Dr. Cliff Redford, DVM
Veterinarian/Owner
Featured on Global TVs “The Morning Show“
I grew up always wanting to be a veterinarian and in 1998 my dream came true when I graduated from one of the world’s top veterinary schools; Ontario Veterinary College. Within 18 months I purchased Wellington Veterinary Hospital and have been the owner ever since. My special interests are soft tissue surgery, advanced dental procedures, internal medicine and emergency care. I volunteer with various animal rescue groups locally and across the globe, including a wildlife rescue where I get to help care for hawks and owls, porcupines, raccoons and even skunks!
Dr. Eran Gilady, DVM
Veterinarian
I have been a veterinarian for 23 years, and a part of the Wellington team since 2021. I am an OVC 2001 graduate and honed my veterinary skills for 4 years as an emergency Veterinarian in a demanding Toronto emergency and referral hospital. Following this I was a clinic owner for 6 years of an established & busy hospital. Eventually, I decided that I just wanted to see as many puppies and kittens as possible, and fully dedicate myself to making them well. When not working in a hospital, I enjoy spending my time with my wife, 2 children, 2 cats, and Aero the Whippet.
Jessica Wilshire
Office Manager
My journey into the animal field has been the most interesting road I have encountered thus far in my life. I have always loved and had a passion for all animals but it wasn’t until my first ROTTENweiller, yes I said Rotten ;), came into my life that I truly learned how deep of a connection humans can have with animals. I worked as a waitress/bartender while I bounced around in programs at York University undecided as to what I wanted to focus on. Three years ago one of my friends, and now co-worker, offered to set me up for an interview at the clinic she worked at and I was very happy when I was hired as a receptionist. I loved working at the clinic from the first day I was hired and continue to love it every day. I quickly accomplished my childhood dream of turning my house into the local animal shelter with my many cats, 1 dog and 2 turtles. As a personal highlight, I have also worked my way up to Office Manager and can’t wait to see what lies ahead.
Arthur Leung, VT
Veterinary Technician
Hi, I’m Arthur, one of the Veterinary Technicians here. I always knew I wanted to work with animals as a child. After graduating from the University of Guelph Biological Science program I continued on and worked hard to become an RVT at Seneca College. It has been such a fun and fulfilling experience. I’ve always been a dog person and have had Victoria, my Siberian Husky, for 10 years. However, I have brought a new little buddy into my life: Totoro! He is an adorable, one-eyed cat that came from Thunder Bay, and somehow managed to purr his way into my heart.
Pam Barrera, VT
Veterinary Technician
I’ve had a love of animals since I was a little kid when my dad brought home my first dog, a Boxer that was bigger than I was at the time! I recognized early on that the career path that I was meant to follow would be in a field dedicated to the care of these loving extensions of our families – family pets. After earning my Bachelor of Science Honours degree from U of T, I went on to obtain my Veterinary Technician diploma at Seneca College. With over 20 years of experience from all aspects of the clinical veterinary field, and working at previous small animal and emergency hospitals in the GTA, I’ve been privileged to realize my early ambitions of caring for these furry family members. My current passion now is to ensure that the senior pets of our families receive compassion and comfort in their last years, and ensure clients have the best education and resources for helping them increase the longevity of their pets’ lives.
Outside of the hospital, I spend time with my high-school sweetheart husband, crazy singing and dancing little girls, and the family one-eyed & deaf rescue Boston Terrier, Harriette.
Linda Siem, VT
Veterinary Technician
I have loved animals all my life, but growing up I was never allowed to have any. I attended York University and graduated with a BA in psychology with the intent of becoming a teacher, but later realized that wasn’t the path for me. One day in 2015, I decided to go into a PetSmart and realized their cat adoption center was accepting volunteers! I LOVED interacting with and caring for all the cats, it was so heartwarming to see them find their forever homes plus I was able to get my animal fixed! Thanks to the wonderful people I’ve met there, I was introduced to Wellington who was coincidentally looking to hire a new ACA. Working at the clinic has been such a wonderful experience and I have learned so much from an amazing group of people. I discovered such a special place in my heart for special needs cats and will eventually like to start a rescue of my own one day (or maybe open a cat cafe!).
In my spare time, I still continue to volunteer with Next Chance Cat Rescue (where my two very special cats, Ham and Cheese are hanging out), spend time with my husband and friends, binge-watch various shows and movies, do calligraphy, journalling, and play video games!
