Team

Janice graduated from the Atlantic Veterinary College (UPEI) in 1992 and immediately drove West with her husband, dog and cats in tow. For the first 6 years of practice, she had a varied and exciting practice that included working in up to 50 clinics in BC, many of which were remote. One of the adventures was in Campbell River, where she met Dr Marlene Smith, a pioneer in North America with veterinary acupuncture. Marlene convinced Janice to learn TCM and acupuncture and she studied and earned her certificate of accreditation in 1998. When Janice set up MCVH, the acupuncture training had informed her view of medicine and the idea of what a physical clinic could look like. Hence the exam tables are at dog/cat height in the style of mobile couches. Janice likes to do surgery, but ironically spends lots of time talking about why not to. Additional training in homeopathy (2000) and chiropractic (2005) followed. Another mentor told Janice in her early career that the two causes of professional burnout are boredom or physical exhaustion. And with holistic medicine options, boredom is impossible. It’s true. “I still learn from the animals that come to see me every day. I think they make me a better person”

Janice lives with a loving spouse and they enjoy doing their best to tire out their Rez dog Hazel up the mountains (hiking, snowshoeing). Additionally, SCUBA diving has been a life long passion and they both dive cold water and enjoy the magic and awe of the underwater world. They share the house with a two legged cat and do their best to do what she says!

Sue graduated from AVC (UPEI) in 1990 and that is where Janice and Sue met. Sue went to Newfoundland after graduation for an adventure filled three years while doing a large animal Internship from Guelph Veterinary School. Dr Hughson then headed out to BC to settle in to small animal practice. Sue joined MCVH after her acupuncture/TCM training and homeopathy training in 2007. Sue has two adult children and loves to garden with her cat. She is retiring in May of 2025 and we wish her the best of success in her new adventures. Perhaps she will miss us all enough to come back periodically?

Marie graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon 1989. Marie and Janice met in 1993 working at various clinics in the Lower Mainland and hit off a lifetime connection. Marie has been at MCVH since it’s inception as holiday coverage help and since 2024 as an additional 2 days a week regularly. Marie has a special interest in nutrition and a solid 3 plus decades of clinical experience. She has at home a teenager, a spouse, and a Rescue dog called Chela. Marie loves sailing and has taken up the paintbrush as an adult.

Dr Niecakrz graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1997 and then went to the University of Tennessee to get her boarded specialty degree in radiology (2001). She moved to Vancouver to join a local specialty practice, and soon left that to become her own, mobile radiologist. She has been a valuable support to many of our clients for more than 20 years. Janet lives on the North Shore and has the sweetest Doodle ever. Her human daughter graduates High School this year.

Dr Carolyn Wang earned her veterinary degree in 2016 from the University of Melbourne in Australia. After graduation she happily returned to her hometown of Vancouver, and has been working in small animal general practice since then. Although she currently does not have any pets, she and her spouse are open to adopting the right animal when it comes along. In her spare time she plays field hockey in the rain, and on sunny days she is learning to play tennis.

Susanne and Janice met at the Vancouver Animal Emergency Clinic 30 plus years ago. Janice was a locum veterinarian and Susanne was a technician (RAHT, similar to a veterinary nurse) there since 1986. After 4 decades of emergency work, the lure of general practice (and day time hours) called to Susanne and we lured her to us in 2022. Susanne lives with her spouse, Marc, her two adult sons, Calvin the Wonderdog (a BorderCollie cross) and Cody the Holland Lop (bunny).

Kim has a Veterinary Office Assistant Diploma and a colourful work history of client centred care on both land and sea. Kim’s holistic and heart centered approach to animal care kept tugging at her heart strings and it took her some time to find her way to us. Kim is kind, calm and reliable. She started at MCVH during the pandemic in a very demanding time for us all and she has been the stable center for all the staff as we came out the other side. Kim is well versed in the holistic medical realm for humans and animals and we value that here. She also has a passion for photography and loves capturing cute profile pictures of your furry loved ones.

