About Pulse
We work as an adjunct to your family veterinary hospital to help make sure the most vulnerable members of your family get the health care they deserve.
Pulse Veterinary Specialists and Emergency is a brand new, state of the art hospital that opened its doors in March of 2020.
Conveniently located just off the Anthony Henday to provide convenient access for all residents of the greater Edmonton area.
Dr. Kim Hawkes, the first veterinary cardiologist in Alberta, had long-envisioned opening a practice that matched exceptional care with compassion and community pride. With this vision in mind, an incredible team of board-certified veterinary specialists, emergency veterinarians, animal health technologists and amazing support staff began to grow together to bring this practice to life.
Pulse is excited to be introducing the first veterinary radiologist and neurologist to Edmonton.
We are the only exclusively veterinarian-owned emergency and referral hospital in Alberta and will be the only veterinary hospital in Edmonton to boast an MRI.
At Pulse Veterinary Specialists & Emergency, we understand our role in the veterinary community. As a referral and emergency service, we operate to provide veterinary care that compliments the services provided by your practice. Our focus is to work synergistically with your team and always operate in a professional and collegial manner.
We cherish the opportunity to offer advanced and emergency services to fulfill our role in supporting you to provide the best care for your patient.
As a privately-owned practice, we have an open door policy with our referring veterinarians where we encourage feedback to allow us to continue to adapt our approach to reach our goals:
- To provide your clients with an excellent experience that focuses on medicine and compassionate care
- To work synergistically and complimentary with your practice in a professional and collegial manner
Pulse Veterinary Specialists and Emergency
24 hr. Emergency Vet – Edmonton & Area
Sherwood Park 780-570-9999 *just of the Henday
*click for directions: 450 Ordze Rd, Sherwood Park
Meet our Team

Angela grew up in Toronto and completed a BSc in Animal Biology before graduating from the Ontario Veterinary College in 2009. Following graduation, she headed out to Vancouver and spent 7 years working in small animal practice and experiencing the west coast lifestyle.
She moved to Calgary in 2016 and has been working in emergency practice since. In her free time Angela enjoys cooking, running (due to all the cooking), traveling, and enjoying the outdoors with her husband, daughter and 2 dogs.

Bio to Come

Dr. Candace Farrar has always loved animals and knew from an early age that she wanted to be a veterinarian, Born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta Candace studied Animal Biology at the University of Alberta and then moved on to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon where she graduated in 2018. Upon entering the profession, she practiced small animal medicine in the Edmonton region before joining the Pulse team. She loves the fast-paced environment and unique challenges that emergency practice brings and looks forward to helping your pets get back to their best. Away from the clinic Candace loves spending time with her beloved partner Mason, and golden retriever Penny. Other interests include hiking, cooking, and making music.

Bio to come

Bio to come

Born and raised in Crossfield, Alberta, Meghan graduated from the Animal Health Technology program at Fairview College in 2015. She has a special interest in feline and reptile medicine, making her a great addition to our emergency team. Meghan enjoys competitive tennis, snowboarding, watching college and pro football, and attending heavy metal concerts during her spare time. Meghan shares her home with her boyfriend, three cats, and one bearded dragon.

Bio to come

Julia graduated from the Animal Health Technology program at Lakeland College in 2019. Before transitioning into specialty medicine, she was in general practice for a few years. Julia has always been an animal lover. She has two cats, Cleo and Gus, and a blue heeler named Tucker. In her spare time, she loves camping and spending time with family and friends.


Bio to come

Chelsea graduated from the NAIT Animal Health Technology program in 2011 and more recently completed a Bachelor of Science from MacEwan University. She enjoys working with animals large and small and loves the variety found within her work. Her professional interests lie in emergency and critical care, laboratory procedures, and equine anesthesia. She can be found with her Quarter Horse mare ‘Poko,’ running, snowboarding, and spending time with family and friends in her free time.

