Meet the Veterinarians & Team of Hillside Veterinary Hospital in Victoria, BC! We’re pleased to provide exceptional vet care for your pets! Please call us at 250-598-4477 to speak to one of our caring veterinary staff members!
Dr. Jennifer Chan, DVM has been at the Hillside Veterinary Hospital since 1995. She graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon in 1991. After graduating, she spent one year doing an internship in surgery and internal medicine at Washington State University Veterinary Hospital. Dr. Chan practices veterinary acupuncture and is recognized by the IVAS (International Veterinary Acupuncture Society). She has a keen interest in herbs, western medicine and surgery.
Dr. Glynis Newman, B.Sc., MSc.(Wildlife Biology), DVM is a graduate of Ontario Veterinary College. Dr. Newman practices veterinary chiropractic and is recognized by the AVCA (American Veterinary Chiropractic Association) www.animalchiropractic.org. For several years she worked in Ontario in small and large animal practices before coming to Victoria in 1999. She has an interest in senior pet health, chiropractic and physiotherapy treatment, and sporting dog performance. In 2010, Dr. Newman completed the training required to become a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist through the Canine Rehabilitation Institute, an American association that provides training for veterinarians, physical therapists and RVT’s in the field of animal rehabilitation. Dr. Newman is also a CRCA level 4 kayaker and kayaking instructor.
Dr. Sylvie Abrioux, DVM obtained a B.Sc. in Animal Science and went on to graduate from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 1990. She has been part of the team at Hillside Veterinary Hospital since 2000. Prior to working here, she worked at the BCSPCA Animal Hospital in Vancouver, where she gained extensive experience in small animal surgery. She enjoys incorporating complementary therapies with traditional veterinary medicine, and she is constantly striving to improve her surgical skills. In 2008, Dr. Abrioux completed the training required to become a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist through the Canine Rehabilitation Institute. In 2016 Dr. Abrioux completed her chiropractic training and is recognized by the IVCA (International Veterinary Chiropractic Association). She has a busy family life, spending time with her husband and two daughters, 2 cats and her dog, Cedar.
Dr. Lesia Hyzka joined our team in February of 2012. She graduated in 1995 from the Ontario Veterinary College. She was busy raising her family full-time until 2008 when she began practicing veterinary medicine in the Victoria area. Dr. Hyzka is interested in canine and feline general medicine.
As a busy mother of 5, Lesia’s spare time is usually spent at the soccer field cheering on her kids. She has two cats named Princess Ophelia and Evil Queen Sarmina. Her interests include reading, artistic endeavours, and cycling.
Dr. Kevin Keller graduated from Ontario Veterinary College in 1992. He completed the Options for Animals chiropractic course with Dr. Newman in 2000-2001. He has practiced veterinary medicine/surgery in Parksville for the past 15 years and was an owner of the Bellevue Vet. Hospital for the past 10 years. Dr. Keller has practiced animal chiropractic since 2001 on dogs, cats, and horses.
Kevin was recently married and is moving to Victoria with his wife, Michelle, and horses, Jag and Tia. In his spare time, he enjoys playing hockey, golf, hiking, and camping. Kevin has enjoyed coaching women’s hockey in Nanaimo for the past 6 years. He is looking forward to a new chapter starting in Victoria.
Dr. Horace Yeung graduated from Atlantic Veterinary College in 2009. Prior to his veterinary medicine career, he was involved in blueberries and cranberries research on Prince Edward Island.
He moved to Vancouver Island after his graduation and joined Hillside Veterinary Hospital in 2015. Horace’s main interests are in surgery and ultrasonography. Currently, he is residing in Cowichan Valley and enjoying the beauty of Vancouver Island.
Dr. Kristin Zajaczkowski grew up in Victoria and is happy to have returned home to her family and friends after spending four years living in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where she graduated with distinction from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in April 2015. Kristin’s special professional interests include feline medicine, ophthalmology, dermatology, oral surgery and palliative care. She has received recognition for her interest in animal advocacy and for excellence in feline medicine. Her experience working with both human and animal patients in a variety of settings has made her enthusiastic about promoting the human-animal bond in its many forms. Kristin and her partner share their home with their two adopted pets, a rowdy husky mix named Dahlia and a new kitten named Gus. She enjoys reading, gardening, fish keeping, hiking and travelling.
Michelle decided to pursue a veterinary career after years of volunteering and working at the Regina Humane Society. She graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 2011 and shortly afterwards moved to Victoria, where she spent 5 years working at a small animal wellness and emergency clinic.
