YOUR TEAM

I still clearly remember the moment I decided I was going to be a veterinarian. I was 5 years old and I wanted to become a veterinarian so I could take care of my pony “Schnapps” when he grew old. Well, “Schnapps” was long gone by the time I entered vet school, but my drive to care for animals went unabated all those years.

And after 25 years in practice, it’s fair to say that my passion has evolved somewhat. The driving force for me as a veterinarian is that I love to help improve people’s lives by helping their pets. I get an immense amount of satisfaction when I heal and help nurture someone’s beloved dog or cat back to health or when I help prevent a serious problem from developing. I like to think I not only contribute to the animals in my community but to their family as well. It’s why I do what I do.

When I was 10 years old I found my newt (Fire) all dried up; (Fire) had been missing from his aquarium for several days. In a panic, I insisted that he get rushed to our family veterinarian. Obviously (Fire) had been dead for a while but I remember Dr. W taking my concerns to heart. He examined (Fire), pretended to do CPR and then informed me he had died. Dr. W’s compassion to an emotional 10-year-old had a lasting impact on me.

Just like Dr. W was to my family growing up, I too have formed bonds and relationships with people that go well beyond their pets. I have become part of people’s families through the care of their pets.

For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a veterinarian. I never had a backup plan — I just knew with enough hard work and dedication I would achieve my life-long goal. I had to…what else was I going to do?!

Dr. June Siu graduated in 2014 from Massey University, in New Zealand, where she grew up. She practised in Hong Kong before moving to BC, which she now calls home. Being a veterinarian was a childhood dream! Her favourite part about being a veterinarian is helping pet owners take better care of their animals. Dr. Siu has a special interest in Traditional Chinese Medicine and was trained in veterinary acupuncture at Chi University in Florida. She is also fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin. In her spare time, she enjoys culinary arts, crafts, music, and the outdoors, and she volunteers in a children’s program on weekends. Her friends call her the “Pun Master.”

紐西蘭長大的Dr June Siu, 2014年畢業於紐西蘭唯一一家獸醫院—梅西大學。畢業後分別在香港和卑詩省工作。

Dr June Siu 會講流利廣東話，普通話和英語．不但有利於跟華人朋友交流，更增添親切感！當獸醫是Dr. June Siu從小的志願。她希望能幫助飼主更完善地照料毛小孩。

Dr June Siu雖自少外國長大，但十分喜歡中國文化。對中草藥，中醫病理、五行學說、陰陽理論頗有研究。為了學習動物針灸，更遠赴美國佛羅里達州Chi University進修。由於自小在島嶼生活，十分喜歡親近大自然。夏天會到郊外露營、遠足。平時愛烹調藥膳料理和品茶。週末會做義工，服務青少年。

Dr. Aimee Keenan graduated from UCD Dublin, Ireland, in 2020. She practiced for nearly 2 years in Newry, Northern Ireland, after graduating from a busy mixed practice. She spent busy springtimes working with both small and large animals on any given day, including her share of working on call! It was a busy and rewarding way to start her career.

Aimee made the big move (with her black cat, Stinky) from Ireland to British Columbia to join Island Vets in September 2022. With the large Irish population in Vancouver and level of rain BC experiences, she does not miss home too much. She is excited to explore beautiful British Columbia and experience all that the GVA has to offer – namely trying all types of poutine! Aimee already feels part of the veterinary community here and is looking forward to getting to know the people and pets who come to IVH. Her friends and colleagues would say she definitely has the ‘gift of the gab!’

When I come to work each day, I feel like I am doing something special. I like to think of myself as a hardworking Nova Scotia girl and someone who can always be counted on to do the right thing. And not just the right thing for the pets that we see each day but for the families that care for them.

I have worked hard to become a highly skilled care giver for our furry friends but my passion goes beyond that. The past few years I have worked hard to develop those skills that allow me to share my knowledge with others. I love to help educate my staff and our clients. Our four legged family members add so much to our lives and it is my goal to not only help them through my direct care but through sharing my knowledge as well.

Pets have “always” been a part of my home growing up. Cats, dogs, horses, and even a guinea pig and rabbit.

The idea of working with animals as a large part of my career has always made total sense to me.  I was an equestrian coach for a number of years and worked on a breeding farm. It was on that farm, with the veterinarians coming and going all the time,  that I decided that the veterinary world was for me.