Bio to come

Bio to come

Originally growing up in Toronto, his love of animals and working with his hands drew him to a career in veterinary medicine. When not at the hospital Charles enjoys spending time with his family including wife Rachel and their twin daughters Charlotte and Gabrielle and their Covid puppy Jelly. An avid outdoorsman he and his family love to take advantage of the great variety of activities the area has to offer and is excited to get close(er) to the mountains!
Dr. Bruce graduated from OVC in 2003 and pursued a rotating internship at the Oklahoma State University followed by a surgical internship at the Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center before returning to OVC for a small animal surgical residency. During his residency he was involved with research in spinal fractures and luxations and in the biomechanics of implant systems.
Since finishing his residency Dr. Bruce has pursued rehabilitation training through the canine rehabilitation certificate program (CCRP) through the University of Tennessee and subsequently opening and acting as director of a rehabilitation program at his previous hospital. He has trained extensively in laparoscopy, thoracoscopy and arthroscopy working as a consultant for Arthrex Vet Systems. Dr. Bruce has lectured both domestically and internationally and is looking forward to bringing his passion for veterinary medicine and his commitment to his patients to the Edmonton area.

Dr. Lisa Thompson attended veterinary school at the University of Tennessee and graduated in 2004. After completing her rotating internship in Phoenix, Lisa realized her passion for critical care, and moved to California to complete her critical care residency in 2008.
Following residency, Lisa developed one of the first critical care departments in Dallas and started a CRRT dialysis program. She later joined a practice in the Portland area where she has practiced over the past 5 years.
Lisa enjoys all aspects of critical care but has a special affinity for extracorporeal therapy, acute kidney injury, septicemia, and ventilator therapy. She has been fortunate to be able to participate in intern training where she enjoys sharing knowledge and collaborating with the referral community.

Julianne grew up west of Rocky Mountain House working with her family’s dogsledding company, which started a very early passion for sled dog health and veterinary medicine. After completing a Bachelor of Science with a minor in Law and Society at the University of Calgary, she graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 2018. Following graduation, Julianne has enjoyed serving rural Central Alberta as a general mixed animal practitioner, before joining the Pulse team.
In her free time Julianne enjoys travelling, volunteering, and spending time in the mountains – whether it is snowboarding, canoeing, camping, or hiking with her two dogs.

Morgan started her career in the veterinary industry in 2020 and is currently attending the Animal Health Technology program and NAIT. Morgan loves photography, travelling, and doing anything with her dogs during her free time. Morgan shares her home with three husky mixes and two cats. She is looking forward to finishing tech school and continuing her career in emergency medicine.

Stephanie graduated from the Animal Health Technology program at NAIT in 2013. She has worked in veterinary emergency for 7 years before moving into dentistry medicine. Stephanie shares her home with her two dogs (chocolate lab, Kitty and Newfie, Eve-E) and one cat (Stella). She has been attempting to do agility training with her Newfie during her spare time.

Bio to come

Bio to come

This year, Olivia is graduating from high school and plans to attend university for a bachelor of science degree in psychology. Her future goal is to attend a college of paramedics to get a diploma in advanced care paramedics. Olivia plays basketball and soccer for the St. Albert Impact during her spare time. She shares her home with their family pets, Kanga, a greyhound and two cats, Ralph and Bettie.

Megan joined Pulse as a Technician Assistant in July 2020, bringing two years of experience in exotic/small animal daytime practice. She especially enjoys taking care of patients and making their stay in the hospital as comfortable as possible.
In December 2021, Megan graduated with distinction from the University of Alberta’s BSc in Animal Health program. She hopes to pursue a lifelong career working with animals and focus on veterinary medicine and research. In her free time, you can find Megan clicker-training her mischievous rescue cat, Clarke, in the hopes, it will keep him out of trouble (it doesn’t, but it’s worth a try!)

Born and raised in Red Deer, Alberta, Meranda knew that she had a love for animals and wanted to take care of them from an early age. In 2018, she graduated from the Veterinary Assistant program, where she started working at the emergency clinic in Red Deer before coming to Pulse Veterinary. Meranda shares her home with two recuse Pitbull’s that keep her busy with their crazy antics. When not at work, Meranda can be found photographing friends and family, painting pictures, doing crafts, home Renos, and gardening. She also enjoys going to the mountains and camping.

