I attended the University of Guelph where I graduated from Ontario Agricultural College in 1982 with a BSc (Agr) in Animal Science, then graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1986 with a DVM. I undertook a study in advanced dental procedures in 1993 with a 21 days course run by Lifelearn. In 1994 I took a 12 day update course in Feline Medicine run by Lifelearn. In 1999-2000 I graduated from the Pitcairn Professional Course in Veterinary Homeopathy, and retook the course in 2017-2018, involving 20 days of in class study and many hours of out of class learning. I graduated from the IVAS (International Veterinary Acupuncture Society) Course in Veterinary Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2011-2012, which involved 25 days of in-class learning and labs.
I co-owned and operated a mixed practice in Shelburne Ontario with my wife Dawn from 1986 – 1999, after which I became a minority owner in the PetVet group of small animal hospitals in Mississauga, Port Credit, Stoney Creek and Scarborough Ontario until it was sold in 2015. I then worked as a locum until 2020 when we moved to PEI.
I work as an Emergency Service Veterinarian, where we deal with sick patients from all of the general veterinary practices on the Island. My role is to assess, recommend needed diagnostic tests, alleviate pain and discomfort (and thereby stress) and attempt to come up with the diagnosis for what ails the patient, and to initiate therapy for that, either as an outpatient who returns to the family veterinarian for continued care or in hospital until sufficiently well to go home to the family veterinarian for further care if needed. We are also conduits to some of the specialty services for emergency treatments, surgery, advanced diagnostics etc.
My professional interests actually lie in alternative more holistic therapies such as Homeopathy and Acupuncture, and how they can be used to allow animals to strengthen their vital forces and thus be more resistant or less susceptible to disease.
My wife and I have 4 cats (Seamus, Connor Patrick, Alex and Calleigh, all of whom came to us due to urinary problems), 2 dogs (Meaghan, a Flatcoat Retriever/Doberman mix and Ryleigh a Lab/Shar Pei mix, both of whom were rescues) and 3 horses (Si, Cooper and Morgan). I enjoy curling, hockey and golf, and occasionally pick up a guitar. I am also a Past District Governor (District A-711 which includes Greater Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington, Hamilton and Stoney Creek, Ontario) in Lions Clubs International and currently a member of the Winsloe Lions Club.