Our Staff

Joanna was born in Ladner, B.C but spent most of her formative years in Prince George. Growing up, she always had a cat to keep her company, which instilled a love for all types of animals. At 18, Joanna moved back to Vancouver where she pursued the Veterinary Office Assistant Degree at Granville Business College. Joanna had originally wanted to be a Veterinarian and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to gain experience in the field. After working at a vet clinic in Richmond for a few years, Joanna realized she wanted to pursue a Veterinary Technician degree instead of becoming a Veterinarian. Joanna was accepted into the Veterinary Technology program at Douglas College, and graduated in 2018. Prior to even graduating, Joanna was accepted into the prestigious Boundary Bay Veterinary Specialty Hospital for a 4-month internship, where she went on to be hired permanently. In September 2019, Joanna decided to move to Nanaimo and join the Applecross team. Joanna made the move with her three cats Jade, Beans and Timbit and her two rats, Mocha and Grace. This was Joanna’s first move on her own, and she has felt so welcomed by everyone here. Working at Applecross has helped her gain a lot of confidence and she feels the team here is the best she has worked with in her entire career. Joanna absolutely loves being a part of the Applecross Family, and looks forward to meeting you and your fuzzy family members!

Krista moved to the Island from Winnipeg, MB with her hubby Shane and 3
cats Orie, Jude, and Linus (pictured). She graduated from the Veterinary
Technology program in 2019. She is enjoying exploring the Island and being
a part of the Applecross team. Krista looks forward to meeting you and
caring for your furry family members!

Originally from Winnipeg, Jeff moved to Nanaimo in 2013. Feeling unfulfilled in retail and foodservice positions, he decided that what he wanted most was to work with animals. Jeff completed the Animal Care Aide program at VIU in April 2018 and started working at Applecross shortly after. He enjoys playing rec league soccer and listening to true crime podcasts, but his favorite past-time is watching Toronto Raptors games with his 15-year-old cat, Natalie Portman.

Michael is one of the Veterinary Assistants working here. He hope to be a Veterinarian in the future! He has a degree from UVIC in Biology and got his experience working with animals growing up on farms and working at the BC Wildlife Park in Kamloops BC.

I'm Julie, one of the veterinarian assistants here at Applecross. My love for animals started at a very young age, I then proceeded to volunteer and work at animal hospitals when I was 15 years old. I have since then gotten my diploma in assisting, and I also run my own pet sitting and dog walking business. In the future, I'd like to become a tech and travel while helping animals in need.

Madison recently graduated from the Biology Program at VIU and hopes to pursue a career in Veterinary Medicine. Madison grew up in a small town with lots of family pets, and has loved caring for animals as long as she can remember. Outside of working as a Vet Assistant, she loves playing and coaching sports as well as spending time with her friends and family.

Alicia has always loved animals since she was a little girl. At one time she had a cat, a dog, a bird and 36 rabbits! Now she gets to be around animals all day at her job and she loves every minute of it. At home Alicia lives with her husband of almost twenty years, her two sons aged 12 and 14. They are joined by their beautiful black lab, Nova, and a little gerbil named Chubz. Alicia has written two books and is in the process of writing a children’s book with her own two children. Alicia started at Applecross as a client and because of the care that was provided to her dog Nova by the staff and the Doctors it was a no brainer for her to work as a part of our team, I mean our Applecross Family.

Born and raised in Nanaimo, Alissa had a career in retail management before starting at Applecross. After realizing she needed a change of pace, Alissa resigned from her previous job and took an extended trip abroad. After experiencing different countries where animals were not so fortunate, she realized her passion for animal health and welfare. Alissa returned to Canada and started as a receptionist with Applecross in 2015. From there she continued to further her knowledge of the veterinary field inside, and outside, of the practice. In the summer of 2018, Alissa became the practice manager. She loves the diversity of the job and the lasting relationships that are created with the clients and patients.

Alissa is owned by her energetic chocolate lab Gibson, who loves eating, slobbery kisses, and running around in the great outdoors. Gibson is owned by Alissa’s black kitty Mowgli, who loves to boss Gibson around.