Bio to come

Dr. Joseph Cyrus comes from the southern state of India, Kerala where he received his veterinary degree in 2007. He subsequently did a master’s in veterinary medicine with a research focus on canine gastro-esophageal diseases from the neighboring state of Karnataka, India. After spending some time in speciality practice in India, he went to pursue his Ph.D. and specialty training (internship and residency) in Small Animal Internal Medicine at the College of Veterinary and Biomedical Science at Texas A&M University which he completed in 2018. He moved to Sherwood Park, from private speciality practice in Ottawa in Fall 2021.
Within the discipline of Internal Medicine, Dr. Cyrus has a special interest in small animal gastroenterology, particularly the exocrine pancreas, esophagus, and minimally invasive diagnostic procedures like endoscopy. Additionally, Dr. Cyrus has an interest in infectious diseases given his training in India and Texas, and affections of the renal and urinary system.
Outside of work, Dr. Cyrus enjoys spending time with his wife, his son, and his little dog (Zoe), his cat (Cassiy), and his most recent COVID addition, a yellow Labrador (Savannah).

Bio to come

Vanessa Holly grew up in Sherwood Park, Alberta. She completed a BSc (Biological Sciences, 2010) and MSc (Genetics and Molecular Biology, 2012) from the University of Alberta before graduating with a DVM from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) in 2016. Vanessa stayed at the WCVM for an additional year following graduation to complete an ophthalmology internship and then moved to Calgary, Alberta for a rotating internship at the VCA Calgary Animal Referral and Emergency (C.A.R.E) Centre. She was then accepted into a residency program at the University of Pennsylvania in 2018 and made Philadelphia her home for the next three years. Following completion of her residency program, Vanessa moved back home to Sherwood Park and successfully passed her boards examinations in the summer of 2021.

Jillian grew up in a small-town East of Edmonton and graduated from the Animal Health Technology program at Lakeland College in 2021. Wanting as much experience as possible she found her way into emergency medicine. When not at work, she enjoys spending time with her family and fur babies – Shar Pei Lily May, Rottweiler cross Tonka, and sweet but spicy Ragdoll cross Bella Swan. She is very passionate about caring for animals as well as ensuring owners their loved ones are in kindhearted hands during their stay.

Bio to come

Melissa was raised in rural southern Manitoba. Her passion for animals was prevalent at a very young age and she knew she wanted to be a vet before she was 5 years old. After completing her BSc in a Genetics Honors program at the University of Manitoba, she moved to Saskatoon and graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 2009. She moved to Sherwood Park where she practiced in a small animal and exotics practice for 12.5 years, while also doing locum work at an emergency facility in Edmonton. After realizing her passion for helping sick patients, she transitioned to Pulse to work emergency full time. Melissa enjoys surgical cases but is willing to see any of your critter, dur, feathers, or scales. She is a huge advocate for the well being and best interest of your pet.
Melissa is a self-proclaimed crazy cat lady and wears the title with pride. She lives with her husband and two large dogs in Sherwood Park; they “rent” their house from their five cats who own it.
In her spare time, she keeps busy with her pets and multiple fish tanks but really enjoys getting outside for camping, hiking, white water rafting, snowboarding, etc. Travel is also a huge component of her life, and she enjoys volunteering for organizations such as Canadian Animal Task Force as well as Caribbean Spay Neuter to be able to help spay/neuter animals in the Caribbean and South America.

Born and raised in Edmonton, Shauna graduated from NAIT in 2015 as a Registered Veterinary Technician. Shauna has spent her last six years in general practice and has experience working with small and exotic animals. She is excited to start a new journey in specialized medicine at Pulse. Shauna loves reptiles, and she shares her home with a Leopard Gecko named Lizzy, a Milksnake named Nofeet, and a Kenyan sand boa, Gus. She also is an avid foodie, so you can often find her whipping up new recipes in her spare time.

Born and raised in Red Deer, Megan is studying at the University of Alberta for her Bachelor of Science to become a Veterinarian. Outside of work and class, you can find her farming at her family commercial beef farm, hiking, or motor crossing. She has a loving home with her fiancé and dog Berkley.