Cathy is a long term client of MCVH. She stopped working as an RN at St. Paul's Hospital in 2020, and after over twenty five years in emergency and critical care nursing, she will tell you she hasn’t stopped smiling since!

Cathy is kind and caring, and has been able to adapt her human nursing skills into the veterinary world.

Cathy’s energy has been a ray of sunshine for us at the clinic and she does her best to ensure all the four-legged patients enjoy the clinic as much as she does (having freshly made roast beef treats certainly helps!). Her positive energy reminds us all how lucky we are to work with animals every day.

Cathy and her husband are both avid pickleball players, and when not on the courts, you can find her on the ice playing hockey. They share their household with a sweet geriatric golden retriever named Riggs and recently adopted kitten from Laurie’s orphans called Pickles.

Rebecca was a long term client of MCVH and a dog trainer that Janice enjoyed working with. We pressed her to join our team in 2021 and have enjoyed her steady presence in the front of the clinic as a receptionist. Her training skills help when we have special needs in the clinic. Rebecca has a fantastic Rottweiler called Peter Parker and some crazy reptile called Curtis. She spends a lot of her off time connecting with her family in Campbell River….and pursuing her musical interests. Her training company is dogpartners.ca

Laurie and Janice worked together in rescue prior to setting up MCVH, and Laurie joined the team as a part timer from day 1. In addition to working with us, Laurie is certified Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitator and has studied with the Companion Animal Science Institute for two years. Laurie is particularly skilled at handling aggressive dogs. Most of the dogs are actually fearful, not truly aggressive and Laurie is unfazed by it all. The entire team looks forward to Laurie days as you never know what she will bring with her. Orphan puppies? A wild but injured animal? You never know.

Erika has degree from UBC in Psychology with a Minor in Animal Welfare. After her graduation she worked in various animal situations (RAPS, AquaPaws and two other veterinary clinics in the lower Mainland). To support her animal habit, she also maintained a job in the service industry as a skilled bartender. You will see Erika floating about the clinic (from and back) and she is having to travel back and forth to Ontario to help with family. We love her engaged, sunny and can do approach to life.

Nancy has lived on the North Shore her whole life. After 34 years of teaching elementary and secondary school in West Vancouver, she retired and became part-time staff at MCVH. Passionate about animals, their care and the science behind it, Nancy usually works behind the scenes, helping wherever needed. “As a teacher, I always said how important it was to be a lifelong learner. I’ve been lucky enough to put those words into action by being part of the incredible team at MCVH!”

Growing up on the island of Sardinia gives you three important factors for your DNA: art, culture and nature. So Micol grew up surrounded by animals that are sacred to the culture and economy of the island and human and compassionate education. Then she chose to follow her artistic talent, studying Art and Restoration at the University of Florence where she built a career full of encounters and stimuli in the Theatre, Opera, Films and Italian Fashion as a designer, but she always left open that door that keeps animals close to her heart. During the early 2000s Micol got her diploma as a veterinary assistant in Florence with ENPA, the oldest agency in Europe for animal protection.

In 2018 she moved to Canada with her husband, a canadian writer and anthropologist, and two aristocrats tuscan cats: Ottone & Giuseppina. The first thing Micol did living on Vancouver island is collaborate with Wild Arc, wildlife rehabilitation center, and earned the role of junior rehabilitator. For her is the achievement of a wonderful dream.

During the pandemic Micol studied video editing and created video documentaries on the nature of the island and designed her own children's book, based on the Canadian adventures of the two tuscan kitties. A touching compendium of interspecies relationships. After three years back in the Fashion system in Vancouver, finally the lucky meeting with the team of Mosquito Creek Veterinary Hospital is the culmination of a dream made only of humility, compassion and professionalism, the holistic vision of the clinic perfectly marries her ideas and gives her professional enrichment.

In the free time Micol is a cook of fusion Sardinian and Italian cuisine, using local canadian products. She also loves to observe her two new cats: two canadian ginger brothers adopted by Vokra, and with them she works on a second feline saga of books “Two ginger Canadian kitties in Tuscany”…work in progress.