About Us

Dr. T-na (pronounced “Tina”) Tran is the sole practitioner at The Family Vet. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Class of 1997. Before that, Dr. Tran studied animal science and agricultural development at California Polytechnic State University, Pomona. After graduating from Wisconsin, Dr. Tran returned to the community (as a student Dr. Tran worked at The Family Vet while it was still Magnolia Animal Hospital), and acquired the practice in 2003. Her vision is to provide a quality practice for the community that uniquely blends family friendliness, honesty, and excellent patient care. Dr. Tran’s family include her dog Lyna, her turtle “J,” and her cat Quinn. In her spare time, Dr. Tran enjoys reading and studying about medicine - especially acupuncture - and enjoys walks around local parks.

Elias started his employment at The Family Vet in 1995, while it was still Magnolia Animal Hospital. Originally hired mainly for a summer, the experience of working at The Family Vet unexpectedly became a career. “It really is more something that I enjoy doing, and happen to be paid for,” he says. After a year off, Elias returned to the practice in 2020 in the midst of the Coronavirus shutdowns.  Elias has several degrees from California State University Long Beach, including a Master’s Degree in philosophy and a teaching credential in social science. Elias enjoys his off time reading (philosophy of science, history, and science), and birdwatching.

Quinn came to us a near-death 10 day old kitten. Remarkably, he was able to survive his perilous condition. When he was months old, we decided to keep him. Since then Quinn has traveled with us throughout the Southwestern United States. From Hollywood to the Grand Canyon to San Diego, Quinn has been our companion at our side.

Lyna our newest family member. She came to us because her previous owner is no longer able to take care of her. (Lyna is 18 and has lost the ability to walk on her rear legs.) Nevertheless, that she retains her joyous spirit despite her disablity is incredibitly inspirational. She is a reminder to us that with proper care, animals with disablitites can continue to have rich and rewarding lives.

Like Quinn and Lyna, J is also rescue animal. J has shown to be a curious and loving turtle. He can be bold and doesn’t show fear when Quinn gets especially curious. Please note: red-eared sliders actually take immense effort and multi-decade committment to care for properly and are generally not recommended as pets.

The Family Vet

449 West Bay Street

Costa Mesa, CA 92627

(562) 281-7387

staff@thefamilyvet.net

Hours: Sundays By Appointment Only