Ajax Animal Hospital

Scott McRobbie (Practice Manager)

Our Practice Manager, Scott, joined the team at AAH in 2009. He is a U of T grad and works hard to ensure that the Animal Health Care Team is well-supported and that many of the "behind the scenes" jobs are completed effectively so that we can care for you and your pets. We are all very grateful that one of his hobbies is working with computers!

Scott is married to Dr. Karyn Jones and when they are not at the animal hospital they are with Scott's son Wyatt, who is now 10 years old. Scott and Wyatt spend time at the dojo together practicing karate and the whole family shares a love for music. Their house is made a home by the addition of Lyvie, a flat coated retriever, and Peggy & Ilene who are both three legged rescue cats.

Tina Berlinghoff (Registered Veterinary Technician - R.V.T)

Tina joined our team at the Ajax Animal Hospital in December 2002, bringing us her 3 years of experience as a Veterinary Technician. A Northern College graduate, she had achieved the honor of RVT status a year earlier. While excelling at all aspects of animal nursing care, she has a keen interest in anesthesiology, analgesia (patient comfort and pain management), and dentistry.
In the theme of ‘All creatures great and small’ she shares her home with husband Kevin, Titan (an enormous Great Dane) and her 2 cats Sport and Crazy. She is kept very busy running after Abby who is a great big sister to little Sophie!

Tina loves to shop, enjoys working out, spending time with family and friends, and keeps the clinic updated on all of the latest hair styles & colors, with her always changing look. If you’ve seen any pictures of staff social events, you can bet Tina is front and center-she loves hamming it up for the camera!

Helen Lawes (Kennel Manager)

Helen Lawes has been part of the Ajax Animal Hospital family since the spring of 1999,
Helen is well known by clients for being a receptionist for the past 6 years; in the summer of 2005 she took a leap of faith and became Kennel Manager. In this new position she has been able to enjoy many different challenges and is much more involved in the animal care field. She has a pug cross named Andy and a cat named Howard.

Helen is happily married to her husband Terry, to whom she shares a love for NASCAR, in fact they were married in front of thousands at the Michigan International Speedway.
The greatest joy in Helen’s life is her grandson Liam, her “wee bud.” You often hear her saying “nothing beats being a Grandma.”

Helen has a love for old cars, and is helping her husband restore his pride and joy a ’83 Grand Prix. Helen’s other love is for anything and everything Disney. So if one day you see an old car with Tinkerbell on the hood, look carefully, and it will probably be Helen driving.

Patricia Perry (Reception)

One of the first faces you will see when you walk through the front doors of the Ajax Animal Hospital is of a smiling Patricia Perry. Patty joined our family over 10 years ago. Leaving a long career in banking, Pat realized that her life’s work would have to revolve around her love of animals, and she has never been happier.

Patty is very home and family oriented, and she is very proud of her sons, Stephen and Bryan. Patty's cat Oscar has learned to accept the many foster kittens that pat has helped to care for and he knows that the orange tabbies hold a very special place in her heart. Rick, her loving husband, is learning to adapt to the constant parade of foster pets. At work, Patty’s special love is for the babies that come in here, human, kitten, or puppy. Be warned, if you are in the waiting room with one of the above, it only takes a few seconds for Pat to swoop down and carry them off for cuddles. In the summertime, if you are looking for Pat, she is relaxing at home in her back yard, enjoying her swimming pool.

Michelle Nash (Reception)

Michelle Nash joined the health care team of the Ajax Animal Hospital in the summer of 2003. While she has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography from the University of Toronto, it is her love of animals that has directed her career choice.

Michelle has many hobbies and interests. She is an avid reader, and her talent for crafts is currently expressed in scrap booking and quilting. She is the ultimate hockey fan, and a die-hard supporter of our Toronto Maple Leafs and also plays hockey herself. Michelle is particularly involved in our ‘Pets-Helping-People’ kitten adoption program, and has a real talent for socializing wild foundlings.

She has recently adopted two new cats from AAH. Flynn and Ronan are Tabby brothers and they are full of beans and bring smiles to all the faces in the Nash house!

Lisa MacDonald (R.V.T.)

Lisa joined our team at Ajax Animal Hospital in October 2005 as a full time veterinary technician. She graduated from St Lawrence College and has worked as a veterinary technician since graduation.

Lisa lives in the country just north of Port Hope where she has two horses and 2 cats - Bailey and Lenny. Her two young sons, Drayden and Nolan, keep her busy and she is currently on maternity leave with their third child, a little girl!

Lisa enjoys downhill skiing, horse riding, and relaxing at the cottage. Lisa and her husband have an ongoing project rennovating her farm house.

Karen Jackson (R.V.T.)

Karen Jackson attended Ridgetown College of Agriculture and Technology in Ridgetown, Ontario where she received her diploma in Veterinary Technology. She achieved registration status shortly after graduating in 1998. She began working at the Ajax Animal Hospital after relocating to the area in August of 2005. Her position here was predestined as she is now the 4th Karen currently working here! Karen enjoys continued education and looks forward to attending conferences and lectures.

