When I was a child I would beg my parents for a pet, but because of my mother’s allergies it never happened. Fortunately, when I was 11 my parents decided that we could get a kitten. He was an orange and white tabby who we named Pumpkin. He was feisty to say the least, and was not one for snuggling, but I loved him in any way he would let me.

After high school I was unsure about my career path, but decided that attending college was the right thing to do. I graduated from the Recreation and Leisure program at Niagara College in 2006, and proceeded to work in the field for 3 years. Then I finally figured out what I wanted to do. I needed to work with animals, I wasn’t sure in which way yet but I needed them to be part of my daily life. I started working at a kennel, which allowed me to gain some experience. At first I applied for Veterinary Assistant programs throughout Ontario and thought I would apply for the Veterinary Technician program at Sheridan College just for fun. I was put on the wait-list initially, but just before classes started I received the call from Sheridan that there was a spot available. I jumped at the opportunity and have not looked back since. This past June I graduated with high honours.

Within the last year our family unexpectedly added a grey and white kitten named Cooper, just before we had to say goodbye to Pumpkin at the age of 14. After our hearts had time to mend, we decided to adopt another furry friend; a white kitten who we named Romeo. Cooper and Romeo love to run through the house chasing each other and they lose time just watching our chinchilla Toby.

I am very thankful for the opportunity to become a part of the team at Upper Canada Animal Hospital!