| Dr. Edison Barrientos, Veterinarian
As the founder of Wellesley Animal Hospital, Dr. Barrientos came to Canada as a young child with his family from Chile. As a small boy, he had a fascination with animals, always trying to convince his parents to accept a new pet that he had taken in or somebody was trying to give away. His collection of pets ranged from a chicken to a budgie, to a turtle, and of course a cat and a dog. When he finally went to university he decided to combine his love of animals with his interest in medicine, and hence graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1993 as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. For the first few years of Dr. Barrientos' career he worked in a mixed practice in central Ontario, serving a myriad of species including cows, horses, pigs, yaks as well as dogs, cats and exotic pets. After this he worked at several animal clinics in the Greater Toronto area. His special interests include emergency medicine, internal medicine and soft tissue surgery.
On the personal side, Dr. Barrientos is married to Brigida Fortuna and they have four wonderful sons. They enjoy camping, bike riding, movies and downtown living. On summer afternoons you can probably find him and his family sipping a coffee on College Street or visiting antique stores on Queen West. |
| Dr. Elva Ma, Veterinarian
Dr. Ma was born in Vancouver, B.C., but moved to the Toronto area at the age of 1 and has lived there ever since. Having had a lifelong passion for animals, her desire to become a veterinarian grew at an early age. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology at the University of Toronto, followed by a Masters degree in Biology at Queen’s University, studying hamster behaviour and reproduction. In 2008, she completed her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph. Her professional interests include surgery, dentistry, animal behaviour, and small mammal medicine.
Dr. Ma currently lives in downtown Toronto with her fiance Scott, her crazy cockapoo Dexter, and her dwarf rabbit Penelope, and she deeply misses her tortoiseshell kitty Minoune. When not at the clinic, she enjoys listening to music, playing the piano, singing karaoke, playing video games, and swimming. She also loves exploring the city and can often be found walking along the waterfront with Dexter by her side. |
| Navjit Gill, Office Manager Navjit is very excited to be part of the team at Wellesley Animal Hospital. She is a native of Kitchener-Waterloo, and studied French Language and Literature at the University of Guelph, during which time she was lucky enough to live for a year in Nice, France.
Navjit does not have any pets of her own, but has been lucky enough to learn the joys of having a dog through her sister's adorable Norfolk Terrier (pictured left). Augie enjoys long walks on the beach, holding hands and candlelit dinners (but she digresses). In Navjit's spare time she loves to watch movies. If you call or come in, chances are that it will be Navjit you will talk to first. She looks forward to speaking to you soon! |  | Rohanna Howie, Receptionist/Veterinary Assistant Rohanna joined the team as a volunteer but she did such a good job of cleaning cages and doing laundry that Dr. Barrientos offered her a position as a receptionist. She also volunteers with Annex Cat Rescue, whose catnip toys we sell at our front desk. Rohanna has three cats of her own and fosters others for ACR. She loves dogs as well and, while she does not have any of her own, enjoys the company of Tula the clinic poodle. Rohanna hopes to be a veterinarian one day and enjoys learning all facets of working in a veterinary clinic. |
| Dexter, Clinic Greeter
Otherwise known as Dr. Ma's Shadow, the Iron Stomach, or “the curly white guy”, don't be surprised if Dexter finds his way into your lap in the waiting room. Feed him treats and he will be your best friend forever! |
| Bianca, Resident Ball of Fluff
Clinic resident most likely to stuff entire apple cores into her cheek pouch, Bianca can be found behind Navjit on the front desk at Wellesley Animal Hospital. If you're lucky, she may even come out of her igloo during the day to say hi! |
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