Dr. Elizabeth Wetzel

Medical Director/Partner

Dr. Elizabeth Wetzel was raised on a small hobby farm in the mountains of Van Lear, Kentucky. From a young age, she loved animals of all kinds, and a career working with them was inevitable. She attended Morehead State University in Morehead, Kentucky for her undergraduate studies, where she obtained a Bachelor's degree in veterinary science.

Dr. Wetzel then attended the Auburn University of College of Veterinary Medicine (War Eagle!) and graduated in 2018 with her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine degree. Her professional interests include canine reproduction, surgery, internal medicine, dermatology, and nutrition. She also truly enjoys client education- the more you know about your pet, the more likely the pet is to live a comfortable, happy, and healthy life.

Dr. Wetzel and her husband, Jon, are high school sweethearts, and as is typical for animal lovers, they have quite the menagerie. Their furry family consists of fur-children - Sebastian, a German Shepherd; Mavis, a German Shepherd; Gustave "Gus", a French Bulldog; Maxine "Max", a French Bulldog; Myrtle, a French Bulldog, and Rico and Chico, the chinchillas.

During her time at Auburn, Dr. Wetzel and her husband visited the Charleston area quite frequently. Because of the southern hospitality and small-town feel that became apparent in Charleston, Dr. Wetzel and Jon decided to make it their home in 2018.

In her spare time, Dr. Wetzel enjoys riding motorcycles, going to the beach, playing endless games of fetch with her dogs, fishing, and traveling. She is outgoing, and loves meeting new people. Dr. Wetzel cannot wait to partner with you in providing the best care possible for your furry family members as Brighton Animal Hospital's veterinarian!

Dr. Mackenzie Ciccone

Associate Veterinarian

I was born and raised in the small town of Blacksburg in the Upstate of South Carolina. Growing up, I loved the outdoors and animals of all shapes and sizes.

I attended Clemson University for three years, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Animal and Veterinary Sciences. It was here that I met my husband, Andrew. I moved to the University of Georgia to earn my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, focusing my clinical years on small animal surgery, canine reproduction, cattle diseases, and herd health management.

My husband’s career as an offshore charter captain out of Charleston is what initially brought us to the Lowcountry. We now live here with our three German Shorthaired Pointers - Ryder, Izzy, and Ripley. We enjoy many hobbies with our bird dogs, including duck, dove, quail hunting, and dock diving. My other hobbies include freshwater and saltwater fishing, running, and hiking.

Dr. Josephine Oakley

Associate Veterinarian

Dr. Josephine Oakley was born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina. It was here where she developed her love for animals and passion to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. Dr. Oakley grew up spending a lot of time in the Charleston area visiting family and always knew she wanted to make it her home one day. Dr. Oakley graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and a minor in Spanish. From there, she attended the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine where she received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine and graduated with honors. At the University of Florida, Dr. Oakley also obtained professional certificates in both Veterinary Business Management and Shelter Medicine.

Dr. Oakley’s professional interests include small animal surgery, client education, internal medicine, feline medicine, and working with clients and patients alike to manage chronic diseases. Dr. Oakley is Fear Free certified in shelter pets and companion animals, and is passionate about facilitating a veterinary visit free of fear, anxiety, and stress for both patients and owners.

In her free time, Dr. Oakley enjoys spending time in nature hiking and exploring, going to the beach, cheering on the Georgia Bulldogs, cooking, and spending time with her three cats (Winnie, Piglet, and Pooh). Dr. Oakley is so excited to join the Brighton Animal Hospital team and to meet you and your furry friends!

Kirsten

Lead Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT)

Practice Manager

Kirsten was born and raised here in the Lowcountry. From an early age, she knew she wanted to work with animals. She started volunteering at her local SPCA when she was only 12 years old, and once she became old enough to work for them, they hired her on the spot. Working with animals has always been her passion, and she displays that with every patient she encounters.

Kirsten graduated from the Trident Technical College's Veterinary Technology program in 2017. Shortly after that, she began working at another veterinary hospital, where she met Dr. Wetzel. They quickly formed a bond over their love of animals, and working together for the past two years has made them become a really strong team.

She lives with her 4 Corgis, Tator, Oliver, Pixie, and Poppy! She agrees she has a slight obsession with the breed. She looks forward to helping all of the animals in need. Come say, hi!

Bianca

Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT)

Bianca was originally born and raised in Manila, Philippines. At 11 years old, she moved to the United States to live here in the Lowcountry with her family. Even at a young age, Bianca was very interested in animals. She eventually fulfilled the dream when she started working in the veterinary field in 2015 and eventually graduated at Trident Technical College at 2018 to become a Licensed Veterinary Technician. In 2018, she met Dr. Wetzel at a previous hospital. They parted ways, but eventually found their way together again in 2021.

In her spare time, Bianca enjoys reading, playing video games, musical theater, doing arts and crafts, and cooking. She is also married to her college classmate and is a fur-momma to 2 Huskies and 2 cats.

