About Pulse

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

Quiana originally went to school to be a receptionist in the human medical field but ultimately decided that veterinary medicine is where she belongs. Since starting at Pulse in December 2020 and working with the ER team, she has enjoyed helping clients through difficult situations and hearing their stories.  Quiana likes adventuring to the mountains, watching true crime documentaries, and trying new foods outside of work. She and her partner David are kept busy with their two handsome dogs, Finn and Vincent and two crazy cats, Nacho and Mollie.

Born in British Columbia but raised in rural Alberta, Amanda always had her eyes on helping animals. She graduated from the Animal Health Technology program at NAIT in 2015, where she has worked in regular practice as now in emergency medicine. She is currently enrolled in human radiology at NAIT and would love to work at the Stollery one day. During her spare time, Amanda loves spending time with friends and family and can be found gardening, spending time outside, camping, and heading to Vancouver Island to spend time at the lake. Amanda shares her home with Lucy, a 13-year-old Westie mix, Henri a 5-year-old long-haired cat with extra toes, and Penny, a 6-year-old lovebird.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Bio to come

Bio to come

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

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

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

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, golden retriever Penny, and guinea pig Pipa, Other interests include hiking, cooking, and making music.

Kelsey grew up in Edmonton and recently graduated from the Animal Health Technology program at NAIT in 2021. After shadowing shifts at emergency clinics during her schooling, she fell in love with emergency medicine. She completed her practicum through Pulse and then was offered to stay on as an RVT. Kelsey always had a passion for helping animals and enjoys being able to help the ones who need it the most. When she’s not at work, she’s enjoying her time with her partner Bailee and their two rescue kitties, Daisy and Gracie, as well as camping and travelling. 

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.

Andrea graduated from the University of Alberta with a major in Biological Sciences and a minor in Mandarin in 2021. After graduation, she did an internship caring for wild animals in the summer which sparked her love for veterinary medicine. This resulted in her journey to commence here at Pulse, and she is excited to see what the future hold. In Andrea’s free time, she enjoys playing tennis and staying active with my golden retriever Simon. She also loves to travel and learn new languages/cultures.

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.

Bio to come

Bio to come

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.

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.

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

Bio to come

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.

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!)

Gabrielle grew up in a small town, Bruderheim and is currently working towards her Bachelor of Science in Animal Health at the University of Alberta. Her goal is to become a veterinarian. When not at work, Gabrielle enjoys reading, studying, and spending time with her animals. Gabrielle shares her home with Bo, a collie mix, Rocco, a rescued keeshond and two rescued chinchillas, Edward and Jacob.

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.

Bio to come

Dr. Carissa Tong attended veterinary school at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Following practice in London, she moved to the US to complete an Emergency and Critical Care specialty internship in Wisconsin. She completed her residency in Emergency and Critical Care at Cornell University Veterinary Specialists and passed her board-certifying exam in September 2021.

Dr. Tong enjoys the unpredicted challenges of emergency medicine as well as the complexity of critically ill ICU patients. Her professional interests include respiratory diseases, mechanical ventilation and respiratory emergencies, anesthetic management of critically ill patients, and the management of sepsis.

Outside of work, Dr. Tong enjoys hiking, exploring the local restaurants in Edmonton, and spending time hanging out with her cats, Luna and Willow.

Bio to come

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.

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.

Bio to come