Our Veterinarians

Dr. Heflin’s interest in veterinary medicine began during high school, when his show steer was injured and needed to see the local veterinarian. He thought it looked like a rewarding job, and by the time he entered pre-vet curriculum at Texas A&M University, he knew his hunch was right!

David grew up in McAllen, Texas and moved to Nederland while in junior high. After earning his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 1981, he purchased Mission Veterinary Hospital in 1988. It has since grown from a one-doctor to a six-doctor practice! Each veterinarian has their own special area of expertise, allowing Mission Veterinary Hospital to provide clients with a large pool of knowledge and experience.

Dr. Heflin himself particularly loves performing ultrasounds, which he says is one of the most important diagnostic tools in the clinic’s arsenal. Nothing is more rewarding for him than discovering a problem before it can cause serious disease or spread to other parts of the body!

David and his wife, Laura, have three wonderful daughters: Jermaine, Tori, and Katelyn. They also share their home with four pets: Mandy, a thirteen-year-old Pointer, Rica, an eight-year-old Boston Terrier, Chulo, a three-year-old Pointer Mix, and Elvis, a one-year-old Great Pyrenees.

When he’s not at work, Dr. Heflin loves doing almost anything in the sunshine, including mountain biking, golfing, fishing, and hunting. He also loves to spend time with his family and friends.

Dr. deBruyn warned her parents in the first grade that she wanted to be a veterinarian. She would doctor up stuffed animals, and even dressed up the family dog for her skits! She followed her passion, and now is the co-owner and full-time veterinarian at Mission Veterinary Hospital.

Diane was born and raised in El Paso as the second of four children. She always had at least one dog and cat growing up, as well as a hamster, horse, rabbit, and pheasant through the years! When it came time for college, she chose the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University, graduating with her Bachelor’s in 1989. She then received her DVM degree in 1992 from Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

After school, Dr. deBruyn moved to Mission, where she fell in love with the weather, the people, and their pets. Her fate in Mission was sealed when she met her future husband! She began at Mission Veterinary Hospital in the summer of 1992, then became a partner in August of 2004.

Diane says she’s an introvert, so she’s rather surprised that what she enjoys most about her job is interacting with people. Every day, she meets someone with an amazing or inspiring story. Medically, she likes working on cats because they’re some of the most challenging patients to treat.

Dr. deBruyn lives in Mission with her husband, two children, four dogs, and a cat. She also has a mustang horse and several goats.

Michele says that becoming a veterinarian wasn’t really a conscious choice—it was more like a calling! She knew she was going to be a vet from the time she was three years old, and hasn’t looked back since. Now she’s a licensed veterinarian and the co-owner of Mission Veterinary Hospital!

Dr. Fuentes was born and raised in San Antonio with her two sisters. Her parents always supported her “dog habit,” and Michele decided to enroll in veterinary school. She completed her undergraduate studies at Texas A&M University, then stayed at A&M to receive her CVM veterinary degree, graduating in 1996. After interviewing all over Texas, she chose Mission Veterinary Hospital and has been here ever since!

As a vet, Michele loves working with patients as well as owners, and loves the joy in a pet owner’s face when they know their furry friend is better. Medically, she’s passionate about internal medicine and enjoys the testing and digging required to reach the solution to a problem.

Dr. Fuentes has three children: Sammy, Gabe, and Mia. The family also has two pets: Agatha and Athena, which are both four-year-old Boxers.

Michele says it’s quite the achievement to find free time to enjoy her hobbies, but when she can, she likes reading and jogging.

Dr. Amanda Garcia grew up on her grandparents’ farm in Fort Gibson, Oklahoma, where she was surrounded by dogs, cats, and cattle from an early age. Ever since she was a little girl, she’s known that she wanted to work hands-on with animals! Dr. Garcia’s laser focus never wavered—she’s proud to now serve the pets and animal owners of the Mission area as an Associate Veterinarian.

Dr. Garcia first began volunteering at an animal hospital in 2003, then attended veterinary school at Texas A&M University to earn her Doctorate, working as a Veterinary Assistant during her breaks from courses. She graduated in 2009, then completed a general rotating internship in internal medicine, surgery, and emergency medicine at Iowa State University. Next, Dr. Garcia returned to the hospital she had volunteered with during college to launch her career in private practice.

Dr. Garcia joined the Mission Veterinary Hospital family in March of 2017, bringing with her special interests in surgery and internal medicine. She’s also quite fond of cat care and loves the unique challenges associated with feline medicine.

In her free time, Dr. Garcia enjoys sewing, staying active in her church community, and spending time with her family and pets at home. She and her husband, Richard, share their lives with three dogs: Wesley, an easy-going Yorkie rescue; Beans the Dachshund; and a black-and-tan Dachshund named Chloe who loves sitting up on her back legs and talking to her owners.

Dr. Nikki Lejeune held an interest in science and nature ever since she was young, and always suspected that a career working with animals would suit her well. It wasn’t until her high school and college years, though, that she realized that her other passion was helping people. By working in the world of veterinary medicine, Dr. Lejeune is able to improve not only the lives of pets, but the people who care for them!

A Houston native, Dr. Lejeune earned her Bachelor’s degree in animal science from Stephen F. Austin State University and then attended Texas A&M University to earn her veterinary degree. A friend and former coworker of Dr. Heflin’s daughter, Dr. Lejeune met the team here at Mission Veterinary Hospital shortly after graduating in May of 2017. It didn’t take long for her to know that it was the perfect fit!

As a vet, Dr. Lejeune is especially fond of preventative care—for her, preventing a disease before it takes hold is the ultimate victory. She’s also passionate about working with service dogs, and loves knowing that her skillset helps these amazing creatures do their jobs to the best of their ability.

When she isn’t caring for pets here at Mission Veterinary Hospital, Dr. Lejeune enjoys reading, sewing, baking, scuba diving—her favorite dive thus far was her excursion into the Epcot Center’s aquarium at Disney World—and dancing. She even performed as a ballroom dancer in the Ballet Brazos’ 2015 and 2016 productions of The Nutcracker!