Dr Mcleod was born in Victoria, BC and grew up in Victoria, Ottawa, and Whitehorse. After completing high school at Spectrum Community School in Victoria, he attended UVic and UBC, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Zoology. He became inspired to be a veterinarian while working on a dairy farm in Tsawwassen, BC and graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon in 1990.

Dr McLeod practiced medicine in Swift Current, SK and Comox, BC before he moved to Creston to join Dr Dave Perrin, who was the founder of Creston Veterinary Hospital, and who later retired to write the Country Vet Series. In Dr McLeod’s many years of practice, he’s developed a special interest in dairy medicine and orthopedic surgery.

Dr McLeod is an avid aviator! He uses this vehicle to bring veterinary care to remote clients and it also serves as an air ambulance. He volunteers his time with the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association, CASARA, and plays hockey as a goaltender with the Creston Old Timers. Dr McLeod’s two children, Kathleen and Alexandra, both attend the University of Calgary and major in Education and Business respectively. He has 3 dogs: Zeke, the Lab Pointer (master of the ball flinger), Kona, the crazy Lab (mischief and mice hunting specialist), and Piper, the photogenic border collie. He also has 3 cats; Ruckus (so named because he made such a fuss when he strayed into the veterinary clinic) and two other 3-legged cats that take care of his hangar, Lucy and Elvis. These two are awesome mousers despite their handicaps!

Dr McLeod is passionate about making Creston Veterinary Hospital responsive to community needs. He has been committed to the Creston Valley since he first arrived in 1993, becoming co-owner in 1996 and noting that the community required a veterinarian who could handle all species. It requires a continuous veterinary emergency presence and he is proud that he has been able to offer that. Creston Veterinary Hospital has grown significantly over the years and now requires several veterinarians to lighten the load. He continues to mentor the younger veterinarians as a payback to the community and profession he loves.

John is a co-owner at Creston Veterinary Hospital, assisting with management and personnel issues for the past 20 years. Over this time he has had the privilege of working with the many dedicated staff members that have all contributed to the success of the clinic. He and Rob have been friends since high school and have worked on many projects together.

John graduated from UBC with a degree in Forestry in 1986 and continued on to work as a professional forester in both industry and as a consultant. During this time he has gained varied experience in business management.

John enjoys a variety of outdoor activities and still works seasonally as a field forester. Much of his time is spent with his wife, Hilary, and their “sled” dog, Cara. Their three daughters are now independent, two married with dogs of their own, as well as one pet pygmy goat, and one daughter finishing university. They have been a family of many pets over the decades, ranging from dogs and horses to budgies and hedgehogs. Having spent some time at veterinary clinics as a client, with a background in business, John brings a different and welcome perspective to clinic management.

Dr. Julia Kaczkowski grew up in Lake Country, BC, where she spent most of her formative years as a self-described barn rat at an equestrian facility. After studying animal biology at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, Julia attended veterinary school in Saskatoon at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. She spent a brief period of time exploring the maritime provinces before deciding to return home to beautiful British Columbia. Julia is so happy to be back in her native province and firmly believes that B.C. is indeed “The Best Place on Earth”.

At the clinic, Julia’s favourite aspects of veterinary medicine range from feline and equine medicine and wellness to animal behaviour. She finds great reward in working together with clients to create tailored health plans specific to every pet’s individual needs. Julia also has a special interest in pocket pet medicine, especially rabbits (having a rabbit of her own, she admits she may be slightly biased).

Julia has always been an outdoors enthusiast, and in her free time, Julia enjoys hiking, scrambling, backcountry camping, rock climbing, trail running, kayaking, skiing, and snowshoeing. With its wealth of outdoor recreation opportunities, the Kootenays are the perfect fit and Julia feels fortunate to live in this spectacular region. When at home, Julia enjoys the company of her two critters: Captain the Rabbit (a pompous bun who takes his name a bit too seriously) and Pinot Noir the Cat, a very emotionally attached feline who takes great pleasure in decorating Julia’s home with large amounts of cat fluff.

