Dr. Adriana Mendoza, DVM

Medical Director

Dr. Adriana Mendoza grew up in the West Texas town of El Paso in an animal-loving family. Her passion for animals and interest in medicine led her to study biology at the University of Texas in Austin with the ultimate goal of going to veterinary school. After graduating from UT, she was accepted to the College of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M, where she completed her degree in 2006. While she is proud to be an Aggie Vet, she will always be a Longhorn at heart!.

After completing her veterinary degree, Dr. Mendoza completed a small animal rotating surgical and medicine internship at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in New Jersey. It was a wonderful experience, and while she was surrounded by brilliant mentors, she could not wait to get back to the Austin area. She has spent the last nine years in a small animal practice focusing on her interests of preventive medicine, soft tissue surgery and internal medicine.

Dr. Mendoza and her husband welcomed their first child in November of 2016. She loves being a mom and spending time with her family. Other activities she enjoys in her spare time include country dancing, live music and being outdoors. Dr. Mendoza is excited about providing high quality veterinary services to the Leander community at Firehouse. She is very passionate about her patients and looks forward to helping you with all of your pet care needs.

Dr. Amy Mathiak

Associate Veterinarian

Dr. Mathiak was raised outside of Houston in Katy, Texas. Although she never had a dog or cat growing up, she adored her pet rabbit, Brownie, and loved playing with her neighbor’s Australian Shepard, Shelia. These experiences sparked a lifelong love for animals that continues to grow.

A soccer scholarship led Dr. Mathiak to Texas Tech University, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science. After graduation, Dr. Mathiak traveled to the Caribbean island of Grenada to attend St. George’s University School of Veterinary Medicine. She completed her clinical year at the University of Tennessee Veterinary School in 2014.

Dr. Mathiak has spent the last six years working for busy small animal practices in Arlington, Texas and Savannah, Georgia. She and her husband were recently reassigned to Fort Hood, Texas, which is what brought Dr. Mathiak back to her home state.  After years of moving for school and the military, they plan to settle down here in Leander to raise a family. 

Having the opportunity to work with multiple animal hospitals so early in her career has provided Dr. Mathiak with outstanding mentorship from many talented doctors across the US. These experiences have shaped Dr. Mathiak into the confident and capable veterinarian she is today. During her time as a veterinarian, she has developed a passion for dermatology, preventative medicine and soft tissue surgery. 

In her free time, Dr. Mathiak and her husband attend sporting events, travel, cook and spend time outdoors with their two dogs.  

Dr. Mathiak is excited to provide high-quality medicine and excellent communication to the families and pets of Leander. She is dedicated and compassionate and looks forward to meeting each and every one of you!  

Jennifer Dundee

Hospital Manager

Jennifer was born and raised in Galveston, Texas. She met her husband Patrick while attending Baylor University in Waco (Go Bears!). After moving to Georgetown, Jennifer found her calling in the veterinary world after taking a temporary job with a vet practice at the suggestion of a friend.That job turned out to be not so temporary since she has worked in small animal practice ever since!.

She joined the Firehouse team in 2017 and is excited to be a part of such an engaged and dynamic team. She is a passionate leader, dedicated extrovert, and devoted dog-mom. When she isn’t taking care of your fur-babies, Jennifer spends her time taking pictures of her menagerie doing cute things, traveling to unfamiliar places and digging up new projects for Patrick on Pinterest.

Jason Hayes

Veterinary Technician

Jason was raised in Bryan-College Station in the shadow of the great Texas A&M University. He discovered veterinary medicine at an early age through frequent trips to the university’s vet school for care of livestock and family pets. While earning a fine arts degree in graphic communications at Southwest Texas State University, he gained employment at a local veterinary clinic and discovered a true passion for the field.

He has since worked with many of the specialists and general practitioners in the Austin area. When not helping his four-legged patients receive the highest quality care, Jason enjoys the local music scene and spending time with his family on the beaches along the Texas coast.

Megan Shadden

Veterinary Technician

Megan was born and raised in small town Iowa. Growing up, she spent most holiday and summer breaks visiting her grandparents on Lake Travis. In 2011 she made the permanent move to this area, never regretting it! Megan has a soft, loving heart.

Choosing a career with animals came as no surprise to her family. Megan’s spare time is spent with her daughter Emmerson and two dogs, Piper (Bichon Mix) and Abigail (Mini Aussie). They love to spend their time exploring outdoors, especially on the lake!

Lauren Bustos

Veterinary Technician

Lauren was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona. After graduating high school she moved to Galveston, Texas to attend Texas A&M, where she received her degree in Marine Biology. After working for several years with aquariums in the Houston area, Lauren married her husband Daniel and moved to the Austin area.

Here, her interest in animal medicine grew and drew her into the veterinary field. Lauren has found her true calling and has worked in small animal practice since 2012. Lauren’s spare time is spent raising her two beautiful kids, Erica and Luke. She loves spending time outdoors with her family, soaking up all the fun activities Austin has to offer.

Aaron Hernandez

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Aaron started working for Firehouse in October 2018 but has been in the vet field for more than 12 years. He graduated from Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology in Colorado as a Licensed Veterinary Technician in 2006.  Since then he has worked in specialty hospitals, equine medicine, spay and neuter clinics, and several small animal practices along the way. 

Aaron now lives in Leander with his Fiancée and son along with his faithful companion Bamboo, a 12-year-old shepherd mix who is never far from his side.  In his spare time, Aaron can be found somewhere green and beautiful, hiking, camping, or just spending time with his friends and family.  (Aaron is also into collecting and selling retro toys – ask him about his collection next time you see him!)