Dr. Casey Smith graduated from the University of Glasgow School of Veterinary Medicine in 2013.
After graduation, she spent a year at both a rotating internship in Pittsburgh followed by a surgery/neurology internship in San Antonio. She then returned to Canada to pursue a
neurology/neurosurgery internship in Vancouver and the following year worked as an ER clinician.
In 2017 she accepted a residency in neurology/neurosurgery at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She will be completing her residency in July 2020 and will be eligible for the board certification examination in June 2021.
Her professional interests include subarachnoid diverticula and spinal malformations, MRI, and all aspects of spinal and brain surgery.
Dr. Smith grew up near Edmonton and is looking forward to returning home and joining the team at Pulse as the first veterinary neurologist in Edmonton.

Dr. Eryn Hanak graduated from the first class at the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in 2012. During her vet training, she developed a love of zoo, exotic, and wildlife animals and upon graduation moved to Ontario, where she could practice with a high exotics patient caseload. She returned to Alberta to continue working with all different kinds of species, and started working in emergency medicine as well in 2014. As the procedures and care she was providing for her exotic patients became more advanced, she decided to pursue additional training and completed an internship in Zoo, Exotic, and Wildlife Medicine at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 2019. She looks forward to combining her love of exotics and emergency medicine at Pulse Veterinary Referral Centre!
When she’s not working, Dr. Hanak enjoys hiking, travelling and sheep herding with her two border collies, Vimes and Locke

Originally from New Brunswick, Dr. Ashleigh completed her Bachelor of Science at the University of Prince Edward Island and Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine at the Atlantic Veterinary College. Following graduation, she relocated to Alberta for a one-year rotating internship at the CARE Centre and then practiced as an emergency veterinarian before moving to Canmore.
Her interest for emergency never faded and she was called back to emergency practice and is happy to be joining the Pulse team.
Ashleigh currently shares her home with her dogs Duke and Margie and two cats. If she’s not at the clinic, you can usually find her on a mountain somewhere either climbing (rock and ice), scrambling, backpacking, or skiing

Megan was born and raised in British Columbia, but moved to the Edmonton area at an early age. Ever since she was little she knew exactly what she wanted to do; her kindergarten graduation hat even stated that when she was older she wanted to work with animals!
Megan graduated from the NAIT Animal Health Technology Program in 2013. She has been working in a Vet Clinic since high school, and has experience in holistic/alternative/conventional medicine and emergency/critical care. She currently resides in Beaumont and is a fur mama to a dog and cat. When she is not at work she enjoys spending time playing competitive basketball, snowboarding in the winter, Binge-watching Netflix, and hanging out with friends and family.

Julie graduated from the Animal Health Program at NAIT in 2006. She has been a surgery tech for over 8 years with some emergency background. Julie is hoping to complete her Veterinary Technician Specialty in anesthesia in the future. She currently resides in Red Deer with her husband, kids and two dogs, Marcus and Lyra. Julie’s interests outside of work include family time, travel, and gardening.

Kacey graduated from the NAIT Animal Health Technology program in 2010 but has been working in the veterinary industry since 2007. She resides with her two dogs, Eddie and Oxy, and her weird little cat Reek. Kacey enjoys the dog parks during her spare time, spending time with friends and family and eating snacks.

Bio to come

Jennifer Graduated from NAIT Animal Health Technology program in 1998. She was born and raised in Alberta. She has a high interest in dentistry and wanted to work within that field. That is what led her to Pulse Veterinary and one of our Dentistry department. When not working, Jennifer spends time with her family, cooking, and watching her daughter play soccer. Jennifer’s husband keeps her busy along with her pets Kanga, Ralph, and Betty.

Born and raised in Alberta, Miquela has been volunteering at animal rescues and worked at a cat-only boarding kennel. She continued her career as a technician assistant and one day hopes to become an RVT. Miquela shares her home with her husband, many cats and her one dog. When not at work her favorite things to do are fostering cats in need, going to the movies, and taking her dog to the park.

Nikki was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. She graduated from the Animal Health Technology program from Lakeland College with honours in 2014. Since graduation, she has worked in emergency and specialty care. Her three fur babies Scarlett Johannson, Stella Potato and foster failure Sylvia keeps her daily life busy. When she is not at work, Nikki enjoys hiking and being outside with her partner Corban.

