Your Healthcare Team

Our amazing staff - click on their picture to learn more!

 Dr. Jason Rowan, Veterinarian

curious, gentle, friendly

My dad was a vet and I helped in the clinic when I was a young child... they say vet's often know if they are drawn to the progression by elementary school, and that certainly was the case for me. I spent my teenage years growing up on a farm on the prairies.  (Read about Jason's veterinary journey.) I am drawn to animals... people tell me that my presence calms their cats and dogs. But I enjoy being around them just as much.  Challenging cases that require a lot of research and thought make me keep learning more and more to find the best solutions for my patients.

Medicine is my passion, and I love researching new practices. I try to keep an open mind and it's opened many doors for me. The last few years, I discovered my passion for Traditional Chinese medicine. Chinese medicine has been around for so long and get it correlates with many of our cutting edge medicinal practices - it's amazing. 

In Kelowna, I'm very involved in the adoption community, as our daughters were adopted from Ethiopia. I am also a volunteer ski patroller at Big White in the winter, which is a great way to be active and practice an entirely different kind of medicine.

At home, we have our big bling tomcat Haatim, a snuggly kitty Vega, a huge (also snuggly) Irish wolfhound Tully, and our twin miniature dachshunds Kaldi and Kolo.

 Dr. Pamela Carlson, Chiropractor

thoughtful, generous, forthright

Personally, dogs, cats and horses have always been a big part of my life. I've been passionate about animals since I was a little girl. Even as a child, I loved midwifing for mother dogs whelming pups.

Early in my chiropractic career, I was drawn to animal treatment. Ten years after my original chiropractic training, I completed my animal training at American Veterinary Chiropractic College in Illinois. I left my traditional office-based practice to work in stables, barns, homes and health offices.

This rewarding work helped me balance a lifestyle of homeschooling my children and working out of home. I first practiced in the Lower Mainland, then Vernon, where I had a small hobby farm, and now in urban Kelowna. Recently, I returned to human practice, and find the combination of human and animal work very rewarding.

I am passionate about proactive health, and living a balanced lifestyle. Our family frequents the slopes at Silver Star and I am a dedicated master swimmer. Each day, you can find my dogs and I hiking the hillsides and creek valleys of our beautiful Okanagan valley.

My family is very involved in Swaziland, where I run a development charity called Swazikids. We are also very involved in the local adoption community.

 Hannah Sharpe, Nurse

proactive, congenial, knowledgeable

I have a special place in my heart for animals, so naturally I was drawn to a career that involves spending my time helping them. When I was younger I was always coming home with some kind of creature that needed a helping hand and a loving home.

Ever since then I've been involved the animal care industry in some way! I took my Veterinary Hospital Assistant course back in 2011 here in Kelowna, B.C. After I graduated from the program I immersed myself in the animal world and ended up working at a great dog daycare facility in town for 3 years. I was one of the founding employees at Pandosy Village Veterinary Hospital, and have grown with the clinic, from working at the front desk to nursing patients in the hospital.  

Over the past few years, I've developed a passion for nutrition, and completed my advanced Natural Animal Nutrition course from the College of Integrative Veterinary Therapies. This knowledge is so helpful coaching pet parents about raw and other healthy diets for their pets.

At home, my fur family does keep me quite busy! I currently have 2 fur babies, an 11 year old Tortoise Shell cat by the name of Angie (nickname "BubbaCat") and a 7 year old Golden Retriever by the name of Marley (more commonly referred to as Marles Barkley!)

Marley and I love camping, hiking and spending time outdoors.

 Jackie Mottl, Nurse

generous, inquisitive, welcoming

My border collie Indy and I started our career in veterinary medicine together! In Switzerland where I grew up, students apprentice after grade 9. I always wanted a dog, and my parents said I could get one if I could take my dog to work with me. So I apprenticed at a veterinary hospital, got my darling Indy, and we went to work every day together.

I started at Pandosy Village Veterinary Hospital as a devoted client, and was thrilled when I joined the team as a nurse. Veterinary medicine is interesting as no day is like the other. Every patient's case is unique as they all have different backgrounds, different genetical predispositions and they can all react different to the environment or medication. I love the challenge of customized medicine and our natural, minimal-intervention approach, and took my Certificate in Complementary and Integrative Health.

When I moved to Canada, I enrolled Indy in Rally-Obedience. She was 9 and too old to start agility so we thought we'd do something a little slower. My sweet girl has since passed away, but now my second pup Neo, a catahoula, does Rally-O. It's a fun hobby, helps build a positive relationship with your doggies and gives them some mental stimulation. Now, my third step-doggy Jazz has started Rally too, as well as agility. Anything that'll strengthen your bond with your doggy is a great past time. They love the attention, the reward and learning.

