Dr Mattu, DVM

Medical Director

Dr. Mattu grew up in a farming family with a special love and compassion for animals. He graduated with his Veterinary degree from Punjab Veterinary College in North India and then finished his internship at Iowa State University. To serve his patients better, Dr. Mattu has attended and continues to attend various educational courses to enhance his skills in advance medical modalities like ultrasound, endoscopy, dentistry, Internal Medicine, and chronic skin and ear problems.

Dr. Mattu believes that all pets have a special place in our lives, providing us with an irreplaceable relationship. He is very sensitive to the needs of this emotional link. He strives to preserve and enhance this bond for a lifetime. Dr. Mattu takes his time to understand each pet’s health needs and their owners’ innermost feelings about the care they want for their pet. He customizes each treatment plan, taking into consideration both the pet’s needs and the owner’s resources to ensure that each and every pet receives the care he or she deserves. Dr. Mattu possesses a special skill to express each pet’s medical condition in simple, understandable language so that every owner is in a position to make an informed decision for his or her pet.

Dr. Mattu’s top priority is to maintain a high quality of life for pets in the Bay Area, and help people make good decisions for their pets, even when they get uncomfortable or difficult. Please feel free to call his Berkeley practice at 510-841-4412, where a staff member will be glad to help you answer any questions you may have about your pet’s health.

Dr. Fosbender, BVSc

Veterinarian

Dr. Laura Fosbender grew up just outside Chicago and earned a BA in History from Carleton College. In 1998, she moved to San Francisco, where she spent several years working in various software and analytical roles for startups and the University of California system while she volunteered with dogs and cats in her free time.

Her love of pets and their people, along with an interest in medicine, lead her to pursue veterinary school (and a bit of adventure) at Massey University in New Zealand. She joined the team at University Veterinary Hospital in December 2014.

Dr. Fosbender has a special interest in internal medicine and feline medicine. Her goal as a vet is to improve the quality of life for pets and their people by empowering people to make informed decisions about their pets’ health. She is a member of the American Association of Feline Practitioners, Veterinary Information Network and local veterinary associations.

When she’s not at University Veterinary Hospital, Dr. Fosbender spends her time reading fiction, running slowly but steadily, and telling anyone who will listen that they should be watching The Americans. Although previously an avowed dog person, she now lives in West Berkeley with two beloved cats – Emily and Dulcinea.

Dr. Mike Sozanski, DVM

Veterinarian

Mike Sozanski DVM, Dip. ABVP did his undergraduate and veterinary education at Cornell University. He has practiced in the Bay Area since 1980 and has been board certified by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP) in small animal practice since 1988.

He is experienced in all aspects of small animal medicine, dentistry, and surgery. Outside of Veterinary medicine, he is a runner, swimmer, photographer, and web developer, developing a website for veterinary emergency and anesthetic drug calculations, vetcalculators.com.

Dr. Rebeccah Landman, DVM

Veterinarian

Dr. Rebeccah Landman has worn a few hats in her life. Trained first as an archaeologist, she spent six years traveling the world uncovering the mysteries of the ancient world. Trading trowel for a stethoscope, she returned to her childhood passion for veterinary medicine. As a veterinarian, she is not only able to explore the mysteries of animal medicine but also keeps important members of our family happy and healthy.

Dr. Landman received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the UC Davis School of Veterinary in May 2016 and worked in Sonora after graduation. While she enjoyed mountain living, Dr. Landman missed the Bay Area.

Dr. Landman is excited to have joined the team at University Veterinary Hospital in October 2019. Her professional interests include wellness/preventative medicine, small animal medicine, and dermatology. While at UC Davis, Dr. Landman dedicated time to researching the connection between human and animal health. She worked on projects studying rodent-borne zoonotic diseases and started a One Health program in Nicaragua, supporting community-led initiatives to promote poultry and bovine health. A long time goal for her is to continue participating in community outreach projects, both locally and globally, supporting the inextricable link between animal welfare, human health, and ecological conservation.

In her free time, she likes to explore the many incredible local hiking trails with her dog Barley (a border collie/cattle dog mix and an ARF rescue). Dr. Landman also has a passion for traveling whether it’s hopping on a plane to explore distant lands or exploring the local wonders that the Bay Area offers. However, most important to her outside of work is spending quality time with her family and being Aunt Beccah to her amazing nieces and nephews.