Carrie was born in Williams Lake, BC but grew up in the beautiful Creston Valley; first on an apple orchard in Erickson, and later, on a farm in Lister, a place her parents still call home. As a child, Creston proved to be the perfect playground for Carrie; she spent the summers camping
and participated in Dairy 4-H, Horse 4-H, reining, and Extreme Cowboy Racing with her friends and family.

In 2009, mentored by Dr McLeod and the rest of the support staff, Carrie completed her high school work experience at Creston Veterinary Hospital and enrolled in her first year of Animal Health studies at Lakeland College in Vermillion, AB. She continued to work with CVH and completed her Animal Health Technology degree at Olds College in 2015, writing her licensing exam shortly thereafter.

Carrie continued to challenge herself both personally and professionally; taking on more leadership roles and dedicating her practice to the wellbeing of our clients, pets, and staff. In 2015 she became our first ever Practice Manager, a role she has embraced fervently ever since. Carrie still enjoys working directly with the animals; however, she is most passionate about fulfilling the needs of the community by delivering the highest quality of care in a friendly and educational manner, an experience truly unique to Creston Veterinary Hospital.

Carrie loves spending time with her family and especially enjoys watching her nieces grow up. Together, they ride their horses, tend to farm chores, and adventure with their dogs. Carrie shares her home with her faithful Australian Shepherd, Gypsy; two horses, Jiggs and Mickey; and a recently adopted Siamese mix named Pearl.

Rochelle always knew she would pursue a career working with animals. She grew up in Canmore, AB, where wildlife sightings are commonplace. Driven by her curiosity and inclination to nurture, she became infatuated with the creatures she encountered and made numerous attempts to connect with them on some level. Naturally, she was an enthusiastic science student, excelling at Biology, which she later studied at Capilano University in Vancouver. It was during this time that she had the fortunate opportunity to volunteer with both the Bamfield Marine Science Centre and the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Association.

Rochelle began working at the Creston Veterinary Hospital in the summer of 2014 as a Veterinary Assistant, returning to school in the fall to complete her final year of Animal Health studies at Lakeland College in Vermilion, AB. Upon graduation, she gained valuable work experience at a 24-hour emergency and specialty practice in the Okanagan, achieved her R.V.T. designation after successfully writing a national licensing exam in July of 2015, and has since returned to work for Dr. McLeod full-time.

Since her arrival, Rochelle has taken on many roles. From student to Veterinary Technician to Hospital Director, she now spearheads our marketing and recruiting endeavours. This new opportunity provides a welcome change from her technical skill set, allowing her to creatively bridge the gap between our veterinary services and our communities needs.

Outside of work, Rochelle volunteers her time with Love 2 Play Dog Training in Nelson, BC and enjoys galavanting outside with her boyfriend, Jeremy, and her two beautiful rescue pups; Daisy, a spicy 6 year old Collie/Shepherd mix and Jo-Jo, a sassy 11 year-old sled dog who is thoroughly enjoying her retirement. Together they enjoy hiking, camping, swimming, 4×4‘ing, and snowboarding throughout the Kootenays!

Tara has had a love for animals since a young age and they have been a big part of her life ever since. She first volunteered with our clinic in her last year of high school, though she pursued a long and rewarding career with Creston Fire Rescue before rejoining the team at Creston Veterinary Hospital in 2002.

While working as an assistant, Tara began studying for her diploma in Animal Health Technology through the Thompson Rivers University Distance Education program. With the support from Dr. McLeod and her amazing coworkers, she received the hands-on experience necessary to graduate and became a Registered Veterinary Technician in 2010. Tara enjoys the fact that Creston Veterinary Hospital is a mixed animal practice because throughout the day her patients may be large or small, and as result, the years in practice have never been boring.