Michelle has a soft spot for geriatric pets and a special interest in dermatology. With an emphasis on stress-free handling, her goal is to work with each pet and their family to create a pet health plan that works best for everybody.
Outside of work Michelle’s interests include hiking, camping, travel and music.
Michelle’s animal family includes her 17-year-old cat, Yucca, and her last foster dog, Jake the Basset Hound, who turned out to be permanent!
Dr. Hauer grew up in Edmonton, however, the beauty of Victoria and the amazing people have kept her here on the West Coast. As a relatively recent graduate (2017), Dr. Hauer brings new and innovative ideas to Hillside Veterinary Hospital. Her goal is to continue evolving as medicine changes. She has a passion for science and learning that keeps her inspired in her veterinary career. “We are constantly learning in this job and every day is a new challenge, which I love”. Outside of work, Dr. Hauer likes to keep active playing basketball and volleyball. She also enjoys spending time with her cat Naula whom she adopted during veterinary school.
Dr. Emma Thomson is a local Victorian, who recently graduation from WCVM in Saskatoon. From very young, she knew she wanted to be a veterinarian and is so happy to have accomplished that childhood dream! What does she love about veterinary medicine? The unpredictability and variety of what every new day brings. Dr. Thomson has 3 pets of her own – Asha – a 5 year old Pitbull X, Mira – a 1 year old Lab X, and Milo – a 4 year old Ragdoll. Emma loves many aspects of being a primary care veterinarian – particularly dermatology, wellness and preventative care, and nutrition. Outside of work, Emma enjoys hiking, exploring, and curling up with a cup of tea and a book.
Yuko graduated from a three-year Animal Health Technology course at Thompson Rivers University. She has worked at veterinary hospitals in Japan and been with us since 2005. Yuko has a cat named Snickers and an adorable Yorkshire Terrier named Anne.
Caitlin joined our team in 2014. She graduated from SIAST Veterinary Technology Program in 2012. She moved from Saskatoon to Victoria to try island life with her 2 dogs, Ghost and Luna. Her interests in veterinary medicine are dentistry, nursing care and anesthesia. Caitlin enjoys rock climbing, yoga, hockey and hiking in her spare time.
Julie works with us part-time, generally on Sundays but on the occasional Saturday as well. She has been an Animal Health Technician for many years now, working in various hospitals in and around Victoria over her career. She has a son, Daniel, 4 cats, hens and sheep to keep her busy, on top of working 6-7 days a week!
Justine graduated from Douglas College’s Animal Health Technology program in June of 2013. Since graduating she has been working in small animal and exotic practices.
Before becoming a Registered Veterinary Technician, Justine volunteered at Wild Arc for the 3 years, where she realized her passion was working with animals and that is what drew her to become an RVT. After graduation, Justine traveled with “Vet Nurses in the Wild” to South Africa for a month in the spring of 2013. While there, she worked with a local animal shelter and wild life Veterinarian capturing wildlife and administering their care.
Justine also regularly volunteers with the organization ‘Vets for Pets’, which offers veterinary care to low-income families throughout greater Victoria.
Justine has one quirky four-legged friend; a domestic long hair cat named “Charlie” and in her spare time you can find her on an outdoor adventure around our beautiful island!
Josie graduated from UCC Animal Health Technology program in 2002. She began work at Hillside Veterinary Hospital in 2003. She worked full time up until the birth of her children. Now she enjoys part-time work while caring for her family. She enjoys all aspects of her tech career but has a keen interest in anesthesia and behaviour. When she has some free time for herself she can be found horseback riding. Josie has a dog named Brenna, a cat named Becks and a guinea pig named Reggie.
Rhea is one of our hydro treadmill technologists. She has a B.Sc. in chemistry and has worked in veterinary clinics for more than 10 years. She is often busy caring for her many pets or helping wildlife as a volunteer at the BCSPCA Wild ARC. She enjoys martial arts, kayaking, and surfing.
Karen Brickett has a B.Sc. in Animal Science and an M.Sc. in Poultry Nutrition & Animal Welfare. Karen has been working as a receptionist in veterinary clinics since 1997 and joined Hillside Veterinary Hospital in September 2008. In October 2008, Karen completed her canine massage therapy course, and is now a Certified Canine Massage Therapist. She shares her home with 2 dogs, a horse and a cat. In her spare time, she trains, teaches and competes in dog agility. She enjoys horseback riding and hiking.
Amber has been working at Hillside Veterinary Hospital since December 2017. She grew up in Revelstoke and has had a love of animals since a young age. Amber enjoys all aspects of the veterinary field, but especially loves meeting the clients and their pets! In her free time she loves hanging out with her pets Luna, and Bill Nye the Science Cat.