Dr. Sean Wells

Veterinary Surgeon

Dr. Sean Wells is a surgical specialist who comes to our hospital for all pets that need advanced surgical interventions. He graduated from UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 2004 after which he completed a 1-year general internship at Bay Area Veterinary Specialists followed by a 1-year surgical internship with Veterinary Surgical Associates. After his internships, Dr. Wells completed a 3-year residency in small animal surgery with Veterinary Surgical Associates and became board certified in 2010. Dr. Wells founded Northern California Veterinary Surgical in 2009.Sean’s surgical interests include orthopedic and oncologic surgery with a special interest in minimally invasive techniques (arthroscopy/laparoscopy/thoracoscopy), reconstructive procedures, and joint replacement. He is currently one of the only surgeons in the state performing both standard and micro/nano hip replacements in dogs & cats. Sean grew up in the mountains northeast of Ojai, California. He is a California licensed electrical contractor (C-10). He enjoys surfing, hockey, snowboarding, and any activity involving the water. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, cooking, and running Gilman Brewing Company (which he co-founded with Dr. Sellmeyer in 2015).To know more about Dr. Sean Wells, please visit his page Http://Www.Norcalvetsurg.Com/About

Natalie

Hospital Manager

Natalie has always been an animal lover for as long as she can remember. From dogs to cats to birds to snails, animals have always had a special place in her heart. Growing up, Natalie loved stuffed animals and is now living the dream with her own pet cat, a fluffy talkative tortie named Tina Plou Brown.

In the past, Natalie has worked many customer service jobs but was looking for a change a few years ago. Natalie wanted to work in an industry she was passionate about and was thrilled when the opportunity to work at University Vet Hospital came about. Natalie greatly enjoys getting to know each of our wonderful clients and all of their amazing pets. It is an honor for her to make your pets feel comfortable and loved while here and seeing the beautiful relationships each client has with their beloved pets.

When Natalie is not working at University Veterinary Hospital, she can be found studying for the psychology and counseling degree she is working towards, as
well as going on hikes, and playing music.

Holly, RVT

Veterinary Technician

Holly grew up in Turlock, California with many adopted feathered and four-legged friends that she had found on farms, on the streets, in pounds, and through the rescue groups that she and her parents worked with. She grew up wanting to be a veterinarian and spent one exchange year in New Zealand during high school living on a sheep farm and volunteering for a mixed-practice veterinarian there.

During her year in New Zealand, the travel bug struck and her interest in different cultures began to take over. Her first college years were spent at UC Berkeley obtaining BA’s in Ethnic Studies and Anthropology, with a minor in Native American Studies. After graduation, she went to live in Guatemala and Argentina for a year. In Argentina, she worked with underprivileged nursery school children in shanty towns in the mornings and taught English to middle school children in the afternoons. Back in the United States, she spent a year working in the Four Corners area on land, water, and sovereignty rights with Native American and Mexican American people. She then returned to the Bay Area to work with several other non-profits.

After a time, she decided to reinvestigate going to veterinary school. She volunteered at the Marine Mammal Center in Marin for a few years, then she started working at a veterinary practice as a receptionist and technician while she went to CSU-Hayward to get her BS in Biology.

Prior to coming to University Veterinary Hospital, she worked as a veterinary technician for 18 years, working in both general practices and emergency hospitals. She became a Registered Veterinary Technician in 2009.

In her free time, she enjoys traveling, dancing, reading and being a homebody with her four-legged dog Kylie, her three-legged dog Apple and Millie a special needs cat with radial agenesis.
At University Veterinary Hospital, she feels like she has found her calling and loves to care for our dog and cat patients. She would love to meet your pet!

Mirna, RVT

Veterinary Technician

Mirna’s love for animals started very young after an 8-week-old Chow Chow named Lassie came into her life and helped her overcome her fears of dogs. Ever since her furry friend entered her life, she has committed her life to helping and loving animals.

Mirna graduated from Western Career College with her Associates in Science.

Mirna is a very bubbly, joyful personality who is very compassionate and loving. For her, getting to know you and your pet is not only an honor but an amazing chance to build a relationship with new friends. She says, ‘My pitbull Senorita teaches me new things every day, and that’s what I love about my job — being able to learn new things that can help me understand our beloved friends even more and help them!’

Mirna started working at UVH several years ago, and would love to see your pet!

Lyvette

Veterinary Assistant

Lyvette is a Bay Area native. She grew up in Redwood City and moved to the east bay in 2013 to earn her BA in Marine Science and Spanish Language and Literature from UC Berkeley.

She has always had a fascination with all kinds of animals and knew from 2nd grade that she wanted to become a veterinarian. She has a special interest in zoological and aquatic medicine but loves working in general practice helping furry family members. She routinely volunteers at a local barn and works with horses and varied pet livestock. She has assisted biologists at the Aquarium of the Bay with caring for jellyfish, sharks, various fish species, crabs, and reptiles. Recently she interned with the Oakland Zoo and worked with the fruit bats and otters and will soon be beginning a second internship! Can you tell she loves animals?