Outside of work, Tara enjoys many adventurous outdoor activities, exercising, and camping with family and friends. Tara shares her home with husband, Mark, son, Caelan, and their favourite fur-buddies, LadyBug, a Border Collie/Lab cross, Percy Blackstone, a black and white DSH cat, and their newest addition, Zeus, the Blue Heeler puppy.

Carrie graduated from the Animal Health Technology program at Lakeland College in Vermilion, AB in 2005. She moved to the Creston Valley with her husband, Steve, and their two young boys in the summer of 2014. After a brief hiatus to raise her growing family, Carrie returned to the veterinary field and joined the team at Creston Veterinary Hospital in 2016. Carrie especially loves the variety of patients she helps treat; from domesticated cats and dogs to more exotic species like owls, turtles, alpacas, and even a bald eagle.

It’s been difficult not to take home every stray animal that comes through the clinic and Carrie has shown great restraint; however, last year they adopted Reggie, a very loving Golden Retriever mix. As it turns out, good things come to those who wait, because he could not have been a more perfect fit for their family. Outside of work, Carrie enjoys a variety of sports which include hockey (go Jets!), slow pitch, golf, and a rekindled passion for rock climbing. Carrie looks forward to helping you and your fur-family very soon!

Lyn joins us from a small animal hospital and rehabilitation practice on Vancouver Island. She is a 3rd-year student at Thompson Rivers University and has come to Creston Veterinary Hospital to finish her final year of Animal Health Technology. After finishing her certification in the Veterinary Office Assistant program in 2014, Lyn has gained close to 5 years’ of experience working in a variety of roles as a receptionist, veterinary assistant, and a rehabilitation assistant. Lyn has a passion for all animals, but a special place in her heart for exotic species, such as reptiles and pocket pets. This was demonstrated in 2014 when she opened Scritches Rat Rescue; a Victoria-based rescue dedicated to the health and wellness of domesticated rats. Lyn is also a published writer who has been featured in West Coast Veterinary Magazine for her work with rescues and the difficulties financial limitations can pose on the care of rescue animals. After becoming a Veterinary Technician, Lyn hopes to continue her education with a focus on wild and exotic species, as well as emergency and critical care of domestic animals.

Lyn has moved to the Creston Valley with husband Pascal, 3 cats (Penny, Moose and Odo), and 1 Bearded Dragon (Elon). So far, they have enjoyed the breath-taking views and a number of outdoor hikes that Creston and the surrounding communities have to offer and they look forward to continuing to hike, kayak, paddleboard, canoe and camp their away around this beautiful valley. Lyn and Pascal have visited Iceland to admire its extensive hot springs and most recently visited Australia, where they experienced their first cageless dive with sharks. YIKES! The two said they wouldn’t trade that experience for anything else in the world and that it really opened their eyes to how magnificent these often-misunderstood creatures are. When not adventuring abroad or exploring what home has to offer, the couple enjoys being creative. Lyn enjoys drawing, painting and photography, while her husband enjoys building scale models of steamships and historical replicas. Although new to the valley, they are excited to live in a town that embraces artists and outdoor adventurists so fondly and they look forward to the many new memories they will create in the years to come.

Born and raised in Creston, BC, Amanda has always had a love for animals. She began attending Equine 4-H at 8 years of age, and when she turned 13, she started to become more interested in barrel racing, travelling around to do so. Amanda graduated from Prince Charles Secondary School in January 2014 and moved to Alberta to work at a horse breeding facility in small town Bassano, Alberta, where she gained experience in artificial insemination, stallion handling, and semen collection.

Amanda moved back to Creston in the fall of 2014 to work at Overwaitea Foods before joining our team in October 2016. Amanda has grown immensely during this time, both professionally and personally, which is evident in the meticulous care of her patients and ever-growing responsibilities. Her new role as a Veterinary Technician Trainee requires her to help with billing, client communication, lab diagnostics, and on-call rotations with the veterinarian. Amanda enjoys all aspects of her job but has a special interest in small animal dentistry.

