Meet Our
Veterinary Team
Meet the veterinarians and team at Burlingame Family Pet Hospital. We’re pleased to provide exceptional vet care for your pets.
Get to Know Our Team
Please call us at (650) 697-7234 to speak to one of our caring veterinary staff members.
Veterinarians
Dr. Rich Meisels
Originally from Los Angeles, California, Rich graduated with a doctorate in veterinary medicine from St Matthew’s University in 2009, having already completed bachelor’s degrees in animal science (’91) and poultry science (’03) from Texas A&M University. He completed his veterinary clinical rotation year at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine as part of the overall doctorate program at St Matthew’s.
Rich started in the animal healthcare field at the age of 12 years old as a veterinary assistant in West Hollywood, California. During high school, and concurrent with his continuing work at the vet clinic, Rich also held internships at the Los Angeles Zoo and the Pepperdine University Equestrian Center in Malibu, CA. Before attending veterinary school, Rich was a veterinary assistant and vet tech for over twenty-two years, with the seven years preceding vet school spent as a registered veterinary technician (RVT) in both California and Texas. After graduation from vet school, he hand-built and managed his own practice in southern California. After selling the practice, he moved up north to be closer to his future wife and has been practicing in the San Francisco area for the past seven years.
Ask “Dr. Rich” what his specialty is and he will humbly reply bedside manner, meaning he prides himself on personalized interactions with patients and clients. Rich loves both surgery and general medicine, and he has interests in geriatric medicine, companion animal nutrition, and exotic pet medicine. Dr. Rich’s hobbies outside of work include automobile restoration and repair, carpentry, and playing guitar.
Dr. Rob West
Dr. Rob West was born and raised in Massachusetts and relocated to the Bay Area in 1990. He attended veterinary school at The University of California at Davis and graduated in 1998.
Dr. West has worked primarily in emergency and specialty hospitals and a few general practices over the years. Providing the highest-quality, compassionate, thoughtful care to all of his patients has always been his top priority.
He is an avid surfer and enjoys hiking, backpacking, skiing, and just about everything outdoors. He lives in Pacifica with his wife, Lindsey, and two children. Like every veterinary professional, he also has a crew of pets!
Dr. Dorothy Hoppe
Dr. Dorothy Hoppe was born in Poland and came to the US at the age of 9. She spent most of her life in Florida and began medical school there. After a year of medical school, she realized veterinary medicine was her true calling and resigned.
She graduated from Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2009 and moved to the Bay Area for an internship at a specialty/emergency practice. Since then, she has worked in several areas of veterinary medicine, from general practice to emergency to shelter. She particularly enjoys surgery, ultrasound, urgent care, and the relationship with pets and their owners.
Dr. Hoppe lives in San Francisco with three cats and a crazy Cambodian dog. In her free time, she loves traveling, hiking with the crazy dog, SCUBA, reading, and working on DIY projects she rarely finishes.