On Lyvette’s off time she can be found at Giant’s baseball games, concerts, Disneyland, or listening to true crime podcasts. She has two Shiba Inus, named Indy and Solo, and his auntie to a lovely black English lab named Rain.

Maggie

Veterinary Assistant

Maggie grew up in sunny San Diego, where she graduated high school in 2015. From there, she moved to Berkeley, where she attended UC Berkeley for four years and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology. While Maggie plans to one day attend medical school and become a doctor, this has not stopped her from exploring her other passions, such as dance, reading, and her love for animals! Growing up, Maggie had lots of exposure to animals- be it the steady stream of Animal Planet documentaries, frequent trips to the San Diego zoo, or simply spending time with her pet dogs at home. This has continued into her adult life, where she now works for the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and as an Exam Room Nurse at University Veterinary Hospital. Maggie started at UVH in May of 2019 and is very excited to be part of the team! She can’t wait to meet our lovely clients and their amazing furry friends!

Alexys

Veterinary Assistant

Alexys Wang grew up in the bustling city of Singapore. She immigrated here to the States in her sophomore year of high school when she got her first dog, a majestic German Shepard called Roy. However, her love for animals began when she was much younger. Always having an interest in learning about animals (whether it’s their behavior or diet) Alexys would find herself buried deep in piles of books about the amazing organisms we have co-living with humans. She would also often pay visits to the Singapore Zoological Gardens to see the amazing variety of animals there. She had a fair share of experience raising her parent’s Koi fishes, guppies, beta fishes, and even a mealworm at one point for a school project. She’s always keen on helping animals and making them feel better, which set her on her path to becoming a veterinarian.

She currently goes to school at UC Berkeley and aspires to be a veterinarian in small animal practice. She volunteered at UVH for half a year before becoming a veterinary assistant in Summer 2019.

When she’s not working, she’s found in UC Berkeley’s libraries studying or volunteering at a lab on campus. She also enjoys looking at various memes and playing video games with friends.

Madeline

Client Service Representative

Madeline was born in Berkeley and raised in El Cerrito and Albany. She is the second oldest in a family of 10 (5 boys and 5 girls — her dad said he wanted to get it even!)

Her parents brought home a Cocker Spaniel puppy almost the same time that they brought her home. Madeline and her older brother, Bill had many ‘adventures’ with Freddy – mostly in the field across from their house which had a large creek running through it and 3 horses!

Her love for animals kept growing through the years, and when she graduated from high school she started her first job as a receptionist at the Berkeley Humane Society. What followed then was over 25 years working in several veterinary clinics in the Bay Area, including Albany Vet Clinic and Pet Emergency Treatment Service.

Then in 1991, she took a job with a local veterinary supply company as an inside sales representative. And while she really enjoyed working with different veterinary clinics throughout the Western United States, she also missed working with people and their pets, so when Dr. Mattu offered her the wonderful opportunity to join his fine staff at UVH, she was thrilled to join!

Since November of 2011, she has met so many wonderful clients and their pets, and looks forward to meeting many many more!

Kristin

Client Service Representative

Kristin was born and raised in the East Bay Area. While she has a background and degree in art and graphic design, animals have always been a huge part of her life and throughout has had many kinds – hamsters, fish, birds, cats, and dogs. In fall of 2017 while living in Savannah, GA, she rescued an incredibly sweet, pregnant, FIV-positive cat off the streets and named her Riley. Taking care of the six-kitten litter until they were old enough for adoption was one of the most rewarding and fun experiences! Kristin relocated back to the Bay Area in Dec 2018 (with Riley, of course), decided to focus on her love of animals, and was accepted into the UVH team. In her free time she enjoys hiking, drawing, playing video games, and watching horror movies. In her eleven years of customer service this has been her favorite position and it’s all thanks to your lovely, wonderful pets that she can’t wait to meet.

DeLashay

Client Service Representative

DeLashay was born and raised in Oakland, CA. Growing up she had a fear of animals until she met her best friend pit bull. She automatically fell in love with dogs and even went and got one herself. A red nose pitbull named Simba, he’s 5 years old and is the light of her life! DeLashay attends diablo valley college and is in school to become a Medical Diagnostic Sonographer. She will be transferring next summer/fall to the Kaiser Permanente School of Allied Health. Since joining the UVH team, she’s witnessed a lot of Ultrasounds be done on animals and is now considering also attending vet school to specifically do ultrasounds on small animals.

In her free time, she likes to read, take Simba on walks & hikes. Watching Netflix & spend time with her family & friends! She is excited to meet all the new & old clients at UVH!