About Us

Don’t let the accent—or the lack of one—fool you! Dr. Jeff Legato was born in Georgia and grew up in the Athens area. His original degree was in geology, which was kinda-sorta-maybe used while he worked at a research lab for 15 years. During that time, he began riding and showing horses. This led to his decision to switch careers, so he started veterinary school at the (gulp!) age of 40! After graduating from the University of Georgia at Athens in 2005 and doing an internship in Sunset, LA, he was an equine vet in Greenville, NC until 2008. He moved his family back to Georgia in 2009 and spent two years doing relief work until a full-time position opened in Norcross, GA. After seven years he was given the opportunity to have his own practice close to home, and he’s now happy to be the owner of Sycamore Veterinary Services, where he is a USDA-accredited veterinarian offering small animal, livestock and equine veterinary care. Dr. Legato has a daughter (Stefanie) and a granddaughter (Heidi), as well as two cats named Odin and Luna and one dog, named Dahlia.

Hospital Manager

Christine became an animal lover with the adoption of her first dog 13 years ago and went on to volunteer with a pit bull rescue group in her home state of Connecticut. After spending many years working in the movie cinema business, 3 years ago, she decided to make a career change and move into the veterinary field where she could make difference for animals.

She and her family made the move to Georgia in 2020 and in addition to working at Sycamore, Christine is pursuing an education in Veterinary Medical Management.

When she’s not working, Christine enjoys going to fairs, amusement parks, the movies, and restaurants. She also loves spending time with her three dogs: Princess Pop-Tart (who yes, is known for stealing the toaster pastries from lunch bags), Koa, who loves water and stealing treats from Princess, and Handsome Rob, who she rescused in January 2022.

Lead Technician Assistant

Kaitlyn, who joined us in February 2022, realized her love of animals when she was a junior in high school. She attended UGA and obtained a degree in animal science and is currently applying to veterinary school. She shares her home with Bubba, a 3-year-old black Lab. In her free time, Kaitlyn enjoys art, cooking, tennis, practicing yoga and spending time with family and friends.

Technician Assistant

From the time she was a young child, Briana was interested in animals and veterinary medicine—she remembers being fascinated by the hospital when her family took their dog to the vet. She has followed that interest into the veterinary field, first as a job shadow and now as an assistant and technician. She is also currently studying at UGA as a Fisheries and Wildlife major, with the intention of becoming a veterinarian in the future.

When she’s not studying or working, Briana loves being active in the outdoors, whether that’s hiking, walking, or running. She shares her home with an unusually active bulldog named Millie.

Technician Assistant/Receptionist

Kristy joined us in July 2022 and is currently enrolled at the University of Georgia. She has loved animals since she was a teenager and has a beta fish named Gubler. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with friends, cooking, and being a member of the UGA club tennis team.

Technician Assistant

Reagan, who has wanted to be a Vet since she was four years old, joined us in March 2022. She is currently looking at going to school to become an RVT soon. She has 2 guinea pigs, Blanche & Sophia; 1 hamster, Esme; 6 dogs, Bonnie, Clyde, Estelle, Walter, Janie, and Winston; and 20 cats, Zelda, Salem, Rose, Arlo, Be’er, Ollie, Cowgirl, Luna, Nova, Appa, Jax, Binx, Finn, Atlas, Cleo, Sunny, Charlie, Callie, Domino, and Snickers, all who she has rescued. In her free time, she enjoys powerlifting and hanging out with her animals.

Receptionist

Ansleigh joined the Sycamore team in November 2022 as a receptionist, and she is studying to become a certified veterinary assistant. A lifelong animal lover, she picked up strays and cared for them when she was a child. Her animal companions include Dolly, a Springer spaniel; Fiji, a terrier mix; Reno, a Tennessee Walker quarter horse, and Beauty, a quarter horse. Ansleigh enjoys spending her free time with family and friends, trail riding, baking or training her dogs.

Technician Assistant

Esther joined the Sycamore team in January 2023, and she is a fourth-year pre-vet wildlife major at the University of Georgia. An animal lover since she was 10 years old, she currently shares her home with a white Lab named Ballou and a white doodle named Haru who run around the house like two giant cotton balls. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, running and baking.