Amanda shares her life with Cajun, a Jack Russel Terrier who was born in their family home in Creston, 9 years ago, and Linc, the newest addition, a bright and playful Red Heeler puppy. Together, they are very active, love to play fetch (it’s all about the ball), and enthusiastically follow Amanda on her many adventures. Amanda also cares for her barrel horse, an 11-year-old Quarter Horse mare named Jess.

Hiking, walking with her dogs, dirt biking, hunting, fishing, and riding horses are among Amanda’s favourite outdoor pursuits. As an avid barrel racer, she has won the purse on several occasions and even won a saddle in 2016. Amanda enjoys spending time with her boyfriend, Dale, and is looking forward to barrel racing this summer and starting agility with her puppy, Linc, before she heads to college to pursue an education at Olds College to become a Veterinary Technician. We are so excited for her future!

Jagan has loved animals from a very young age. When she was in high school, she started as a work experience student and ended up working for the Creston Veterinary Hospital for several years. While she took a break to pursue an alternate career path, she missed working with the animals and has since returned to the team.

Jagan has had the opportunity to fill several positions within the clinic, from Call Centre Attendant and Receptionist to Veterinary Assistant, which is where her true passion lies. Jagan loves every minute of her new position. From helping with puppy litters to large animal farm calls and everything in between, she enjoys all of the adventures this role entails. She is keen to tackle each unique situation as it arises and looks forward to learning more about animals every day.

Jagan has a wonderful elderly dog named Rex, who is a valued addition to her family, as well as a young cat named Thor, who she recently adopted from CVH.

With an agricultural background, Alex knew from a very young age that she wanted to work with animals. She grew up in the Creston Valley playing soccer and participating in the local 4-H clubs with horse, photography, and dairy projects, and acquired her first horse, Sterling, when she was just nine years old. After high school, Alex attended Lethbridge College for three years, where she completed two Agricultural Technology diplomas, majoring in both Plant and Soil Science and Animal Science, all while competing with the Lethbridge College Kodiaks Women’s Soccer team.

Throughout the years, Alexandra has enjoyed learning about the dairy industry and spent many summers working as a farm hand and milker at Mountain Valley Dairy, in addition to working at several fruit stands and farms throughout the valley. Last summer, she worked in Kamloops as a Parent Seed Summer Associate with BASF and Bayer Crop Science, gaining valuable work experience in the Canola industry. While Alexandra certainly enjoyed studying plant agriculture, she maintains that her passion is working with animals, particularly farm animals, and has since returned to her hometown of Creston to work with Creston Veterinary Hospital. Alex joined the team in November 2018 and is thoroughly enjoying her transition into the field of veterinary medicine.

A life-long learner, Alexandra is currently taking a certificate course in Agricultural Business Risk Management and is planning to work towards becoming a veterinary technician through Thompson Rivers University. In her spare time, Alex enjoys taking photos of our beautiful valley, playing with her dogs Orsa, the Maremma Sheepdog, and Charlie, the Collie cross, as well as working with her horses, Sterling, the Fjord, and Ariel and Cookie, both quarter horses. She continues to play recreational soccer and also works to expand her family farm business, Haygan Farms. She hopes that one day it will become fully self-sustainable, with a small Jersey herd, beef cattle, and chickens.

Amber was born and raised in the Creston Valley. Although she has moved a lot in her adult life, she always comes back to her roots. Amber has always been intrigued by animals and her adventurous soul kept her in nature searching for wildlife. She has a soft heart and is usually in the company of one of her rescues.

Amber started her employment with the clinic in 2015 as a Call Centre Attendant, then moved from Creston for a year and upon her return, the clinic welcomed her back as an Office Assistant. Her tasks include billing, typing up SOP’s, and other important office errands and responsibilities. Ambers attention to detail, professionalism, and pleasant demeanour help our clinic run more efficiently.