I’m a people person who loves animals. So my role as a Veterinary Office Assistant is a great one for me. My days are rewarded by seeing our four legged visitors, sharing my knowledge with our clients and making sure that everyone is well taken care of and getting all that they can out of their relationship with all of us at Island Vet.

I have always loved animals and I grew up taking care of fish, hamsters and a rabbit named Mimi but didn’t consider working in the veterinary industry until a few years into post-secondary education. I was working towards a completely different career path; a major in English Literature as well as a teaching degree, but came across an ad on Facebook for a 6-month VOA program. I knew I was taking a huge leap coming from little to no background in the animal health industry but knew it was a calling I couldn’t ignore. Fast forward three years later, I graduated from the tech program as an RVT in June 2018 and am so excited for this new journey with this incredible team!

My passions outside of work include training in different styles of dance, competing with my all-girls hiphop team locally and internationally and snuggling with my cat Sweden.

Growing up I had always known I had a passion for animals even though I didn’t have any of my own. I didn’t have much experience working with animals when I was younger so I decided to do some research. It wasn’t until my last year of high school when I discovered there was schooling to become a Veterinary Technician. Although I didn’t get accepted at that time, I went to school to become a Veterinary Office Assistant in order to gain more experience and knowledge.  Since then, I have graduated from the 2 year  RVT program at Douglas College and I couldn’t be happier with how everything worked out.  I love being able to share my passion and knowledge with the clients and patients who come see us at Island Vet.

Growing up, I was only allowed to have pet fish and hamsters (so many hamsters) and even as a child, I always knew that I wanted to work with animals.

I had originally wanted to become a veterinarian until I job-shadowed at Island Vet Hospital in 2010 for my high school program. It was here that I was introduced to the role of a veterinary technician; I knew immediately that this was what I wanted to do. I graduated from high school, went on to pursue post-secondary education in an animal health technology program, and finally became a Registered Veterinary Technician.

Now, I’ve come full circle back to where my passion for being an RVT all began! I am always learning new things and further developing my skills so I can better help clients and their pets.

Although I didn’t have any pets growing up, I spent every chance I could get with my friends and relatives animals. I got my first dog when I was in high school and brought her everywhere with me. She came with me when I went to school to become a Registered Technician, often acting as my anatomy model. She isn’t with us any longer but my family has grown to include 2 dogs and 1 cat (whose pictures are throughout this website) and they are a huge part of my family.

I love the technical aspect of my job; the treatment room, the surgery suite, the anesthetics. But while my love of animals led me to this career, I get equal satisfaction from helping our clients, not just their pets. I share what I have learned and my hope is that helps the whole family.

Pets have always been a huge component of my life. After working for a veterinary diagnostic lab, a referral veterinary specialist hospital, and an emergency clinic, I realized one of the things I missed out on was puppy & kitten love.

My focus is fear-free and low-stress handling of my patients. I have been Fear Free certified for 3 years now! No one wants to go see our doctors being scared or stressed. I am passionate about educating clients and staff and making veterinary care visits pleasant and stress-free. “It’s like going to a day spa where our furbabies get the care they need with a smile on their faces.”

At home, my husband and I have a 10-year-old giant Labradoodle furbaby named Higgins and our Queen of the castle, Florence, a tuxedo.

Unsure of what I wanted to do as a career until about a year ago, I decided to enroll in a Veterinary Assistant program.

I had always loved being around dogs and cats but unfortunately I was not able to own one due to where I lived.

Graduating from the Veterinary Assistant allowed me to pursue a career where I could combine my love for animals and helping people. A win/win career choice that I am enjoying very much.

Bio coming soon

Growing up, the most frequently asked question was “What are you going to be when you grow up?” And I, a big dreamer, always chose something that involved working with animals; a Marine Biologist, Zoologist, or even a Veterinarian. However, I became irresponsible, unbothered, and unmotivated during my elementary school days. The more tests I failed, the more I thought homework was useless. The more my parents lectured me about playing video games, the later I stayed up playing. Going into high school regretting my lost years, I learned to work with my limits in education and not give up on my interest in working with animals.

Present me thanks my old self for the stressful and rewarding journey of finding an occupation that fits my values and interests. Being constantly spoiled with encouragement and support, I have grown to not take advantage of opportunities and to acknowledge my challenges. Now, when being asked, “What are you working as?” I can confidently say, “a Veterinary Assistant.”