Who We Are

Talented. Thorough. Communicative. The team at Caring Hands Ashburn works together towards a singular cause: giving you the absolute best relationship with your pet possible.

Michelle Vitulli

DVM

Michelle Vitulli, DVM Founder of Caring Hands Animal Hospital, Inc is the owner of Caring Hands Animal Hospital, Inc in Centreville and co-owner of Caring Hands Animal Hospital of Alexandria, Arlington, Ashburn, Bristow, Merrifield, Rockville, and Clarendon.

Dr. Michelle Vitulli, founder, and owner of Caring Hands Animal Hospital, Inc in Centreville, Virginia, is a 1991 graduate of Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Vitulli is a co-owner of 7 other Caring Hands locations, Arlington which opened in 2002, Bristow, which opened in 2005, Ashburn which opened in 2007, Alexandria, which opened in 2012, Merrifield, which opened in 2014, Rockville which opened in 2015, Clarendon which opened in 2016, and a location in Aventura, FL in 2017. She has interests in cardiology, internal medicine, and preventive care for senior pets. Dr. Vitulli, and her husband Bob have three children, Daniel, Julia and Anna, a dog named Harley, and three cats named Dewey, Little Bear, and Aslan.

Jeffery Newman

DVM

Jeffery Newman, DVM Co-owner of Caring Hands Animal Hospital of Arlington

Dr. Newman, Co-Owner, is a graduate of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Auburn University in 1992. He has practiced veterinary medicine in Georgia, Nevada, and in Virginia. His interests include emergency medicine, surgery, and shelter medicine. He has three children: a daughter, Virginia, and twins, Elisabeth and Jack. His extended family consists of two dogs: Honeysuckle and Daisy May; three cats: Three, Tangerine, and Kip; two Guinea pigs: Nonie and Milkshake; and bird: Spencer; and a horse: Charlie.

Dr. Newman is the immediate past president of the VVMA, an advisor for the NOVA Veterinary Technician Program, Vice President of the Loudoun Community Cat Coalition, board member of the Friends of Loudoun County Animal Services, and President of CHASE (Caring Hands Animal Support and Education).

Alissa Trang

DVM

Dr. Trang, associate veterinarian, graduated from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2012. She grew up in Fairfax, VA and received her bachelor’s degree in Animal and Poultry Sciences from Virginia Tech. Her current interests are preventative medicine and internal medicine. In her free time, she enjoys fishing, spending time with family and friends, cooking/eating, and just being outdoors. Dr. Trang and her husband now have four dogs (Daks, Jäger, Penny, and Zoja), one cat (Finn), five tree frogs (Winston, Franklin, Boo, Yoshi, and Kirby), and finally the newest addition, a baby girl (Maeve).

John Bruzzese

DVM

Dr. Bruzzese, associate veterinarian, is a 1990 graduate of the VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine.  After practicing in New York for two years, Dr. Bruzzese returned to his native Washington, DC to continue private practice in Northern Virginia through 1996.  Following his passion for animal welfare, he served as Medical Director for the better part of the next decade for two of the most prominent and progressive no-kill humane organizations, The Washington Animal Rescue League & Medical Center and the Richmond SPCA.  He returned to private practice in 2006 joining the Caring Hands family, dividing his time between the Arlington and Bristow branches while building this new location.  His interests include internal medicine, preventative medicine and infectious disease.  He and his wife Cindy are kept on their toes by their two toddler sons, Jack and Nick, as well as their dog Willie and Peg, their Amazon parrot.

Elizabeth Ferguson

DVM

Dr. Ferguson, associate veterinarian, is a graduate of the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. She is originally from Baltimore, MD, earning a BS in Biology from Towson University. She has been practicing in Northern VA since graduation. Her primary interests include dentistry, preventative care, and the human-animal bond/end-of-life care. Outside of the office, Dr. Ferguson enjoys spending time with her veterinarian husband and their two young children. She enjoys wine and beer tasting and all things Harry Potter. She currently only has one pet, Crookshanks, but looks forward to adding to the furry family eventually.

Alexandra Pitts

DVM

Dr. Pitts (née Dr. Stocks), is a lifelong resident of Northern Virginia. She received dual bachelor’s degrees in biology and environmental science from The College of William and Mary, and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Virginia Tech. In her previous life, she has been a park ranger for the National Park Service and worked for the US Geological Survey. Her veterinary interests include soft tissue surgery and internal medicine. Dr. Pitts lives in Chantilly with her family, and on her days off you may catch her at Capital One Arena cheering on the Washington Capitals. Rock the Red!

Jaci Sites

DVM/MD

Dr. Sites, associate veterinarian, graduated from Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She grew up in Seneca, South Carolina and received her undergraduate degree in pre-veterinary studies from Clemson University. Her veterinary interests include soft tissue surgery, dentistry, and pain management. Dr. Sites’ interests outside of work include travelling, running, and spending time with her family. She currently lives in Reston with her husband, daughter, and cat named Lil’Wayne.

Danny Tapia

DVM

Dr. Danny Tapia joined Caring Hands Animal Hospital of Ashburn in 2023 after graduating from Tuskegee University earlier in the year. Some of his professional interests include internal medicine and pathology. Dr. Tapia is originally from Kentucky where he grew up around horses and cattle, and has since moved to the Northern Virginia area. Spending time with large animals inspired his love for veterinary medicine, and ultimately led him to his career. Notably, Dr. Tapia is also bilingual, as he is fluent in both English and Spanish. He and his partner Darrien reside in Arlington, Virginia with their cat Nico. In their free time, they like to explore the area, try new foods, travel, and enjoy the outdoors.

What your neighbors say…

We love Caring Hands Ashburn! Every visit goes smoothly. We are always made to feel welcome & important. I’m so grateful my dear Roxy has the best care. We recommend you every chance we get. Thank you
Lisa Schultz
Dr. B always provides excellent care for our crew. His professionalism and customer service is always top notch! We greatly value our relationship with him and the entire Caring Hands Staff in Ashburn!
Lynnsie Pesnell
I am very impressed with the whole staff at Caring Hands Ashburn. The entire facility was sparkling clean. No wait at all to get taken back to the exam area and the doctor was so friendly. The whole experience was very comforting.
Sue Darnell

What Your Neighbors Say…

We love Caring Hands Ashburn! Every visit goes smoothly. We are always made to feel welcome & important. I’m so grateful my dear Roxy has the best care. We recommend you every chance we get. Thank you
Lisa Schultz
Dr. B always provides excellent care for our crew. His professionalism and customer service is always top notch! We greatly value our relationship with him and the entire Caring Hands Staff in Ashburn!
Lynnsie Pesnell
I am very impressed with the whole staff at Caring Hands Ashburn. The entire facility was sparkling clean. No wait at all to get taken back to the exam area and the doctor was so friendly. The whole experience was very comforting.
Sue Darnell