Amber shares her home with her fiancé, Rory, his children part time, their rescue dog, Sally, and their rescue cat, Chloe. Amber also stays busy helping her brother and sister in law on their farm. Raising pigs and chickens for food, feeding and caring for goats and horses and learning the ways of farming and self-sustainability. She takes pleasure in hiking the many mountains we have in the area, walking her dog, Sally, scenic drives with no destination, creating recipes, and spending time with her family and friends.

Trish and husband, Jay, moved to Creston in 1991 from Williams Lake, BC following a job transfer while Jay was working as a journeyman for BC Tel. They made the trek in the middle of a winter snowstorm with all of their belongings, two toddlers, and a 6-week-old baby in tow! In the spring of ‘91, they bought their own place, a 10-acre orchard, and received a crash course on orchard operations from their welcoming neighbours. They spent 15 years working the orchard and in that time raised their 4 daughters, Candace, Catharine, Carrie, and Colleen. 4-H became a big part of their lives and space was made on those 10 acres to keep horses, cows, chickens, rabbits, goats, and cats. There were a lot of memories on that farm.

During that time Jay continued to work for BC Tel (now Telus) and Trish began working as a milker at Mountain Valley Dairy. Trish was always fond of cows and gained vast amounts of knowledge in organic dairy production and bovine management during her time there. The dairy was a huge part of her life, but after 12 years, Trish retired from the farm to pursue a less physical career as a veterinary receptionist, though no less demanding. At the time, Trish did not have much experience working with the public, but her love for animals, paired with her genuine and helpful nature, saw her excel in all areas of her work. She thoroughly enjoys making an impact on the animals lives, connecting with clients on a personal level, working with a collaborative and caring team, and the fact that there’s never a dull moment in veterinary medicine!

Trish and Jay both find pleasure in their horses and horse activities. Jay’s hobbies are team roping and mounted shooting, while Trish enjoys trail riding, liberty training, and Extreme Cowboy Challenges, which she looks forward to pursuing with her new filly. Trish also enjoys hiking, backpacking, running, fitness classes, taking her Australian Shepherd, Rudy, for long walks, and snowshoeing in the winter. Most of all, Trish loves spending cherished moments with her family.

Brittany first joined Creston Veterinary Hospital in 2015 as one of our Call Centre Attendants, where she helped triage calls and relay important information between clients and staff. She’s since mastered the position and has been promoted to Reception, a role that requires proficiency in hospital protocols, sharp critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, compassion, a positive attitude, followthrough, and excellent communication and teamwork skills. Brittany is most grateful for the opportunity to merge her love of animals and public service into an exciting and rewarding career in veterinary administration.

Brittany was born and raised in the Creston Valley and has decided to raise her young son, Carter, here as well. Her family includes an 8-year-old Retriever mix named Diesel, who is a gentle, playful, and snuggly giant, and Peppa, a Holland Lop who keeps them laughing with her silly bunny antics. In her spare time, Brittany enjoys the outdoors by going for walks, hiking, or relaxing by the water, especially with her family and friends.

Born and raised in Creston and currently residing in the small community of Wynndel, Kayla lives with her husband, TJ, and their three furry family members; 9 year old Denali, a bossy German Shepherd, 6 year old Finn, a laid back, long-haired tabby, and 1 one year old Sawyer, a playful rescue pup.

Ever since Kayla can remember, the daily operations of a veterinary clinic have held fond memories for her. With her mother working alongside Dr. Keith Marling, she was fortunate enough to experience just how extraordinary the veterinary field is. With a keen willingness to learn, Kayla would help her mother with weekend kennel cleaning and after-hours patient care, and upon graduation from high school, Kayla took a position as a receptionist at the Kootenay Animal Clinic. This role helped her to build a strong foundation of customer service skills and allowed her to continue to serve the people and animals of the valley until the retirement of Dr. Marling in 2009.

Kayla joined the Creston Veterinary Hospital in November 2018 as one of our Call Centre Attendants and is now eagerly and skillfully transitioning to a position with our Reception team.

During her days off, Kayla enjoys time with her family, goes on pack walks with her friends, camps and boats on Kootenay Lake!