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Tracy, an alumni of Douglas College’s VOAC program, transitioned from client to employee. With a lifelong passion for animals, she would bring home strays as a child much to her mom’s mild objections. She volunteered at the Delta Community Animal Shelter before fulfilling her dream of working with animals professionally. Tracy is a devoted caregiver to her two spoiled cats at home and has developed a special bond with Jackie, our resident feline rescue. Felines are naturally attracted to our Tracy!
While attending Ecole Salish Secondary School, Sam started as a student volunteer at Comfort & Care Animal Hospital where she was promptly recognized for her work ethic and dedication and subsequently hired as a Veterinary Assistant. With her passion for animals, science, and education, Sam has now been accepted into the Veterinary Technician program! She’s always excited to learn new things and cuddle all the animals at work. Sam also spends quite a lot of time with her yellow lab, Bo, who equally enjoys visiting our clinic for kisses and treats!
Manuela has had a deep love for animals for as long as she can remember. Her passion and dedication led her to manifest a role working at a veterinary clinic—something she considers a dream come true. Her favorite place to be is anywhere animals are. Whether she’s offering a calming presence or assisting with their care, Manuela is most at home when she’s surrounded by the creatures she loves.
Kelsi became a Certified Veterinary Assistant in 2012 and has spent the past 13 years dedicated to general practice. She is deeply passionate about providing exceptional patient care, with a special focus on reducing stress and anxiety in animals. For the past 9 years, she has maintained her Fear Free Certification, currently holding an Elite Level 3 status. Outside of work, Kelsi enjoys spending time with her two young daughters and their cats, often heading out on daily adventures together.
Sofie graduated from Thompson Rivers University and brings over six years of hands-on experience in the veterinary field. Known for her calm, compassionate approach to patient care, Sofie enjoys educating clients about preventative care and believes in the power of early intervention to help pets live longer, healthier lives. When not in the clinic, Sofie enjoys outdoor adventures with her energetic Weimaraner named Envy and reading at home with her two affectionate Devon Rex cats.
Dr. Merchant was born and raised in Ottawa. She aspired to be a veterinarian from a very young age and in pursuit of her dream, she decided to complete her undergraduate degree at the University of Guelph in Biological Science. She then decided to return to Ottawa for a year to volunteer for several organizations, including the Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary and the Therapeutic Riding Association of Ottawa-Carleton, before completing her veterinary degree at the Ontario Veterinary College in April 2019. Dr. Merchant has a passion for helping both people and animals. During her spare time, she enjoys making personalized greeting cards for her friends and family, spending time in nature and photographing its beauty, and of course, spoiling her two rabbits Canela and Luc.
Dr. Bhandal completed her Veterinary studies from GADVASU (Punjab, India) in 2017. Drawn to it’s beautiful nature, great weather and friendly people, Dr Bhandal relocated to beautiful British Columbia with her Veterinarian husband. Dr Bhandal’s main interests lie in preventive medicine, nutrition and pathology. Apart from work, she can be found spending time with her husband on evening walks, playing badminton, watching movies or cooking.
Dr Warner graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Animal Biology at UBC and obtained her Veterinary degree from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatchewan. She has special interests in Wellness and Fear Free animal care. In her spare time she enjoys kickboxing, spin classes and movie-marathoning with her tortoise, Topaz
Our once shy feline and her newborn kittens came to us after being rescued by good Samaritans from the cold. Having proven our team as foster failures, she has quickly taken over as THE BOSS. She keeps everyone in line and reminds the team how lucky we are to have her with lightning fast swats if we dare walk by without acknowledging her. Jackie adores being brushed, pampered, and told how beautiful she is. Of course, she never turns down her favorite treats! With her commanding presence and affectionate nature, Jackie is our beloved boss lady.
Manjot joined the Comfort + Care family just a few weeks after graduating with a Bachelor’s in Psychiatric Nursing. She seemed to have gotten human medicine and animal medicine mixed up. Getting hands-on experience in the veterinary field has only further reassured her that this is what she was meant to be doing all along. Manjot has been passionate about animals for as long as she can remember, with most of her childhood spent asking strangers to pet their dogs. After A LOT of convincing (about 15 years worth), she was able to bring home Bruno, a Great Pyrenees x Caucasion Shepherd pup. Then a few years later, Griffin, the Somali cat joined the family. And now she gets to come to work and not only pet your fur babies, but also be a critical part of their care and well being. We are so excited to have this ambitious young talent be a part of Team Comfort + Care.
