Dr. Rik was born and raised in Orlando, FL, and has enjoyed working with animals his whole life. While completing his Bachelor’s degree in Biology at the University of Central Florida, he started working at Waterford Lakes Animal Hospital as a technician. It was during this time that Dr. Rik realized how much he enjoyed working in the veterinary field. In 2016, Dr. Rik started veterinary school at Ross University, a school located on the island of St. Kitts in the Caribbean. He continued his clinical veterinary education at the University of Missouri where he developed a passion for small animal surgery, oncology, and dentistry. 

After graduating from veterinary school in 2020, Dr. Rik spent some time in Mount Dora before coming back to Orlando and joining Waterford Lakes Animal Hospital once again! He is excited to be back in Orlando and working with his old coworkers and friends. In his spare time, he enjoys fishing, going to the gym, hiking, and spending time with his family. He has two dogs, a Siberian Husky named Blizzard (pictured) and a Coconut Retriever named Robin who he rescued while in St. Kitts. He also adopted two cats, Harvey and Tom.