Meet our Veterinarians
We have an experienced qualified team to take care of your best friend.
Dr. Deborah Hofler
Practice Owner
Dr. Deborah Hofler opened Countryside Veterinary Hospital in 1998. She received her degree in Aniaml Science from Cornall University and then continued her education at the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned her Veterinary Medical Doctorate in 1995. Dr. Hofler resides in Valley Center with her husband and three children. She is an active member of the Valley Center community and in her spare time she donates her time to PAWS, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping pets and people.
Specialties
List here…
Dr. Diane Stephens
Veterinarian
Dr. Stephens is a Valley Center native and has been working for Countryside since October 2018. She has been surrounded by animals her whole childhood and has been practicing veterinary medicine professionally since 1995. On her spare time, Dr. Stephens enjoys playing the guitar and embracing the outdoors with her 4 Boxers and German Shepherd by hiking, camping, and dog training.
Specialties
List here…
Dr. Lauren Hobson
Veterinarian
Dr. Lauren Hobson brings a unique mix of professional and personable to the table and we welcomed her to our CSVET family in July 2019. Dr. Hobson graduated from the Western University of Health Sciences while obtaining a Fear Free certification(level 3). Her greatest joy is the variety of cases that are seen in a day and loves nothing more than to do everything she can to make both client and pet happy, the fear free way. Dr. Hobson has worked with numerous exotic animal practitioners in Southern California and will now be seeing exotic animals at Countryside. Whether it be a bearded dragon, snake, guinea pig, or bird; all pets are welcome!! Be sure to ask for Dr. Lauren Hobson and give her that big Valley Center Welcome!
Specialties
List here…
Meet our Board Certified Specialists
Our specialists are here to provide expert care for your pet.
Dr. Bill Herndon, DVM
Diplomate ACVIM Cardiology
Early in his career, he performed clinical research focused on evaluating new blood testing for dogs and cats with cardiopulmonary disease.
Interesting facts:
Since moving to California from Washington DC over 15 years ago: Bill has given over 38 hours of continuing education to veterinarians in the region (excluding intern rounds) and examined over 2,550 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.
He is board certified veterinary cardiologist and a member of the ACVIM, AVMA, CVMA and SDVMA.
Specialties
Dr. Therese Craychee, DVM
MS, DACVR
Specialties
Dr. Tracy Nicole Frey, DVM
Veterinarian
Dr. Tracy Nicole Frey was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs and received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a major in Biology in 1998. She is a 2002 graduate of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Frey completed a small animal rotating internship at Long Island Veterinary Specialists in Plainview, New York in 2003, and was in general practice in Deer Park, New York until 2004. She then began a two year surgical internship followed by a three year surgical residency at Garden State Veterinary Specialists in Tinton Falls, New Jersey. Dr. Frey has been practicing in Southern California since August 2009 with an emphasis on soft tissue surgery and emergency medicine.
Specialties
Soft Tissue Surgery, Emergency Medicine
Dr. Seth Mathus Ganz
DVM, DACVS, Board-Certified Small-Animal Surgeon
Seth Mathus Ganz was born and raised in central New Jersey. He attended Lakewood High School, then went to Boston University and completed a B.S. in Biology. He spent a year after undergraduate in Boston as a Surgery Technician at Angell Memorial Animal Hospital, and went on to earn his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in North Grafton, MA. Seth completed consecutive one-year rotating and surgical specialty internships at Veterinary Specialty Hospital in San Diego. He completed a three-year Surgical Residency at Animal Referral Center Fox Valley in Appleton WI. He sat for his board examination January 2011 and was Board-certified March 2011. Seth stayed on in Appleton as a staff surgeon for a year, followed by a year on staff at California Veterinary Specialists in Carlsbad, CA. He was chief surgeon at Veterinary Specialty Hospital North County in San Marcos, CA from July 2012 until 2020.
Set has performed thousands of surgeries, mentored over one hundred trainees, and lectured regularly to the referring veterinarian community. He has done locum work in Iowa, Colorado, Hawaii, and Los Angeles.
- Cum Laude Graduate of Boston University
- Hill’s nutrition student award 2005 for excellence in clinical nutrition
- Student Chapter of the AVMA, led committee organizing the main annual fundraising event
- AO Basic Principles of Fracture Management, 200
Specialties
TPLO Surgery
