Matthew Wheaton, DVM - Our Founder
Dr. Wheaton is a second generation veterinarian who was born and raised in Laguna Beach, California. His father, Dr. Jack Wheaton, owned Corona Del Mar Animal Hospital for 25 years and after a brief retirement, opened Aliso Animal Clinic in South Laguna Beach. Growing up as the son of a veterinarian had a profound influence on Matthew Wheaton and allowed him to choose his life-path as a boy. Matthew Wheaton attended UC Davis for both his undergraduate studies and for veterinary school. After graduation, Dr. Wheaton completed a rigorous internship program at California Animal Hospital in West Los Angeles. The internship focused on surgery and emergency veterinarian at Animal Urgent Care in Mission Viejo, California. He purchased Alicia Pet Clinic after 3 years at Animal Urgent Care and has been the Hospital Director ever since. With the success of Dr. Wheaton's practice came the need to expand to a larger facility. Alicia Pet Clinic will move in the Spring of 2008 to become Alicia Pet Care Center, a premier veterinary facility in South Orange County. The Pet Rescue Center will enable Dr. Wheaton to realize his goal of helping pets in almost every aspect of their life, from veterinary care and rescue to financial assistance and creating new families.
Blythe Wheaton - Director of Development
Whole-heartedly dedicated to the cause, Blythe Wheaton, wife of Dr. Wheaton was inspired by constantly hearing her husband's heart wrenching stories of family struggles with pet traumas. Coinciding with the increasing needs for community awareness of conservation and effective solutions to overpopulation management, the signs were to strong to ignore, that there was a need to take on the advocacy of the dogs and cats in our communities. Bachelors Degreed in Psychology from Northern Arizona University, she possesses the drive and know how to read people, connect with them personally inevitably tugging their heart-strings with her vision & purpose. In addition, her natural born talents to create strong marketing perspectives and a fresh and original program have been an incredible asset to The Pet Rescue Center. Blythe has been the innovator of The Pet Rescue Centers image and keeps it all in perspective. Being a doctors wife, mother of two kids all the while finding time to maintain our mission and goals, coordinating events and constantly getting the word out about us, Blythe elegantly and gracefully manages to balance it all extremely well.
Josh Lanting - Director of Operations
Long time friend of the Wheaton family, Josh received the rare opportunity to be a integral part of the start up of a very worthy cause, The Pet Rescue Center. With a recent background in Property Management and Corporate Office Management he was a more than qualified candidate of the position. Growing up in Mission Viejo, CA in a family that could not turn away a stray, and that bred Cats, German Shepherds and Akitas, Josh already had a strong passion for animals. With his first job at age 15 at Petco, who knew his life would come full circle. In December 2007, Josh was submerged in the animal rescue world with the hands on guidance of Dr. Wheaton. Josh has enabled The Pet Rescue Center to function properly and smoothly throughout our evolution and start up, with his "do it all" persona, he makes it possible to envision a very successful future.