Tori

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Tori was born in Maryland, raised in Deleware and then moved down here to the lowcountry in 2016 due to being an Air Force brat. Tori has always had a love for animals ever since she was little. She graduated from Trident Technical College in 2023, receiving her associate degree in Veterinary Technology. While in school, she did her externship here at Brighton and after graduation stayed to join our team. Soon she'll be taking State and National Board exams in order to be licensed.

She has a loving husky/lab mix named Sparky and a dachshund mix named Benji. She's thrilled to be part of the fantastic team at Brighton and can't wait to meet all of you!

Brianna

Veterinary Assistant

Brianna grew up in a small town in Georgia, but moved to the coast for college. She graduated from Coastal Carolina University with a B.S. in Marine Science in 2017. After graduating, she completed an internship at the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Hospital. While working there, she joined Dr. Wetzel’s at another clinic and loved the team she had. Brianna made the move to Brighton in early 2021 to join this amazing team.

She is a wife to Cody and mama to daughter, Lylah. Together, they share Riley, their loved Boxer mix. She loves going to the beach and surrounding her daughter with her love for animals by visiting zoos, farms, and aquariums.

Tamra

Client Care Representative

Tamra is a Lowcountry native! She has always loved animals and started her career at Petsmart. She quickly knew she wanted to further her career into veterinary medicine and has worked at two veterinary hospitals since! When not at work she loves to hang out with family, friends, and her son. She also shares two Rottweilers, Tank and Tiny, with her boyfriend, and they are the biggest love bugs!

Christen

Veterinary Assistant

Chris has lived here in Summerville her entire life. She owns 5 beautiful fur babies. Hilda (Pitbull), Athena (Pitbull), Dumpling (exotic bulldog), Mochi (dapple Dachshund) and Oscar (Miniature Dachshund). She graduated from Ashley Ridge High School and looks forward to getting her technician license at Trident Tech. She started working with animals in 2020 at a boarding and grooming facility and her love for the field has grown ever since! Minus spending time with fur babies, she loves to bake and crochet. She is very excited to be a part of Brighton’s family and to say hello to all of you!

Bailey

Veterinary Technician

Bailey was born and raised in the Lowcountry. She has had a passion for taking care of animals since she was a child. She started at a young age taking care of many different animals, such as rabbits, hamsters, horses (even working on a horse farm) fish, cats and dogs. In high school she really started to focus her attention on veterinary medicine by joining the HOSA club (Health Occupation Students of America- future health professionals). She competed both her junior and senior year in the state veterinary medicine competition where she won top 10 first year and top 5 in state the second year. This required her to take a cumulative test of veterinary care/medicine questions. She made it to clinicals the next day where she was taken to a clinic to practice all of her technical skills. She graduated from the Trident Tech Vet Tech program in 2021 and worked in a vet clinic full time while attending school full time. She will help and teach the upcoming veterinary technician students as well! She shares a spoiled Cocker Spaniel named Belle, with her boyfriend but plan on owning many different breeds! Bailey is very excited to join Brighton, as well as meet and bond with not only the patients of Nexton but their owners as well!

Ariel

Veterinary Assistant

Ariel was born and raised in San Diego, California. Ariel made the move to the Low Country in 2017 with her husband and daughter. Ariel knew she had a passion for animals at a young age and even started working in kennels at 14. For 12 years she worked as a kennel tech and then assistant manager at a luxury boarding resort and daycare in San Diego. Since moving to the East Coast she jumped into the Vet Care scene. She worked first at a small veterinary practice learning about general practice and then spent a few years as a surgical assistant at a shelter learning the ins and outs of shelter veterinary medicine. Ariel is excited to be back into general practice vet med and be part of the Brighton team. She also holds two degrees an AA and a BA in English Language Arts. In her free time she loves to hang out with her family, 2 dogs and cat.

Emilie

Client Care Representative

Emilie was originally born and raised in Burnsville, Minnesota. From a young age, she had a clear career goal: working with animals. She spent much of her childhood attending outdoor wildlife camps, walking dogs for neighbors, and exploring wildlife. Her passion has always been working with animals. In 2022, Emilie earned a B.S. in Environmental Science with a concentration in Fish and Wildlife Management from American Public University. She completed an internship at the Avian Conservation Center's Avian Medical Clinic (Avian Medicine/Rehabilitation) while pursuing her B.S. She was involved in every step of the treatment and recovery process, including rescue, triage, daily care, different diagnostic tests, and release. She began working on a master's degree in conservation biology while pursuing her B.S. She hopes to attend vet school in the near future. She lives with her fiancé and five Labrador retrievers, Weatherbea, Scout, Dalton, Sprig, and Otis! Three cats, Cloudy, Breezy, and Mellow. Lastly, she has a 30-year-old Senegal parrot named Harvey.