Bio to come

Laurel graduated from the animal health technology program from NAIT in 2018 but has been working and volunteering in the vet industry since 2015. She has always had a love for animals and enjoys working with them. Laurel is a proud dog mom to her mixed breed Kyrie, and they enjoy going on many long walks together.

Jayme was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. She has finished her bachelor’s degree in biological science with a specialization in animal biology this year. Jayme has worked in the veterinary field for 5 years. Her ultimate goal is to one day be a veterinarian. Jayme has one orange tabby cat named Helios who loves attention and cuddles. In her spare time, she enjoys biking, hiking, and rock climbing.

Bio to come

Simone grew up on a farm in a small town in southern Alberta, which from a young age, sparked her passion of caring for animals, big and small. Growing up she had always known she wanted to work in Veterinary medicine and in 2015, she graduated the Animal Health Technology program from Grande Prairie Regional College. Simone has 5 fur-kids – a derpy Siberian Husky, 2 cats and 2 Quarter Horses. She loves being outdoors whether it be riding her horses in the mountains, camping, snowboarding or just enjoying time with friends.

Lacey started her veterinary technician journey in a small rural practice but soon moved to the city to work in an emergency clinic. After a few attempts to leave, Lacey now knows that emergency medicine is where she is meant to be. Lacey goes home to her husband, 3 boys, and 3 cats.

Bio to come

Ariane graduated from the Animal Health Technology program at NAIT in 2015. She also has completed a bilingual Bachelor of Science at the University of Alberta. Ariane shares her home with six cats, and when not at work, she loves to read, play soccer, travel (has travelled 40 countries so far), and is a tv and movie junkie.

Jill graduated from NAIT Animal Health Technology in 1986 and began her lifelong career in the veterinary field in March 1987. She and her husband live on an 80-acre farm where they have a horse, chickens, and lots of goats. When she is not at work, Jill keeps up with her passion for owning, showing, and breeding Irish Wolfhounds and Cairn Terriers.

Bio to come

Bio to come


Born and raised in Westlock, Bailey graduated from Lakeland College in 2019 as a Veterinary Medical Assistant. Bailey plans on returning to school to become an Animal Health Technician. In her spare time, you will find Bailey hanging out with her friend and family including her 2 dogs and 1 cat.

Born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Daniella is studying at MacEwan University and working towards her business management degree. Whenever she has a spare moment, Daniella is out on adventures with her dog Rosie.
Daniella is excited to help not only the referring veterinary community but also help clients through the referral process.

Shelbi graduated from the NAIT Animal Health Technology program in 2018 and has been working in emergency and critical care since. When she is not at work she enjoys playing sports, camping, gardening, and cooking. Shelbi shares her home with a full house of three dogs, Izzy, Roo, and Echo.

Bio to come

Dr. Kim Hawkes graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. She completed a veterinary cardiology residency at the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph. Thereafter, she successfully obtained her board certification from the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine—Cardiology subspecialty. Dr. Hawkes has been offering referral cardiology services for over 10 years in the Edmonton area. She is thrilled to continue offering advanced cardiology services to the Edmonton area, and continue developing relationships with the referral community.

Dr. Lukas Kawalilak graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 2013. He completed a veterinary diagnostic imaging residency in 2018 that included training at both the Michigan State University and Colorado State University. He successfully completed board certification in Veterinary Radiology in 2018. He is looking forward to working with the referral community as the first veterinary radiologist in Northern Alberta.

Dr. Christopher Sauvé graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 2012. Dr. Sauvé found his passion for veterinary dentistry while he practiced both primary care and emergency medicine in Edmonton for five years. In 2019, he completed a three-year veterinary dentistry and oral surgery residency in Kansas City. He is excited to return home to the Edmonton-area to perform advanced oral procedures and help his peers improve their professional satisfaction through continued education.
Pulse Veterinary Specialists and Emergency
24 hr. Emergency Vet – Edmonton & Area
Sherwood Park 780-570-9999 *just of the Henday
*click for directions: 450 Ordze Rd, Sherwood Park