Caroline and her adorable canine fur babies, Bailey and Betty, were already beloved frequent flyers at Comfort + Care. Bailey is an overly cuddly basset who is convinced that she is a 55 lb lapdog and will likely be seen chilling behind the reception desk. Her little sister, Betty is quickly following in her big sister’s paw steps! Caroline combines her 3 favorite passions – her love of animals, working in veterinary medicine, and customer service. Caroline is looking forward to getting to know each of you and your furry family members.
Lisa is a proud mum of two amazing boys, a fur baby named Nala, Curtis the turtle, and Toffee the guinea pig. Her love of animals started when she was very young and continued through her studies in Animal Care. Lisa has had the pleasure of working alongside Dr. Machine since she first arrived from England in 2008. She continues her journey through Comfort + Care Animal Hospital, working with us remotely from Vancouver Island, and looks forward to connecting with you & your furry family!
April graduated from the Veterinary Technician program at Lakeland College in 2008. Upon graduation, April started her career in a small animal clinic where she first meet Dr. Machine. Together, they laughed and cried through the trials every new graduate experiences and emerged as the power duo. After many years together, April took some time off to raise her family. She has recently rejoined Dr Machine to assist in client education and support remotely. When April is not working, you will find her out on her farm with her husband spending time with their cows and horses. In the summer months, she is often seen at a dirt-bike track with their two sons.
Aleta graduated from the Douglas College Veterinary Technician program in 2011 but her love of veterinary medicine started in high-school when she first started working with Dr. Machine. Very quickly, her professionalism and acumen escalated her to the role of head technician. Aleta has two rescue cats, Jasper and Crayon, and a rabbit named Alfredo. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her two young daughters, Teagan and Taryn and high-school sweetheart and husband, Trevor.
Dr. Bourque grew up in beautiful Victoria B.C. and graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. After years in conventional practice, she started to become discouraged with the results in her patients with chronic disease and started exploring alternative care. In 2000 she graduated from Dr. Pitcairns Professional Course in Veterinary Homeopathy and through further study and research, began her journey as an integrated and holistic veterinarian. With over 30 years of practical experience, Dr. Sheryl will combine her knowledge of conventional medicine with the wisdom of natural approaches using homeopathy, natural nutrition, herbs and specific supplements to help heal patients. Dr. Bourque enjoys cooking, baking, gardening, and photography.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Biology, Dr. Jin obtained her Veterinary degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madision. After helping countless pets in Kelowna, Dr. Jin has graced us with her infectious laugh here at Comfort + Care Animal Hospital. Dr. Jin loves communicating with clients and learning every detail about your four-legged family. She has a special interest in preventative medicine and surgery. In her spare time, Dr. Jin enjoys running, hiking and baking.
Dr. Machine received her Bachelor’s from UBC where she met the lover of her life. She earned her Veterinary degree from Western University of Health Sciences, California and has proudly cared for pets in the Langley area for over 18 years. She is thrilled to finally achieve her vision of recruiting a high energy and compassionate team to care for your fur babies. Dr. Machine has a special interest in preventative care, medicine and surgery. When not in hospital, she enjoys cycling and playing badminton reading and spending quality time cuddling with her boys and their fur baby, Dug.
Our feisty clinic cat came to us with behavioral inappropriate urination and defecation. After failing our 1st attempt at rehoming, he came back to us and enrolled in the Comfort + Care school of proper feline etiquette. After just a few months, we are proud to say that he has finally learned to use the litter box! He is quite a lady’s cat so despite being neutered, he cannot help but behave pathetically love sick in the presence of a female feline. Mr. Belvedere earns his keep as a self designated seat warmer, canine distractor, cat toy tester, and most importantly, quality control officer – only the pure of heart shall enter the front doors of Comfort + Care Animal Hospital!
