For as long as he can remember, becoming a veterinarian has been Dr. Mina Youssef’s dream. He was raised around all kinds of pets and farm animals, and never took for granted the happiness they brought him. Now, Dr. Youssef has achieved his goal and is the owner of his own practice, North Star Animal Hospital!

Dr. Youssef was born and raised in Egypt and attended veterinary medical school in Cairo. After graduation, he moved to the United States and attended the University of Missouri until 2007, when he began working in general practice. Three years later, he transitioned into emergency medicine before opening North Star Animal Hospital on Valentine’s Day, 2014. Internal medicine cases are some of Dr. Youssef’s favorites—they can be quite challenging and truly test his skills! He’s also fond of dental work and seeing a pet’s overall health improve after an oral cleaning.

When he isn’t caring for pets at the clinic or spending time with his family and Ottah, his playful Siamese cat, Dr. Youssef enjoys playing tennis, swimming, and traveling.

I was born in Anniston, Alabama, where I spent my days playing in the woods near my house, looking for lizards, snakes, frogs, fallen baby birds and any other animal that I could catch and bring home, often to the surprise and disgust of my mother! I have always had a love for animals ever since I can remember. When I was 5 years old, we got our first family dog and I would tag along to his appointments with the veterinarian. This is how I learned of the veterinary profession and, henceforce, it would be my goal to become a veterinarian myself.

My family moved to San Antonio, Texas when I was 8 years old. I never lost sight of my dream as I attended UT Austin and got my Bachelor’s degree in Biology in 2006. I went on to attend Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine, graduating in 2010. After graduation, I moved back to San Antonio and have been practicing here ever since. I took my first job at Becker Animal Hospital, working overnights, where I got experience handling emergency cases and becoming proficient in surgery. I then went on to work at Mission Pet Emergency where I enjoyed the thrill of emergency medicine and got satisfaction from helping pets and their families at a time when they needed it the most. When my daughter was born in 2015, the strenuous hours of emergency medicine became too difficult to manage as I navigated through the world of new parenthood. I took a job at a daytime practice, focusing more on preventative care medicine. This change allowed me to work and to also be at home with my daughter when she needed me. I developed an interest in dentistry during this time and loved to see the quality of life improve for a pet when it received proper dental care.

When I’m not at work, I am spending time with my daughter, Eliana. She is the light of my life. We have many pets at home, as my daughter and I share a love for animals. We have 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 rabbits, a hamster and a snake. We love going to the San Antonio zoo, the Witte museum, and the park to feed ducks and look for turtles.

I’m happy to join the team at North Star Animal Hospital, where I can practice quality medicine and continue to help the pets and people of San Antonio.

Tanya was a client here at North Star Animal Hospital before she was an employee—she brought her own pets to see Dr. Youssef ever since moving to San Antonio a number of years ago. For Tanya, being able to join a team of compassionate, skilled animal-lovers just like herself was a dream come true! She’s proud to now serve as one of the hospital’s front-desk receptionists.

Tanya grew up in Laredo, Texas, and volunteered for several years there at the Laredo Animal Protective Society. It was there that she developed deep passions for fostering—she’s a member of the San Antonio Feral Cat Coalition to this day!—and animal healthcare. In July of 2016, Tanya decided to apply for a job here at North Star Animal Hospital; she was hired on the spot, and has been serving the pets and animal owners of the area ever since.

At home, Tanya enjoys the company of several pets of her own. She has three dogs—Larry, a sweet and snorty white Schnauzer; Peanut, the tan and white Chihuahua who can never get enough pets; and a vocal tricolor Chihuahua named Khaleesi—as well as three feline companions: Twinkle, a grumpy domestic shorthair, Thor the mischievous orange tabby, and the mama-cat of the group, Queen Alexandria.

An animal owner herself, Elizabeth knows exactly how much pets mean to the families of San Antonio. She’s wanted to help improve the lives of pets for as long as she can remember! Elizabeth is proud to serve as a Veterinary Technician with the North Star Animal Hospital team.

A Houston native, Elizabeth worked in a practice there for three years following her undergraduate studies in biology and chemistry. After that, she moved here to San Antonio, where she is currently enrolled in a program to become a Licensed Veterinary Technician. Elizabeth joined the North Star Animal Hospital family in March of 2016, and has particular interests in radiograph diagnostics and client education. She absolutely loves imparting helpful knowledge to brand-new pet owners!

In her time away from work, Elizabeth enjoys working out in her Zumba class and spending time with her own pets at home. She lives with an Australian shepherd, Spot, who enjoys doing tricks for his daily dental treat; Sasha the Siberian husky, who can play for hours before she’s tired out; and a young Chihuahua/terrier mix named Bambi who tucks himself under the covers at night.