 Christine Langeveld, Nurse

quirky, thoughtful, reliable

My chihuahua, the wee Milo, is 2.5lbs of all heart. We adopted Milo through a wonderful organization, “Paws it Forward”. I knew the moment I saw his picture that he had to be ours. There was an instant connection. Milo was truly the best thing to happen to us. To me, he is love, and we provide each other with a shared sense of comfort and emotional wellbeing. It’s magical.

Milo is also the reason I began to work at Pandosy Village Veterinary Hospital. My hubby and I went to one of Dr. Jason's natural pet health seminars on nutrition, which is a still a passion of mine. I had worked for 11 years in human medicine, at human hospitals, but Arnica convinced me to make the leap to the veterinary side.

I'm so glad, because I literally love everything about my job. I'm constantly learning and growing, with is fantabulous. I love preparing for surgery, snuggling the animals, even cleaning: Dr. Jason can't put anything down without me picking it up and cleaning it. since I joined the hospital, I've also discovered a passion for dentistry, which s hilarious, since our rescue dog Milo doesn't have any teeth left. Our holistic approach really appeals to me and jives with my vegan, active lifestyle. 

 Karina Sarris, Front Desk

warm, affectionate, bubbly

As a kid growing up in Kelowna, I was very attached to all animals. In elementary school whenever asked what I wanted to be when I grew up I always answered “veterinarian!” I volunteered at a stable cleaning up the horse stalls and filling water buckets, and in return I got free horse riding lessons. As I grew up, I spent 4 years in retail, and almost 8 years working at a retirement home, both of which developed my love and skill at serving others. When I found out there was a veterinary assistant course in town, I enrolled and absolutely loved it! Pandosy Village Vet was the first place I applied once I had completed my course. 

I love being in the presence of animals all day long. I feel like my soul is happy when I am with animals. It's so satisfying to see holistic treatments work for them. Dr. Jason treats many cases with the Chinese herbs and acupuncture. Many clients don’t know about these treatments, and they have been searching for answers for their pets for so long. When they come and learn about these options, and see results, it’s super awesome. 

I have two dogs, Sasha and Ella who are my big fur babies. I got Sasha from the SPCA back in 2008, and she had just given birth to a litter of 6. My family adopted one of her puppies, the only girl in her litter, Ella. Charlie Whitesocks has really made me into a crazy cat lady, when I adopted him from the SPCA three years ago.

When I’m not snuggling my other other people’s cats and dogs, I’m a homebody who enjoys a god movie night and snacks. Other than the Okanagan, my favourite place is Greece, which is where my family is from.

 Jessica DeBoer, Nurse

thorough, kind, innovative  

I've been so lucky to travel the world across five different continents, and my sweet rottweiler Riley has traveled all the way across North America with me in our RV. One of our trips we ended up in Kelowna, and knew it was going to be home.

When I was younger, I worked at a protection / guard dog facility, but I've now been a Registered Veterinary Technician for many years, at many clinics across BC. I still absolutely love veterinary medicine. I love geeking out problem solving and investigating. There is something about uncovering the truth of a disease, treating it and being animals feel better and thrive. I'm really most passionate about animals getting the level of care they deserve, and I'm glad this is part of Pandosy Village Vet's mantra.  

When I'm not at the vet hospital, I'm baking, cooking vegetarian food, renovating, riding my Morgan/Quarterhorse Carlos, or working for my other love: Disney! By the way, I have a serious collection of Disney character scrubs, which you can see if you peep in our surgery window in the mornings.   

 Bethany Smith, Retail Manager

caring, competent, engaging

From the oceans of Nova Scotia to the mountains of Jasper to the valleys of the Okanagan, I've finally found my home at Pandosy Village Vet.

Even though I worked at a pet store in university, the majority of my career has been managing outdoor and sports retail stores. When I came to Kelowna, I first came to Pandosy Village Vet as a client, as I wanted a more holistic approach to take care of my red and white border collie Piper. I just fell in love with the place: the warm and wonderful staff, the atmosphere... When they were looking for a retail manager for the Pounce and Hound store, I leapt at the chance.

Now Piper and I live just down the street from the hospital, and you can see me biking back and forth each day. I'm totally a crazy dog lady, so I love the puppy cuddle breaks at the clinic and store throughout the day. In my spare time, you can usually find me outdoors with my dog, or in the kitchen cooking and baking.  Everyday usually includes a run, swim and a walk or two… not to mention a whole lot of ball throwing.  She is a border collie through and through!  

