial burden that multiple procedures could have. We ALWAYS felt as if Penny was a priority, and ALWAYS felt as if Dr. Baker took all things into consideration while caring for Penny. He took the time to evaluate our dog, and he was open and honest. He took the time to make sure that we understood all of our options, and he was understanding of all of our needs. I can not sing enough praises of Dr. Baker. We are so incredibly thankful that we had such a great vet for our sweet (and destructive) Penny."

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Leanna & Austin Bounds

Dec 02, 2024

IF THIS IS AN EMERGENCY OR UNSTABLE PATIENT PLEASE CALL 850-477-3914!