Meet Our Doctors
Dr. Len Rice, DVM
Veterinarian
Dr. Len Rice graduated from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 1988. After completing an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Cornell University, he moved back home to Northern Virginia to practice at Pender Veterinary Centre. He served as Chief of Medicine at Pender before purchasing Towne Animal Clinic with Dr. Bollenbeck in 2006. Dr. Rice has advanced training and extensive experience in dentistry, surgery, and cardiac and abdominal ultrasound.Dr. Rice and his wife, Barbara, have six children, Lauren, David, Daniel, Joseph, Marianna, and Rebecca, and two grandchildren, Isaac and Lydia. His faithful dog Dusty, a shelter rescue mutt, is “Len’s best friend” and shares the Rices’ affection with Misty the cat. Dr. Rice enjoys woodworking and home repairs, Class 4-5 kayaking, hiking, and family canoeing. He and his wife are active church members at St. Timothy Catholic Church and he serves as president of his homeowner’s association.
To contact Dr. Rice, email him at drrice@towneanimal.com
Dr. Jason Bollenbeck, DVM
Veterinarian
Dr. Jason Bollenbeck graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 1998. After graduation, he moved to Northern Virginia to practice at Pender Veterinary Centre in Fairfax for seven years. While at Pender, he mastered many levels of medicine and surgery. He also developed a long-term friendship with Dr. Rice. Dr. Bollenbeck and Dr. Rice purchased Towne Animal Clinic in January 2006. Dr. Bollenbeck has advanced training and extensive experience in internal medicine and surgery, dentistry, canine reproduction, abdominal and cardiac ultrasound, and oncology.Dr. Bollenbeck currently lives in Purcellville, Virginia with his wife, Anne-Elizabeth, his darling daughter Ainsley, twin son and daughter Carter and Caroline, dogs (Lizzy, Tate, Yardley and Louis), cats (Tucker and Ellie), horses (Brookes, Dorset, Cole, Hal, and Autumn), and rabbit Bailey. His interests include spending time with his family, fishing, skiing, travel, and working on his farm. He is a member of the Hamilton Ruritans. He is a Past President of the Loudoun County Veterinary Medical Association and is the Immediate-Past President of the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association. In 2013, Dr. Bollenbeck received the prestigious “Virginia Veterinary Service Award” for his dedication and commitment to the Veterinary profession.
To contact Dr. Bollenbeck, email him at drbollenbeck@towneanimal.com
Dr. Melissa Derbin, DVM
Veterinarian
Dr. Derbin is a 2011 graduate of Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine in her home state, Indiana. Dr. Derbin moved to Northern Virginia after graduation to take a job with us at Towne, and she’s been here since. She misses Indiana but loves Northern Virginia. She recently married another veterinarian, and lives here with her husband, Randy, and three dogs, Briggs, Lilly, and Pete.Dr. Derbin’s favorite areas of practice are preventative care, internal medicine, general surgery and small mammal (i.e., rabbits, guinea pigs, etc.) medicine. She loves getting to know her clients, and she strives to treat her patients as she would her own animals. Her favorite part of working at Towne is the family atmosphere.
When she’s not at work, Dr. Derbin enjoys painting, hiking, riding horses and scuba diving. Dr. Derbin is passionate about helping homeless animals and those in need. She is involved with the Humane Society of Loudoun County and works with the Community Cat Coalition to help spay, neuter and vaccinate feral cats. She’s also known to foster a homeless dog or cat every now and again.
To contact Dr. Derbin, email her at drderbin@towneanimal.com
Dr. Tyler Barrett, DVM
Veterinarian
Dr. Tyler Barrett graduated from the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2015. Shortly after graduation, he moved from New York to Leesburg to begin his veterinary career at Towne Animal Clinic. Dr. Barrett enjoys all aspects of veterinary medicine, especially internal medicine, radiology, and pain management. In his spare time, Dr. Barrett enjoys spending time with friends, fishing, hiking, and participating in sports of all kinds. He also enjoys good food and is excited to try new local restaurants. Dr. Barrett is eager to meet new people and form long-lasting bonds with the community.To contract Dr. Barrett email him at drbarrett@towneanimal.com
Dr. Elizabeth Byers, DVM
Veterinarian
Dr. Byers is a 2017 graduate of the Atlantic Veterinary College in Prince Edward Island, Canada. She is originally from Manassas, Virginia and is pleased to have returned to Northern Virginia to join the team at Towne Animal Clinic. Dr. Byers enjoys many aspects of veterinary medicine especially preventative care, animal behavior, and cardiology. She is looking forward to meeting and developing friendships with the Towne Animal Clinic community.Dr. Byers shares her home with her two rowdy cats (Ricky and Lucy). In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors and is an avid Washington Nationals fan. She is an active member of All Saints Catholic Church and appreciates spending quality time with her large extended family and friends.
To contact Dr. Byers, email her at drbyers@towneanimal.com
Dr. Tibor Lazar, D.V.M., D.A.C.V.S.
Veterinarian
Dr. Lazar is a mobile board-certified veterinary surgeon who performs orthopedic and complex soft tissue surgery at Towne Animal Clinic on an as-needed basis, allowing continuity of care to our patients before, during and after surgery. He earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine and completed a one-year rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the Animal Medical Center in New York City. Following a year of private practice in Manhattan, Dr. Lazar moved to Maitland, Florida, and spent four years in a small animal surgery internship and residency at Affiliated Veterinary Specialists. In 2003, he earned board certification by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. Since 2002, Dr. Lazar has focused on small animal specialty surgery in Northern Virginia. He lives in Reston with his wife, two sons and a plethora of pets including dogs, cats, birds, snakes and fish.