One of my favourite activities is road biking through the hills above Kelowna. I also love traveling back tot he Maritimes to visit my family and reconnect with my roots..

 Jessie McDiarmid, Front Desk

detail-oriented, courteous, calm

I'm a relative newcomer to Kelowna, and to Canada - I'm originally from the gorgeous green land of New Zealand. I love everything about my new home Kelowna: the extreme seasons, the snow, the lake. The only thing I really miss is my beloved American bulldog / French mastiff cross Tia, who still lives with my family in New Zealand. 

Working at Pandosy Village Veterinary Hospital is a dream come true for me, because I get snuggles from dogs and cats all day. Previously, I worked in the realestate field, and although both see a lot of paperwork, veterinary medicine is a lot more varied. No two days are the same! It's extremely rewarding seeing patients along their life journey, recovering from illness and feel happier and healthier. Helping animals feel better really compliments values as a vegan as well.

I'm extremely interested in the behavioural side of veterinary medicine, and I'm spending a lot of time diving into the deep knowledge well of nutrition. There is so much to learn, and it's a pleasure to learn alongside my Canuck colleagues.

 Cortlan Procter, Veterinary Intern

willing, gracious, helpful

Ever since I can remember I have been mesmerized by animals; dogs and cats especially. My older brother got a pc game when we were young (probably around ages of 6 and 8) where you play as the vet to help sick animals. Since then I have wanted to be a veterinarian and 17 years later, still no doubts. 

I love every aspect of working in the clinic. From working with animals and their individual personalities, to learning new things every day from the healthcare crew and Dr. Jason. My biggest take-away is that every pet owner should know the lasting effects of preventative health and healthy day to day choices for their pet. Simple things like proper nutrition and annual check ups will help their loved ones live a longer and happier life!

Other than volunteering at the SPCA as a dog walker for the past 5 years, the clinic is my first professional job working with animals. Right now I’m a student t UBCO, and hoping to apply to vet school soon. Before pursuing my undergraduate degree, I played junior hockey, which also took up all my time. When I’m not playing hockey, I love being in the back country: hiking, camping, or 4wheel driving! Once I get through all my school I look forward to traveling again. I am a huge foodie and want to try every kind of food from its respective part of the world.

 

Arnica Rowan, Proprietor

creative, gregarious, authentic

My first cat of my own was Kari, a soft grey little fuzzball that followed me from dorm room to my university dwellings. My first dog was Hamish - a love child between a collie and a cairn terrier. Hamish was amazing - he was my first baby and best friend. Hamish and I went through the rigorous therapy dog training and used to volunteer between my undergraduate classes in the paediatrics and palliative care wings at the U of A hospital. 

While I was still working on my Bachelor's degree in Business, a friend and I wrote a business plan for a dog bakery, that included a community hub for pet parents. Little did I realize that another degree, a dozen years, a career as a professor and a veterinarian husband later, I would be opening my own pet store and hospital.

As an academic and consultant, I specialized in sustainable business. Jason and I have infused those values and knowledge into every room and practice in our hospital. I'm the driving force behind our unconventional approach to pet care, constantly challenging my staff (including my husband) to learn more and revolutionize the field of veterinary medicine.

These days you may see me at the front desk, or in the community walking my glorious Irish Wolfhound Tully. I also consult for non-profits, teach wine classes and run my own charity, Vulnerable Children Society, that helps kids and families in Ethiopia.

Read more about Arnica & Jason's motivation starting their clinic and store

Alumni

Lots of love to our staff that have found new homes far away:

Amanda, now in Sweden

Sadia, now in New Brunswick

Julian, now at vet school in Australia

Olivia, now at vet school in Saskatchewan 

Nicole, now in Alberta

Aleks, running her own pet shop in Ontario 

Pandosy Village Veterinary Hospital

Our integrative neighbourhood vet clinic offers holistic care for your pets, such as vaccinations and titre testing, Western and Traditional Chinese herbal medicine, nutritional consultations, Traditional Chinese acupuncture, and chiropractic care, as well as conventional medicine, ultrasound, radiology and laboratory diagnostics, spay/neuter surgeries and dentistry. Our Pounce & Hound Fine Pet Goods store stocks high quality raw and dry food, nutritional supplements, gear and toys.

We invite you to peek inside our hospital, get a sense of what we are all about, and give us a call 778-478-7088 to book a consultation for your best friend.