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 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.

Rachel Loppe is a Veterinary Intern at the Creston Veterinary Hospital. She is a recent graduate (2021) of the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.

Originating from the Fraser Valley, Rachel grew up around various animals, including dogs, cats, horses, and rabbits. She completed her undergrad at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, BC. Moving to Calgary with her husband in 2015, she worked at a veterinary clinic and for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) before being accepted into veterinary school. She then started her veterinary studies in 2017 at Calgary.

During her time in Calgary, Rachel developed a passion for dairy production and medicine. She loves herd medicine and working with farmers to achieve a healthy, productive herd. Rachel also enjoys working with horses and small ruminants.

In her spare time, Rachel likes to play soccer, a sport she has played since she was 7 years old. She also enjoys spending time with her husband (Steven). They love hiking together and, more recently, have taken up rock climbing and kayaking. Together, they have 4 pets; 2 dogs (Tia and Emmy) and two cats (Barton and Harvey).

A love of the outdoors and the community of Creston brought her to the CVH to start her career, and boy, she is ecstatic to be back in BC. Rachel loves helping people and their animals, and she looks forward to seeing you and your creatures, both great and small!

Coming Soon!

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, where she 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 assignment provides a welcome change from her technical skill set, allowing her to creatively bridge the gap between our veterinary services and the communities needs.

Rochelle enjoys gallivanting outdoors with her partner, Jeremy, their two rescue pups; Daisy and Jo-Jo, and their soon to be, newborn son. Rochelle has already begun her maternity leave, and together, they look forward to becoming humble students. They especially can’t wait to introduce their little man to all of their favourite Kootenay activities, like hiking, camping, swimming, and snowboarding.

Rochelle will be on maternity leave until September 2021 as she welcomes her first child, Owen!

Katelyn began working in the field during her final semester of technical school and instantly recognized a family of people who shared in the same enthusiasm for caretaking. Drawn to the relationships built with clients and patients alike, she knew this was exactly what she wanted out of a career and to this day, it is what she loves most about being a Veterinary Technician.

Katelyn graduated in April of 2017 and discovered a keen interest in nutrition, homeopathic medicine, and small animal behaviour and training while she worked part-time at Full Circle Veterinary Alternatives. This experience also broadened her knowledge of home prepared and raw diets, essential oils, and homeopathic methods. Katelyn is a proud Fear Free Certified Veterinary Professional and uses these skills to look after a pet’s emotional wellbeing, in addition to their physical wellbeing, which allows her to provide her patients with the most inclusive healthcare possible.

“I love educating clients and sharing my experiences of my own Shih Tzu, Kida, who struggles with separation anxiety, a heart condition, and mild allergies”.

Katelyn moved across Canada in December 2018 with her boyfriend, Jeremy, their 2 cats, Nala and Oliver, and Shih Tzu, Kida, and thrilled to call Creston their new home. In her free time, Katelyn enjoys walking the local trails with her little family, drawing portraits, reading, and playing the occasional video game.

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!

After her initial visit to Creston, convincing the family to move wasn’t hard! Packing and moving within a month was a whirlwind, but so worth the effort. Tanya, her family, and their pack; an American bully named “Havana,” a one-eyed cat named “Sparrow” and two Quarter Horses, “Lincoln and Rosie” are all settled in now!

Being an RVT is not for everyone. The work expectancy of a “tech” is 5-7 years, and, like any other job, some days present a few challenges. However, Tanya maintains that the team and clinic culture is what can make or break it. It’s not just the brilliant weather that attracted her to Creston, but the incredible work ethic, warmth and compassion that each member of the team exudes. Tanya loves puppy and kitten snuggles, but she counts herself fortunate to have found such a close-knit and caring team to work alongside.

Tanya is especially looking forward to meeting everyone in the Valley and working with their companions. Visiting and listening to clients’ stories, and ensuring that pet ownership is mutually rewarding for all parties, is her most cherished role. She says her “job” as a technician is to maximize client education, empathy, and be a voice for all creatures, big and small. Tanya would like to take this opportunity to thank the community in advance for entrusting her with their animals care.

