2023 has flown by so fast! Where did the time go? It seems that as soon as a new month starts it ends! The year is quickly coming to a close and we would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you for your continued support.
This year brought some changes in staff: Dr. Lorna Mantle officially retired. After more than 35 years here at Scott Veterinary Clinic she finally hung up her stethoscope and is enjoying some well deserved R & R. The last we heard she has been catching up on some overdue travelling.
Dr. Shannon Lee is our clinic owner. After purchasing the clinic in 2014 she has been wearing a few different hats: veterinarian, clinic owner, wife and mother. She has 3 beautiful children, and they keep her very busy. Dr. Lee shares her home with her husband, Matt, daughter Brooklyn and twins Colton and Aubrey. Besides extracurricular activities keeping everyone busy they also have a mastiff cross name Max, 2 bunnies named Cookie and Poppy and a hamster named Spot.
Dr. Kristen Gleiser is here every Wednesday seeing patients in appointments. She graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) in 2001 and has a special interest in dental health for all her patients. Dr. Gleiser shares her home with her husband, three young daughters and a very cuddly cat named Cinnamon. She has a keen interest in nature and spends lots of time with her daughters enjoying frogs and other critters at their back yard pond.
Dr. Graham Balson joined our team recently. He brings a wealth of knowledge in surgery, internal medicine, pathology and emergency care. Currently he is in the clinic 3 days each week. When not at the clinic Graham and his wife Michelle share their home with three busy children and a myriad of pets which include a labradoodle named Marshall, five cats and several chickens. When not working Dr. Balson enjoys skiing, hockey, golf and spends time coaching hockey and gardening.
Dr. Rob Cousens has been helping us out in surgery on Mondays doing the majority of our spays and neuters. He grew up in Brantford and since his graduation from OVC in 2022 he has been working primarily with zoo animals. Working with us has helped a lot with keeping our surgery schedule on track.
Our practice manager, Kate Young keeps very busy running the clinic. She oversees the doctors, staff and inventory, keeping everyone and everything on track. Kate is going to be taking the canine fly-ball world by storm again soon. She recently acquired a new puppy, Yeti, who is an adorable mixed breed. Yeti is currently enrolled in puppy obedience classes and fly-ball training and it won’t be long before she’s competing. Kate has been competing with her dogs in national fly-ball events for many years. Her dog Chips was the fastest dog in Canada in 2019! Yeti has some big shoes to fill!
Holly purchased a house this past spring! After looking for sometime she and her partner Michael were able to find the perfect home with room for everyone: their dog Pepper and rabbits Olive and Bobo. She is always happy to help clients with booking appointments, booking referrals and keeping reception department well organized. When not at the clinic Holly keeps active with hiking, rock-climbing, horseback riding and teaching young riders.
Grace is starting her third year answering the phones and greeting clients when they come into the clinic. She loves to help wherever needed. When she’s not at the clinic she keeps busy with horseback riding, hiking, reading and drawing.
Melissa helps in the exam rooms on Wednesdays and is often helping anywhere in the clinic where help is needed. In her spare time Melissa enjoys running, hiking and travelling. Melissa has earned the title of Doctor! She has completed her PhD in Animal Biosciences and is officially a research scientist. Congratulations!
Sue and Emily are our veterinary technicians who are primarily in the back looking after hospitalized patients but can be found frequently helping out in the exam rooms during appointments.
Sue is our senior technician. After being here almost 30 years she is contemplating retirement next fall. When not busy working here she enjoys spending most of her time at home gardening in the nicer weather, travelling when possible, and reading and watching TV this time of year. She and her husband Ed share their home with their 2 cats Rufous and Baxter.
RVT Emily keeps busy with her two Jack Russell terriers: Gibson and Annie. When not at the clinic Emily frequently helps out at Brant-Norfolk Veterinary Clinic, our local after hours clinic. When not busy at work Emily enjoys reading and golfing. This past June Emily successfully competed along side Melissa in the Mud Girl 5k race in Hamilton.
Connor Webster has been working here the past 2 summers as a veterinary student. These working placements are requirements toward completing his studies to become a veterinarian. He is now in his third year of vet school and has one more year of studies before graduating. Who knows? Maybe he’ll work here when he’s done! It’s hard to believe that he started out here as a co-op student 13 years ago!
Zeta, our clinic cat, is doing her best to greet everyone. She is in love with our new front door and any time the sun shines you know exactly where to find her.
Continuing education is very important for all of us in order to keep up with the latest that science has to offer. Medicine is constantly evolving and it’s extremely important that we keep up with those changes. We are planning on attending conferences again this year as well as some on-line training as well. There are conferences held all over North America: in Toronto, Vancouver and the US. Guest speakers come from all over the world to talk about what’s new in subjects such as anesthesia, internal medicine, emergency care, surgery among others.
We are still working closely with Hobbitstee Wildlife Refuge. Chantal works tirelessly helping injured wildlife and we are proud to be an integral part of her team. It’s very rewarding to help get these creatures returned to their homes in the wild after being treated for minor to life-threatening injuries and illnesses. One highlight this year was teaming up with Dr. Grant Scherer of Paris Veterinary Clinic to repair a fawn’s broken leg. We never know what Chantal will bring to us – we have treated snakes, porcupines, deer, opossum,, owls and bald eagles, to name a few.
Thank you to Jeanne and Vince Flegg for the beautiful Christmas photos. We had a lot of fun again this year!
In closing we would like to thank you for choosing us and entrusting us with your pet’s care. We wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday and Happy New Year. Remember to stay safe. All the best for 2024!