She shares her home with two extremely cute Domestic Shorthaired cats, Brutus and Poppy, who adopted her as very young kittens. Karen spends her spare time shopping and watching television. She considers herself a food connoisseur, and plans to explore travel in the future. She treasures the time she spends with friends and family and is currently on maternity leave with her first child. Julianna is a beautiful baby girl!

Karen Steele (A.H.T.)

Karen has worked at the Ajax Animal Hospital for 25 years. She started as a part time kennel helper and receptionist and is now an Animal Health Technician (AHT). She is currently working part time as she has a busy family with four children Alexander, Victoria, Catharine and Elizabeth who demand a large portion of her time. She attended the University of Toronto where she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Biology. Her studies then took her to the King City campus of Seneca college for 2 years where she graduated as an AHT.

In addition to looking after her four children, Karen shares her home with her husband Andrew and two cats, Dougal and Nevis. She also has a horse named Pepper who she visits daily at Audley Stables. In her spare time Karen enjoys volunteering at the schools her children attend and works part time as a volunteer at Trinity College Campus in Port Hope. Personally she enjoys working out, riding her horse, spending time with her family and reading.

Tania Boyd (R.V.T.)

Tania Boyd attended St. Clair College and graduated in 1997 with a Diploma in the Veterinary Technician Program, and shortly after acheived her registered status. She has been working in the emergency field and regular practices ever since.

Tania is married and living in Bowmanville, and when she is not at the animal hospital, she runs around after her two young sons, Jordan and Landon. In her rare spare time, you may see a glimpse of her on the Lacrosse field or the soccer field and still manages to find some quiet time to do some scrapbooking. Some of Tania's hidden talents are on the artistic side, from dancing at Wonderland to sketching scenes of nature and portraits. Tania's family also consists of Murphy, the chocolate lab, and two cats, Thomas and Woodward.

Tania joined our team here in November of 2007, and is happy to be here and we are happy to have her!

Barb Van Beek (Reception)

Ever wonder who that smiling, happy face belongs to that greets you from across the counter when you first enter the Ajax Animal Hospital? Who is that cheery person who first talks to you when you call the clinic? With her friendly accent, it will sound as she introduces herself as "Bob" but her actual Canadian name is Barb.

Barb flew across the pond many years ago to work as a nanny for one of the doctors. After her childcare duties were finished, Barb took a job at the clinic as one of our receptionists. Barb has been part of our team for over 28 years, only taking time off in the middle to raise her 2 sons, Marc and Ryan. When not at the clinic, Barb is busy with her family, walking her dog, Oliver, hosting fancy, exotic dinner parties, going to the cottage or reading a good book.

Jodi Smith (R.V.T.)

Jodi is an RVT born and raised just east of Edmonton, Alberta. In 1986, she graduated from the Animal Health Technology program at the North Alberta Institute of Technology. After the birth of her first child in 1989, Jodi took time away from Animal Care to be a full time mom. She returned to work in a rural clinic, Animal Services, then a busy mixed practice in Fort Saskatchewan.

In the summer of 2007, her family moved to Bowmanville and before joining our team, Jodi was a surgery technician at a respected Referral Hospital. While she enjoyed working full-time in surgery, she found that she missed getting to know the clients and their pets and this lead her to the AAH in 2010. Throughout her career, Jodi has taken advantage of many CE opportunities including and intensive one-on-one veterinary anesthesia clinic at Western Veterinary Specialist & Referral Centre in Calgary. We are proud to have her as a member of our team!

Away from work, Jodi enjoys time with her two grown children, Kayleigh and Connlaoi. Their animal family consists of 3 cats, Benny, Possum and Twiggy, and a Greyhound named Finn. She also loves reading, gardening and travel.

Meaghan Henley (R.V.T.)

- bio and picture to come!

Cassia Devison (R.V.T)

- Bio to come!

Pia Kaukoranta (Vet Assistant)

- Bio and Picture to come

Brandon Cordeau (Vet Assistant)

A long term Ajax resident, Brandon joined the AAH team as a member of our devoted Veterinary Assistant/Kennel Staff in 2010. As well as assisting with the delivery of care to your pets, Brandon would be more than happy to lend a hand carrying heavy prescription diet food bags and cases to your car! Outside of the hospital, Brandon keeps busy with hockey and lacrosse. His goldendoodle, Bentley, loves lacrosse too but he can be a bit of a ball-hog! We are proud to report that Brandon has been accepted to the paramedic program at Durham College in the fall of 2012!

Devon Barnes (Vet Assistant/Veterinary Student)

Devon has been a member of the AAH team since 2007. A student at the University of Guelph, she comes home every summer to work with us and is thankful for the privilege of being mentored and supported by the entire staff. She has learned more each year while working towards her goal of becoming a veterinarian. In 2011 der dream came true and she was admitted to the Ontario Veterinary College as a member of the Class of 2015. She is entering her second year in the fall of 2012 and is enjoying every minute of it.

While she loves "all creatures great and small", Devon has a particular affection for pocket pets and giant breed dogs. Her medical interests lie in pain management techniques, emergency medicine, nutrition and behaviour.

When not studying or working, Devon enjoys baking/cooking, athletics and spending time with her family. She shares her life with her better half, Will, and their dog Oakley, cats Jude and Kevin and her very cute rabbit, Hera.

Our Animal Health Care Team