Rachel grew up in Calgary, AB before moving to Victoria in 2019. This change of pace and scenery inspired her to pursue a new career path, and so she enrolled in a Veterinary Assistant program. She completed the practicum portion of her training at ELVH and – after being rather rudely interrupted by a global pandemic – was invited to join the staff team. 

Rachel finds surgery, lab work, and diagnostics the most interesting aspects of veterinary medicine. She loves learning how things work in the lab and what the results mean, assisting with radiographs and ultrasounds, and learning from the detailed explanations provided by our veterinarians. Rachel loved biology in high school, so the opportunity to see with her own eyes how surgery is performed and how various animal bodies work is fascinating to her. While she loves to learn about and connect with all the ELVH patients, she is particularly partial to the feline companions! 

Family is the reason that Rachel moved to Victoria. Her grandparents moved to the Island when she was a child, so she would visit them on school holidays. Her mother and stepfather moved to Victoria in 2016, so it was only a matter of time before Rachel came to the Island as well – along with her sweet bean Kiara, the perfect grey kitty. While Kiara is perfection on her own, Rachel’s family recently expanded with the addition of two rescue guinea pigs, Oolong and Miso. With their fabulous hair and sassy attitudes, these piggies are truly special girls. When not at ELVH, she enjoys riding her bike along the trails, spending solo time watching anime and Korean dramas, or reading manga (and other books), collecting tattoos, karaoke, and tomfoolery with her friends.