Kathleen Vieira, RVT
Registered Veterinary Technician
As a child, I obsessively watched Steve Irwin on Animal Planet and I knew from a young age that I wanted to work with animals too. Growing up, my family raised a variety of pets such as dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits, birds, and all sorts of rodents. Having these animals as companions solidified my love of animal care & veterinary medicine.
Later in life, I went on to become an intern at a wildlife center which helped me learn the basic skills I needed to do this work. I then spent 7 years working in shelter medicine and participated in veterinary outreach trips in remote Northern Ontario communities. I have been in this biz for over 10+ years and I love it! Now, I am blessed to be a part of the Wellington Vet family as a recent graduate of the Veterinary Technician program at Seneca College.
When I’m not found in the clinic, I am usually hiking, small container gardening, bouldering, mushrooming hunting, taking macro photography… or if I’m feeling lazy… you can find me at home reading a fantasy novel with my cats; Beatriz and Cecil.
Sammy Kirton, RVT
Registered Veterinary Technician
I am a Registered Veterinary Technician. I’m sure you already know what I’m going to say… I have always known I wanted to work with animals, ever since I was little. I used to visit my grandmother every summer. One day, just outside her backdoor stood a sad, small, flea and lice-covered stray cat, this poor little animal was in very bad shape. I begged and begged to take it in and take care of it. My mom and grandmother gave in to my begging (I was a very stubborn child) and we helped this cat get back to her amazing, beautiful, loving self, she is still living with my grandmother. To this day my grandmother has helped many, many stray cats get back to health, get spayed or neutered, and even found them homes. Every chance I got to interact with pets and other animals, I took it. All through elementary and high school I worked towards one goal: becoming an RVT. My two placements in high school were within the veterinary industry, and I knew this was where I belonged. I accomplished this goal after graduating from Northern College and completing the Vet Tech National Exam (VTNE), I then continued to go back to college and complete a 1-year program in Wildlife Rehabilitation. This course led me to Shades of Hope where I met Dr. Cliff. After bouncing around from Shades of Hope, the Ministry of Natural Resources, and another veterinary clinic, I decided to reach out to Cliff, and here I am now! Eventually, I would love to work with more wildlife across the world, in the meantime, I love the people and animals here at WVH.
Vanessa Tark, ACA/ CSR
Animal Care Attendant, Customer Service Representative
My journey at Wellington first started when I joined the team as a high school co-op student. I’ve since graduated from the University of Guelph’s Animal Biology program, and I’m thrilled to be back! Like my amazing colleagues, I have a lot of love and respect for animals of all shapes and sizes (and appetites!).
I knew early on that working with animals was the right path for me. Growing up, I was surrounded by many beloved pets who were each a major influence on my decision to devote myself to animal welfare. I have hopes of continuing my education with animals in the future, and my 14-year-old cocker spaniel, Milo, has been doing a great job at cheering me on! He can get a bit confused at times, but he’s got the spirit! I’ve also recently discovered the world of wildlife rescue and rehabilitation, and every now and again I help Dr. Cliff and the team at Shades of Hope Wildlife Refuge carry out their mission.
When I’m not at WVH, you can find me volunteering at local animal rescues, reading a good novel, trying my best to sing along to songs in my car, or just spending time with family and friends
Andrea Ingram, CSR
Assistant Office Manager / Behaviour Consultant
For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to work with animals. My dream was to become a vet but I decided on a different path when I took a co-op position, and eventual employment, at the OSPCA. There, I developed a deep passion for working with rescue animals.
For the past 7 years, I found myself working at a dog daycare where I decided to further my passion for working with dogs and jumped into the world of positive reinforcement training. I am currently working on my certification, and my 11-year-old rottweiler and my recently adopted 8-year-old rescue chihuahua are helping out with my course.
When I got the opportunity to work at Wellington I was beyond excited! It has been a great experience learning from an amazing team every day and I am so grateful to be around so many animals on a daily basis.
In my free time, when I am not reading or watching dog behaviour seminars, I enjoy bingeing sci-fi and fantasy series on Netflix, crocheting fun outfits for my dogs, and baking yummy vegan desserts.
