veterinary care provider Heart + Paw has opened a clinic in west St. pete | St Pete Rising

A historic home along Central Avenue has found a new purpose as the first Florida location for veterinary care provider Heart + Paw.

Heart + Paw is now open at 6366 Central Avenue inside the restored 1925 Strum House, the preserved centerpiece of Strum Place, a nine-unit luxury townhome development in west St. Pete.

Headquartered in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, Heart + Paw operates more than 30 veterinary hospitals across 11 states.

The new clinic offers comprehensive veterinary care and grooming services for dogs and cats, including surgery, dentistry, radiology, vaccinations, wellness care, and end-of-life services.

Leading the practice is Dr. Anthony Melillo, a St. Pete native and part-owner of the location.

After earning a biology degree from the University of South Florida, Melillo continued his veterinary education in New Jersey before completing his clinical training at Louisiana State University.

He returned to St. Petersburg about seven years ago.

Dr. Anthony Melillo caring for a patient at Heart.+ Paw in west St. Pete | Heart + Paw

"To be able to come back to serve this community really means a lot," Dr. Melillo said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. "It's been incredible. It's a dream come true to open a clinic in this specific location."

Heart + Paw CEO Dave Lasus said Melillo was exactly the type of veterinarian the company hoped to partner with as it expanded into Florida.

"We're beyond excited to partner with Dr. Melillo and bring Heart + Paw to Florida," Lasus said in a press release. "Our joint-venture model is built around partnering with excellent veterinary professionals who want to lead their own practice with real autonomy. Dr. Melillo is exactly who we had in mind."

The clinic opened Monday, June 29th, and will offer limited appointments over the next several weeks.

Melillo's specialties include preventive medicine, soft tissue surgery, and dermatology, an area of veterinary medicine that is especially important in Florida's hot, humid climate.

"In Florida and throughout the entire Mississippi Delta area, the field of dermatology is really important because of the allergy burden and the environment in general," Melillo said. "Dogs and cats commonly deal with issues like skin allergies and infections in our area, so I really enjoy helping with those cases in particular."

The new clinic offers comprehensive veterinary care and grooming services for dogs and cats | Heart + Paw

The veterinary office occupies the restored 4,800-square-foot Strum House, a historic residence built in 1925 for the Strum family.

Alban D. "Al" Strum was a competitive boat racer and former Commodore of the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, while his wife, Shirley, helped found the St. Petersburg Junior League.

St. Pete-based J Square Developers and Backstreets Capital purchased the property in 2022 and chose to restore the historic home rather than demolish it as part of the site's redevelopment.

"Knowing the building has so much history in the community makes it even more special," Melillo said. "What says 'hometown' more than operating out of a 100-plus-year-old building? The space definitely has a professional feel to it, but it's still very warm and homey. It doesn't feel sterile at all."

The second floor is used for storage, meetings, and a large employee break room.

"I really think that the culture and team that we have in place here is fantastic," Melillo said. "Obviously our pets can't talk to us, so the relationships that we're able to form with the owners of these pets is massively important, and something our entire team enjoys doing."

Heart + Paw plans to host an official grand opening celebration this fall.