Megan Agnello R.A.H.T.
Sam Bishop R.A.H.T.
Jennifer Burke B.Sc., R.A.H.T.
Jenny Johnson R.V.T.
Olivia Maracle B.A., R.A.H.T.
Lisa Marley B.Sc., R.A.H.T., VTS (ECC)
Nicole McClelland R.A.H.T.

Megan Agnello

Megan is a native Vancouverite who came to VAEC in 2000 following graduation from the University College of the Cariboo. Her passion for emergency medicine has made her a valuable member of our team and she is diligently working toward becoming a Veterinary Technician specialist in Emergency and Critical Care in 2010. She was attracted to VAEC by the variety of shifts available, the opportunity to use her skills and advance as a technician. She also enjoys the fast pace and the variety of cases that we see. Her attention to detail and her comfort taking on any challenge that presents itself make her an important part of our technical team.

She and her husband are raising 2 beautiful young children and a sweet Rottweiler, Roxy. She enjoys her time off with day trips to the beach, parks and Science World.

"You can learn something new everyday!"

Sam Bishop

Sam grew up in the Interior of BC and Vancouver Island. She graduated from the Animal Health Technician program at Thomson Rivers University, Kamloops in 2004 and has been working at VAEC over the last 5 years. Sam has a keen interest in animal behaviour and emergency care and is happy to have found a facility that offers a variety of cases and high standard of care. Sam is dedicated to her large (and lucky!) pet family - dogs, cats, birds, you name it! She enjoys running, reading and dog training... her ultimate goal is to be a fabulous dog trainer and marathon runner. Sam's motto: "Go big or go home!"

Jen Burke

Jen first arrived at VAEC as a volunteer between years in tech school and returned as a summer intern following graduation from the University College of the Cariboo. She has been a leading member of our team since 2004.
"I love the teamwork and my fellow technicians. We really work well as a team and try to help each other in all aspects of our work. It's inspiring to work with such intelligent, motivated people!"
In her time off, Jen and her husband travel throughout Canada and the West Coast to compete on the national fencing circuit while also running a local fencing club. She shares her home with Lucy, a Foxhound cross and 2 grey cats Ziggy and Clover.

Jenny Johnson

Jenny came to Vancouver from Ontario for the opportunities this beautiful city offers for year round outdoor activities. After backpacking through Europe she arrived at VAEC as a new grad from the AHT program at Thompson River University in 2000 and has been our Overnight Queen ever since! Her interests in the veterinary field include domestic and wild animal emergency and critical care medicine. "I enjoy the flexible schedule that comes with exciting, challenging work that allows me to use my full range of technical skills."
Although Jenny sees her coworkers as her "west coast family", her fur family includes her 2 cats, Chewy and Charley. A little known fact is that she donates blood on a regular basis and feels it helps her to empathize with her patients! She also enjoys playing hockey (go Canucks!), snowboarding, hiking, swimming, reading, cycling, and curling up to watch a good movie.

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou

"Many years ago cats were worshipped as Gods. They have never forgotten this."

Olivia Maracle

Olivia's long history in animal care began with an interest in wildlife and primatology. After volunteering with BC's Wildlife Rescue Association she fell in love with small critters and crazy birds. After encountering a lack of jobs in wildlife, she pursued her second love by backpacking around beautiful and spectacular South Africa. An inspiring baby baboon rehabilitation center and a free ranging primate rehabilitation program she worked with were among her most memorable experiences. "What absolutely amazing creatures!" This trip and a summer spent at a harbour seal and wildlife facility on Saltspring Island made her realize that she sought a combination of small animal AND wildlife in her picture perfect career.

With animal nursing as her focus, Olivia worked as a veterinarian's assistant in several small animal clinics. While she enjoyed working in the ICU of a Critical Care hospital, she missed the small family she had found in the clinics. She first came to VAEC in 2008 though a required school practicum during her Animal Health Technologist training at Thompson River University. "A perfect technologically advanced emergency based clinic with a happy mid sized family helping both small animals, exotics, AND wildlife? Could it get any better?! After being with VAEC a full year I am just as brilliantly happy as I was on my very first shift!" Her enthusiasm for learning and her genuine passion for animals' well being have been evident since she joined our team.

Lisa Marley

In 1988, Lisa had her first job as a veterinary assistant while attending university. She has a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from UBC, where she worked in the summers caring for sheep, dairy cattle and pigs. After university she continued working in a veterinary hospital and then moved to Kamloops to attain her Animal Health Technician diploma. Upon graduation in 1997, she did a practicum at the Vancouver Animal Emergency Clinic and has never left. Her love of the interesting cases and advanced nursing procedures, especially transfusion medicine, led her to completing her certification as a Veterinary Technician specialist in Emergency and Critical Care.
Her 2 cats, Sherbert and Roxy, are double trouble. Sherbert has a fondness for eating plastic bags, elastic bands and playing with bottle caps. Roxy is named for the Police song Roxanne. In her spare time, Lisa is a voracious reader, loves a good double feature at the Hollywood and walking on the beach. She also enjoys singing in a local choir. Her sense of humor provides us with constant comic relief and her invaluable experience makes her the One We Turn To with all things VAEC.

"Is it a full moon tonight?"

Nicole McClelland

Nicole's exposure to the animal world began with childhood summers on her aunt's dairy farm in Ireland. She later spent a working vacation in a South African monkey sanctuary after which she decided to make working with animals her focus. She began working at VAEC as a summer veterinary technician assistant during tech school and we were delighted when she joined our team full time following graduation from Douglas College in 2009. Her infinite patience and dedication to patient care are things we all admire here at VAEC.

Her interests within the veterinary field are senior and palliative care as well as farm animal welfare. She spends the majority of her free time volunteering with Senior Animals in Need Today Society (SAINTS), a special needs sanctuary where older animals can live out their lives in comfort. She has 2 American Bulldogs, Shrek and Fiona as well as Carley, her ancient pitbull. The latest addition is Buttons, her senior very in-your-face visually impaired cat.