Ariele Co, ACA/ CSR
Animal Care Attendant, Customer Service Representative
When I was younger, I always loved animals and begged my parents for a dog. My whole life changed when I got my family dog, a Basset Hound named Buster. Since then, my lifelong dream is to become a Veterinarian. Completing a co-op placement at WVH in high school further solidified what I knew I wanted to do. I am still working towards that goal after graduating from the University of Guelph from their Biomedical Science program. Right now, I am back again and ready to learn and experience new things with the WVH team. In my free time, I spend as much time as I can with my senior dog and volunteer with various animal rescues
Anya Bhopa ACA/ CSR
Animal Care Attendant, Customer Service Representative
For as long as I can remember animals were a huge part of my life, I’ve had some interesting pets, from hedgehogs to hermit crabs, and now I have two dogs named Teddy and Nala. I spent my early teenage years volunteering at the S.P.C.A., where my love for animals grew exponentially, leading me to a co-op placement at an animal hospital. Through the years, I experienced the mental health benefits that my animals have had on me so I knew the veterinary medicine path was for me. I am heading to the University of Guelph to start an Animal Science undergrad, after that, I hope to attend the Ontario Veterinary College. I absolutely love working with the Wellington team and I am excited to see what’s to come!
In my spare time I operate my non-profit organization ‘The Canadian Courage Project’ which supports youth facing homelessness and their animal companions, bake treats, volunteer at animal shelters, and spend time with my friends and family (+pups of course).
Sarah Townson VT
Veterinary Technician
After graduating from Lakehead University in Thunder Bay in environmental management with a specialization in wildlife conservation and management almost 10 years ago, I have jumped around a number of wildlife and forestry jobs. From doing wetland surveys in southern Alberta to writing forest management plans in the south of Great Britain, and trekking through Algonquin Provincial Park as a backcountry ranger, I have gained a variety of experience in all sorts of fields. What pulled me back to a medical interest in animals was volunteering at my first wildlife rehabilitation center in Sudbury back in 2016, where I was introduced to working hands-on with our native wildlife. Volunteering in such a medically intense field really intrigued my interest in working more permanently with wildlife. I stumbled upon Shades of Hope, where I quickly fell in love with the chaotic world of wildlife rehabilitation. After over 5 years as a senior staff member at Shades of Hope, working alongside Dr. Cliff for the majority of my time there, I decided to jump my career from wildlife to companion animals. Although I hope to have future opportunities working with wildlife, either here or abroad, I am loving the cuddles of my new furry patients at WVH.
Meghan Peralto, CSR
Customer Service Representative
I always knew I wanted to work with animals. From a young age, my house was filled with different kinds of pets. All throughout elementary and high school, I was known as the girl with her own personal zoo. My now 17-year-old tabby cat, Sophie, and 14-year-old Springer Spaniel mix, Milo, were my best friends growing up. They have been my support animals and study buddies all throughout my schooling. I studied at the University of Toronto and received an Honors Bachelor of Science Degree in Animal Biology. I started working in a pet store soon after and my zoo continued to grow. I have since adopted 2 young cats, Oliver and Stella, who are absolutely inseparable. Along with cats and dogs, I have had many different small critters and fish over the years.
When the opportunity to work at Wellington came along, I was thrilled to be surrounded by animals and to further my education in animal care. I hope to continue my studies in the field of animal biology in the future.
In my free time, I love to read, paint, and work on crafty projects. Most of which are centered around what new toys or creations my animals might like. 🐶🐱
Callie McGillie, ACA /CSR
Animal Care Attendant, Customer Service Representative
My passion for animals began when I was two. My dad and I went grocery shopping and came home with a dog. My mom was not impressed. Ever since, my dad and I have continued to bring surprise pets home. My work experience began with domestic animals but drastically changed when I obtained a position working with the Wild Encounters Team at the Toronto Zoo. My passion for wildlife and veterinary medicine grew when I volunteered with Dr. Cliff at the Wellington Veterinary Hospital and Shades of Hope. I was beyond excited to get the opportunity to join the WVH team in the summer of 2024, and I look forward to my future with the team!
I’m currently enrolled in the Animal Biology Program at the University of Guelph, with aspirations to attend veterinary school.
In my spare time, I enjoy being active by lifting weights, running and swimming. I also enjoy volunteering with animals in a variety of environments and spending time with my family, friends and pets.