Meet Our Staff

Veterinarians
Dr. Kathleen Deckard
OWNER/MEDICAL DIRECTOR
Dr. Kathleen Deckard is a native of Jacksonville, Florida. She received her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine in 1999 from the University of Florida then immediately joined a large veterinary practice and remained there for the last 16 years. In 2014, she began her dream of building Pets R Family Veterinary Hospital to service the community in which she lives and provide excellent compassionate care for the pets in the St. Johns area.
Dr. Deckard enjoys challenging medicine cases and has a special interest in Dermatology. Her years in practice have enabled her to become proficient at soft tissue surgery including cystotomy, intestinal surgery, splenectomy, and tumor removal. She also has advanced training in abdominal ultrasound. She has a special way of making owners and their pets feel comfortable.
When she is not caring for her patients, she enjoys spending family time with her husband and her two children. The rest of her family includes her three dogs, Captain, Fitzgerald, and Isabelle. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, fishing, dancing, roller blading, and tennis.
Dr. Kayla Hutton
Senior Associate Veterinarian
Dr. Katelyn Lanctot
Associate Veterinarian
Dr. Katelyn Lanctot was born in Southbridge, Massachusetts before moving to Sebastian, Florida where she grew up. She attended the University of Central Florida where she earned her bachelor's degree in Biology in 2019. She then recieved her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine with a certificate in Aquatic Animal Medicine in 2023.
While in school, Katelyn completed research on behavior studies in gopher tortoises as well as parasitic studies in seals and barred owls.
Her interests include small animal medicine of dogs, cats, and exotics animals as well as surgery and ultrasound. She is Fear Free certified and aims to make both her patiens and clients feel the most comfortable during their visits. In her free time, Katelyn enjoys spending time at the beach, hiking, dancing, and spending time at her local church.
Dr. Alysha Salapack
Associate Veterinarian
Dr. Salapack is a born and raised Florida girl who had dreams of becoming a veterinarian since she was little. She grew up at the beach and was very active in sports growing up.
Alysha obtained her undergraduate degree from Florida State University in 2010, then went on to receive her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Florida in 2019. Her interests include small animal medicine of dogs and cats, but her true love is veterinary diagnostic imaging.
She has been married to her husband Brandon, and together they share a family of 4 cats (Roo, Momma, Titten Little, and Eleanor) and a green-winged macaw (Davi).
Dr. Scarlet Motycka
Associate Veterinarian
Dr. Scarlet Motycka was born in Lansing, Michigan, but grew up in Orlando, Florida with her older brother and sister. She attended the University of Florida where she earned dual bachelor’s degrees in both microbiology (1997) and animal science (2001), working between that time as a veterinary technician. She then went on to earn her doctorate from the University of Florida-College of Veterinary Medicine in 2005.
Dr. Motycka has spent her career as a small animal clinician in the Jacksonville and St. Augustine area, primarily as a relief veterinarian and including 3 years working in emergency medicine. As a lifelong pet owner herself, Dr. Motycka embraces the human-animal bond and treats her patients with the level of care she would give her own pets. She truly understands that pets are family members too.
She and her husband of 11 years, Brian, have a beautiful 4 year old daughter named Elise. The three of them reside in Nocatee with their 4 rescue cats. When Dr. Motycka is not practicing veterinary medicine, she enjoys travel, movies/television, reading, playing games and most of all, quality family time.