Sam moved to Victoria from Thunder Bay, Ontario to test the waters of the ocean and experience the west coast! She joins our reception team with a love for animals and a keen interest in animal health. At work, Sam loves meeting and learning about new cat and dog breeds. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring new places on the Island and doing anything crafty. Sam has 2 adorable cats named Florence and Foster.
Shea grew up on the East Coast of Canada, but has spent much of her life here in Victoria. After trying out the Salon/Makeup industry, she found herself wanting to make a bigger difference in the lives of pets and their owners, and has been working in the veterinary field ever since. Shea has a 9 year old Catahoula who she describes as a “living hurricane”, but now that she’s older, is quite the couch potato.
Shea spends her spare time exploring the island, reading, drawing, or going to a live music show.
Kerri joined us in 2009 and brings with her 10 years of Veterinary Receptionist experience. She enjoys a busy life, with her daughter, 3 dogs and 1 cat. In her free time, she enjoys playing sports and gardening.
Brenna’s experience working in companion animal setting as an AHT Assistant, which began in 2013, pinpointed her academic and career pursuits to animal health and veterinary medicine. In 2017, she completed her BSc. in Animal Health at the University of Alberta with a fierce passion for One Health, which is the concept of interconnection between human, animal, and environmental health dialogues.
As Brenna is finishing up her work towards a MSc. in One Health through the University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, she thought a coastal breeze and the island life would be the perfect place settle in.
When spare time presents itself, Brenna enjoys running, hiking, and spending time with her furred friends, Jersey the Border Collie and Penelope the guinea pig.
Matt grew up in Calgary, Alberta with his four brothers. He grew up playing hockey and always had at least two pets around the house. He moved to Victoria in 2016 to study Biology at the University of Victoria and has recently graduated with a major in Biology focusing in Animal and Plant Biology along with a minor in History. He has a strong passion for animals and his goal is to some day study veterinary medicine. In his spare time he enjoys exercising, hiking as well as playing and making music. Back home in Calgary, Matt has two dogs, Ella and Luca, both of whom were adopted from the Cochrane humane society just outside of Calgary. He also has three cats named Kipper, Floyd and Penny.
Celina was born and raised in Victoria and graduated high school early to start working with animals as soon as she could. She began her journey as a doggy daycare attendant, then groomer, and is now working at Hillside as a Veterinary Assistant. Celina aspires to become a Veterinary Technician, although she is inspired by the staff everyday to push her goals! Her favourite part of being a vet assistant is taking care and giving love to recovering patients. When her day is over she get to go home and spend time with her cat Olivia; who is usually sleeping after a day of exploring.
Shannon as born in Bristol, England and moved to Vancouver Island when she was 17. After receiving her Bachelor of Arts, she decided to take the Veterinary Assistant course at Sprott Shaw College. Shannon loves working with animals and finds great fulfillment with this career choice. When not at work, she can be found hiking, dancing, reading, and knitting, and has recently been volunteering with the BC Bat Count. Shannon has a Holland Lop named Iris, a Corn Snake named Monsanto.
Olivia grew up on the mainland surrounded by animals of all shapes and sizes. She moved to the island two years ago in order to pursue a Bachelor’s in Chemistry for the Medical Sciences, and plans to continue on to vet school. When she isn’t working, you can often find her hiking with her Australian Shepherd Dancer, or curled up with her 4 cats and a good book.
Jennifer has been working at the Hillside Veterinary Hospital as an Animal Health Technologist and receptionist for over 20 years. She works with us part-time taking care of our inventory purchasing. Her husband, daughter and springer spaniel “Java” keep her busy at home.
Caitlin joined our team in 2014. She graduated from SIAST Veterinary Technology Program in 2012. She moved from Saskatoon to Victoria to try island life with her 2 dogs, Ghost and Luna. Her interests in veterinary medicine are dentistry, nursing care and anesthesia. Caitlin enjoys rock climbing, yoga, hockey and hiking in her spare time.
As a 2008 NAIT Animal Health Technology graduate, Lori has spent her career working with animals of all shapes and sizes.
Lori moved to beautiful Vancouver Island to get away from the long and frozen winters; now that she calls the Island her home, she spends her spare time on the trails either hiking, running, or cycling. She has recently taken up sailing, and her greatest achievement is climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa.
She has 3 senior Labrador Retrievers named Cleveland, Murphy, and Charlie.
Bob joined us in November of 2014. After winning over the staff with his affection, he eventually got the ok from our other Hospital cat Minou to stay. He enjoys flopping on his side for belly rubs, eating and tripping Dr.Chan. He has been a perfect fit!
