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 complementarily 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 off the Henday
*click for directions: 450 Ordze Rd, Sherwood Park
MEET OUR TEAM
Cardiology
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.
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Kelsey Dawley was born and raised in Winnipeg. She attended the University of Manitoba, studying psychology (including ethology). Kelsey has been working in clinics as a veterinary assistant for over 10 years. She has a special interest in animal behaviour, and completed her Fear Free Veterinary Professional Certification. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering, hiking, camping, escape rooms, and training/adventuring with her dogs.
Kirsten graduated from the Animal Health Technology program at NAIT in 2018. Upon completion, she started her career in general practice and working alongside Dr. Hawkes with her mobile cardiology service. Once Pulse Vet opened in 2020, she continues to further her knowledge of cardiac diseases and management of congestive heart failure with our cardiology service. When not at work, Kirsten can be found with family and friends playing soccer, hiking, snowboarding in the winter. She also spends a significant amount of time with her very spoiled family dog, Tuke, a shepherd cross.
Mary graduated from the NAIT AHT program in 2021 and joined the Pulse team as a Cardiology RVT in early 2022. She finds all aspects of veterinary medicine interesting but the heart is by far her favorite! Prior to becoming an RVT, Mary obtained a Bachelor of Business Management degree from the University of Alberta and spent a few years working in accounting and human resources. Outside of work Mary keeps busy by racing motocross, going snowboarding and by playing hockey and soccer. She also loves spending time with her family and her animals at home.
Dentistry & Oral surgery
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.
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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.
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.
Diagnostic imaging
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.
Born and raised in Prince Edward Island. Leah moved to Edmonton, Alberta in 2013 to pursue her love for animals. Leah graduated from NAIT Animal Health Technology program in 2019. She spent the last couple years in general practice with experience in small animal and exotics before joining the Pulse team. In her free time, she likes to play with her two cats (Moose and Chloe), reading, and spending time outside with family and friends.
Anesthesiology
Following obtaining her Bachelor of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences degree from McGill University, Dr. Parker graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 2015. She then began her specialty training journey with internships across North America, which provided invaluable experiences to help shape Dr. Parker into the veterinarian she is today. She completed her Masters of Biomedical Science and residency of Anesthesia and Analgesia at the University of Missouri in 2023 and returned to the great province of Alberta to start the anesthesia service at Pulse Veterinary Specialists and Emergency.
Dr. Parker enjoys the challenge of critical patient anesthesia and multi-modal analgesia with the use of locoregional blocks, as well as teaching technicians to become more confident and knowledgeable in their anesthesia skills. Her favourite patients to anesthetize are the weird and wonderful including zoo, exotic and wildlife patients. In addition to farm animals, equine, dogs and cats, Dr. Parker has experience anesthetizing small exotic pets, as well as several species of ungulates, black bears, Western low-land gorillas, Eastern Black rhinoceros, birds of prey, reptiles and large exotic felids including cougar and tiger species. Wildlife conservation is dear to Dr. Parkers heart and it is her dream to continue working with these amazing animals and assist with the vital research to protect natures treasures!
Emergency & Critical Care
Originally from the state of Panjab, Northern India, Dr. Kahlon finished his veterinary degree in 2015 and pursued further education and research in Public health and epidemiology. He eventually moved to Canada in the fall of 2017 to pursue a postgraduate degree in Veterinary Pathology at WCVM, focusing on interactions between climate, migration of waterfowl, and avian influenza in the Canadian Prairies. In 2021, Dr. Kahlon obtained the Certificate of Qualification, a license to practice veterinary medicine in North America and since then has been working in Urgent and emergent care. Apart from emergency medicine, he really enjoys the surgical and imaging aspects of veterinary medicine the most.
When not working, Dr. Kahlon loves to stay active and enjoy traveling, hiking, playing tennis, soccer, and field hockey. He strongly believes in giving back to the community and loves to volunteer and provide his professional skills to areas deprived of veterinary services whenever he can.
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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.
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.
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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 enjoyed serving rural Central Alberta as a general mixed animal practitioner, before joining the Pulse team in 2021.
In her free time Julianne enjoys travelling, volunteering, and spending time in the mountains – whether it is snowboarding, canoeing, camping, or hiking with her three dogs.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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Robyn graduated as an RVT in 2009 from the AHT program at NAIT here in Edmonton. She immediately fell in love with emergency medicine, and in 2019 she became certified as a VTS (ECC)-Veterinary Technician Specialist in Emergency and Critical Care. Today she is the lead ER RVT at Pulse and is incredibly grateful to work alongside such a passionate team.
When not at work she spends her time hanging out with her partner and her young son. Robyn is also deeply involved and committed to rescue work for injured and ill pets. To complete the family, she has a 20-year-old cat (Scooter), one-eyed dog (Lizzie), two mini ponies and a mini donkey (Piglet, Francine and Lois).
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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.
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Victoria graduated from the Animal Health Technology program at Olds in 2019. From graduation she had spent a couple years in general practice before having the opportunity to join Pulse. She had joined the emergency team early 2021 and is loving the fast pace and the ability to learn new skills. In her spare time, she is more than likely having cuddle time with her cat, Lily, binge-watching TV shows, playing video games, or doing puzzles.
Critical Care
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.
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Internal Medicine
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).
Dr Daniel Moreno is a veterinarian from Mexico. Born in Mexico City, he spent most of his life in Querétaro City, part of a central region in Mexico known for its mild weather and fertile plains. He went back to Mexico city where he completed veterinary school at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
His commitment to advanced medicine led him to a rotating internship at the Ontario Veterinary College in 2018 followed by his specialty training in Small Animal Internal Medicine at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine which was completed in 2023.
While he appreciates the variety within internal medicine, he has developed an interest in endocrinology and hematology.
Outside of work Dr Moreno is a long-time football fan, enjoys traveling and spending time at home with his partner and their cat Mabel. In more recent years, he’s been honing his ice skating skills and learning about NHL to embrace his Canadian life.
Bailey graduated with honours from Veterinary Medical Assistant at Lakeland College in 2019. Bailey is planning on returning to school for Animal Health Technology. In her spare time Bailey is usually hanging out with her fiancé and their “zoo” which includes 4 dogs and 2 cats.
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.
Chloe graduated from NAIT Animal Health Technology with honors in 2022, going straight into general practice. Chloe took an interest in emergencies, critical care, and anesthesia. Wanting to further her education and understanding of our furry companions, she joined the Internal Medicine Team in February of 2024. In her spare time, she can often be found reading or playing video games while snuggling her cats Ramsey and Iggy.
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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.
Neurology
Dr. Casey Smith graduated from the University of Glasgow School of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation, she spent a year at 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. She completed a 3-year residency in neurology/neurosurgery at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and became board certified in Neurology with the ACVIM in 2021.
Her professional interests include brain and spinal surgery, breed related neurologic disease, movement disorders, EEG, and MRI.
Dr. Smith is a French Bulldog fanatic with a trio of the mischief makers also “employed” in the Neurology department – Ruby (the Queen B), Arthur (just here for the vibes and snacks), and Midge (chaotic wild child). She is a Harry Styles enthusiast, and a collector of far too many houseplants, more books than she can keep up with, and vintage estate sale finds.
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Ophthalmology
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.
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.
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.
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Surgery
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.
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.
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