Dr. Michelle counts herself as a super lucky kid, because she grew up with many four-legged friends like dogs, cats, and horses (stay tuned for more about all those guys – no surprise, they feature prominently in her grown-up life too!). One of her childhood horses had multiple lameness problems, which is what sparked her initial interest in veterinary medicine.

Apparently having a serious case of light feet, Dr. Michelle learned and practiced her craft in many places around North America. She completed her undergraduate degree here at UVic, which is when she first fell in love with our unparalleled Island life. She then worked at a genetics laboratory in Alabama, attended WCVM in Saskatoon for her veterinary training, completed an equine medicine and surgery internship at Moore Equine Veterinary Centre in Calgary, and practiced as an equine vet in Pennsylvania. Unable to resist her love for small animal medicine, surgery, and dentistry any longer, Dr. Michelle shifted her focus from hooves to paws, and moved to Ottawa where she helped dogs and cats in both general practice and emergency medicine cases.

Finally, and fortunately for us, Dr. Michelle made her way back to Victoria where she continued to offer her expertise in both GP and emergency medicine. She joined the ELVH veterinary team in 2023. As keen to meet her clients as she is to see her patients (and believe us, she’s awfully fond of those kitties and doggos!), Dr. Michelle goes out of her way to make sure both her patients and their humans feel comfortable and supported at each appointment.

When she’s not wearing her veterinary scrubs, Dr. Michelle looks forward to spending her free time with the love of her life – her amazing daughter who has certainly adopted her mum’s fondness for animals. Together they have two dogs (Sprocket and Rubeus), two cats (Figaro Bagheera and tri-pawed Pi), one horse (the handsome Stanley) and one pony (Baloo!). See – we told you we’d come full circle on those four-legged friends!