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. In 2018, 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 has recently completed a certificate course in Agricultural Business Risk Management and is working towards becoming a veterinary technologist through Thompson Rivers University. The 3-year Animal Health Technology (AHT) distance program commences in January 2020 and will allow Alex to obtain the theoretical portion of her training by distance education while gaining clinical experience at Creston Veterinary Hospital.

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.

Tessa is part of a large blended family that all have varied careers and interests in retail, esthetics, sales, nursing, and construction. Tessa; however, has found her joy in animals! Tessa got her first horse when she was 13 and has been devoted to riding and training “Izzy” ever since. In May 2018 “Izzy” had her own baby and now Tessa is working with “Jupiter”, the feisty filly who’s growing very large, very quickly. Tessa loves horseback riding, hiking, swimming, and most outdoor activities that Creston has to offer.

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.

Being born and raised in the valley, Ali was very excited to return home and get back to experiencing the small-town community connection – which is exactly what the clinic delivers. She’s always loved animals, so much so that her parents said if she got a job, she could spend her money on whatever she would like. So, at the age of 14, she got her first job and got her first puppy, Molly, and energetic and spunky bichon Shih Tzu cross. Not long after joining the team, Ali quickly (within two weeks) managed to adopt her first fur baby, Flo, a loving, pesky kitty (and has her eye out for a doggo as well, even though her boyfriend doesn’t know it). Ali sought to move back to Creston for the slower, more outdoors-oriented lifestyle, as well as getting to spend more time with her family, all of which primarily reside in the valley. In her free time, you can find her doing any number of outdoor activities – such as hiking, biking, swimming, skiing, camping, or tending to the flower bed – or simply enjoying a new craft beer on the porch with her family while soaking in the evening summer sun. With a young niece and a nephew on the way, Ali enjoys every moment she gets to spend watching them grow, whether it be at the Farmer’s Market on Saturdays or reading bedtime stories while sipping hot chocolate.

Ali looks forward to meeting you and assisting you with your fuzzy companion care!

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!

Several months after the start of the covid-19 pandemic, Steve and his partner Marcus decided to move away from the city. They visited Creston BC and loved the mountains so much they made it their new home. Steve had many pets growing up and always wanted to work with animals but never had the chance, so he joined the team at Creston Vet Hospital as a receptionist. He enjoys working with people, contributing to the community, and strongly believes that animals make our lives better. His role as a receptionist involves booking appointments, filling prescriptions, answering the emergency phone line, and getting bags of dog food down from the top shelves where no one else can reach. Although he has no background in veterinary medicine, he hopes to use the other skills he has developed to help the people and animals of this town.

The other members of Steve’s family are a 3-year-old savannah cat named Cody who also bravely made the cross-country trip on the move from Ontario to BC, and soon to be a new puppy who was born here in Creston. His partner works from home as an IT director for a consulting company based out of New York. Steve has several pastimes which include hiking, canoeing, gardening and woodworking, as well as cooking and baking sweet treats for his friends and neighbours. In the coming years Steve and Marcus hope to have a small orchard and maybe 1, 2 or 10 more animals to love.

Marla and her husband Perc moved to Creston in 2020, happy to be out of Calgary’s big city and enjoy the beautiful weather and growing options the valley has to offer. Along with them came their 12-year-old labradoodle, Smudge ‘The Wonder-dog.’ They were excited when both of their sons, along with their families, joined them here not long after, looking to put down roots in the valley as well. Marla is Granny to six grandchildren, and seeing them all the time brings great joy to her life.

Marla has had many and varied jobs over the years, but common themes in all of them have been administration and efficiency and caring for people both at happy times in their lives and in the tough times. The Creston Veterinary Hospital has provided the perfect opportunity to combine each of these skills. Working in reception and the call center allows Marla to be the productive and organized person she naturally is. At the same time, working in the clinic offers the chance to celebrate new life and milestones with the clients and come alongside them in the difficult time of loss that inevitably comes to all pet owners.

Outside of work, Marla and Perc will be looking to find their forever home where they can host their family and friends, plant a garden full of fruit, veggies, and flowers, maybe get a few chickens, and explore God’s beautiful creation here in the valley. When winter comes, you’ll find Marla reading, knitting, playing piano, playing games, and hanging on the couch with Perc watching movies.