Dr. Irene O’Brien grew up in Salmon Arm. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan, where she graduated with distinction.

Irene has been a part of the Scottsdale team since graduation and enjoys the challenges of small animal medicine and surgery. In addition to practicing at Scottsdale, Dr. O’Brien is the primary veterinarian for B.C. Guide Dog Services overseeing the breeding program and health protocols. She holds vaccination clinics at the guide dog house for the dogs-in-training as well as vaccinating and health checking the many litters of new puppies every year.

As part of our ongoing commitment to the health and wellbeing of your pet, Dr. O’Brien is a Fear Free Certified Professional. This certification allows us to help you recognize and alleviate fear, anxiety and stress in your pet. Irene’s desire to help clients raise happy, well adjusted puppies led her to develop the puppy socialization classes that are held at Scottsdale. These classes have been held on an ongoing basis since 1999 with the help of her husband, Dr. Daniel Schwartz, who is also a veterinarian.

Irene enjoys gardening and spending time with her family. She lives in South Surrey with her husband, with whom they have the pleasure of sharing their home with their Pit Bull, Jamal, and two cats, Gaius, and Emmet.

Dr. Nicole Wensink grew up in North Delta. She graduated with honours in Animal Sciences from the University of British Columbia and from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine where she earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree.

After graduation, Dr. Wensink developed a particular interest in ophthalmology and radiology.

Nicole enjoys the outdoors, playing soccer and spending valuable time with her family. Nicole and her husband, Shane, have two children, Mason and Paige. They share their home with a yellow Labrador named Potter.

Dr. Shawn Llewellyn graduated with honours in Animal Sciences from Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Agriculture in 2004 receiving the Governor General’s Academic Award. In 2008, he obtained his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Atlantic Veterinary College at the University of Prince Edward Island and was awarded with the Christopher Award in Animal Welfare. He has been a practicing veterinarian with Scottsdale Veterinary Hospital ever since.

Dr. Llewellyn’s clinical interests include canine and feline dentistry, feline medicine, community medicine and preventative health. Shawn has taken continuing education courses on veterinary dental procedures through the Veterinary Dental Forum and the International Veterinary Dentistry Institute. Shawn is a member of the Feline Veterinary Medical Association and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.

Dr. Llewellyn is the board president and primary veterinarian of Paws for Hope Animal Foundation. Paws for Hope’s mission is to keep pets and people together, and to support positive change in animal welfare. Shawn was awarded the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association’s Humane Award for his work on the development of the organization’s programs that provide direct community based support to people and their pets. Dr. Llewellyn is also a member of the Investigation Committee for the College of Veterinarians of British Columbia (CVBC).

Born and raised in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley, Shawn enjoys frequent visits back to his home province to visit family and friends. He lives in Ladner with his partner and their cats Niles and Martino, and in his spare time enjoys hiking, snowshoeing, gardening, travelling and reading.

Dr. Melissa Stephens grew up locally in Surrey. She graduated from Simon Fraser University with a degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology and earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine.

Melissa worked with us for many years prior to her veterinary training, first starting as a receptionist and assistant before going to veterinary school. Outside of practicing, Dr. Stephens also sits on the Board of Directors for Paws for Hope Animal Foundation and helps coordinate their animal health clinics for the homeless.

Melissa continues to live locally with her two shelties, Truly and Gracie. When she’s not at the clinic, Melissa spends her free time doting on said shelties and taking them for hikes around our beautiful province.

Hannah has been with our team since November 2019. She has a strong background in the MOA field and decided working with animals is more inline with her passion. When she is not working, she can be found behind the camera taking pictures, out hiking or at one of the local parks with her dog Ollie (her 15 month old border collie).

Paola graduated from the VOA program at Douglas College in 2019, while working at an Animal Rehabilitation Clinic. Paola joined the Scottsdale team in summer 2020, after being a client for many years.

Paola lives in Langley with her sister and rescue dog Oliver. In her spare time, she enjoys getting together with her friends and their dogs. She is also passionate about volunteering and fundraising for various animal rescue organizations.

Mellanie graduated the VOA program in 2014 at Granville Business College and started working at a hospital shortly after. Working in this field has been so incredibly rewarding for her. She has been with us since August 2020 in the middle of the pandemic and has made a huge impact on our team. On days off, you can find her in the fresh air walking, running or hiking with her daughter and her dog Ash.

Ashley graduated the VOA program in 2013 at Surrey Community College. Working with animals has always been a passion for her since she was a child. She grew up with a German shepherd named Roxy in which she did everything with. Ashley joined the team in June 2021 and has always dreamed of being here as she used to be a client. On her spare time you will find her hiking, camping, taking photos of everything or spending time with her 2 cats Alvin and Theodore.

Ceilidh graduated from the Veterinary Office Assistant program at Douglas College in March of 2014. Ceilidh completed her practicum with us at Scottsdale and started working with us immediately after she graduated from her program. Ceilidh has two dogs, Millie, a Cockapoo, and Evelyn, a Pit Bull mix, and two cats named, The Cat and Xam.

Laura joined our team in the spring of 2016 after completing her VOA practicum here at Scottsdale. She graduated from the Veterinary Office Assistant program at Douglas College. She has a yellow Labrador named Cooper.

Jessica graduated from the Veterinary Office Assistant program at Douglas College in March 2021 and joined the team after completing her practicum with us. She has always had a passion for animals and is happy to be following her dream of working in the veterinary field. When she is not working, you can find her reading a good book or spending time with her beloved rat terrier, Suzie.

Bert has been with the team for over 20 years as a part time Animal Health Technician. She lives in Delta helping run their family dairy farm with her husband, kids, grandkids, dogs and way too many indoor, outdoor and barn kitties. Bert enjoys mentoring the younger staff and ensuring our practice follows AAHA protocols. Bert has a great sense of humour and says she loves that she and her team work so passionately together to provide the best possible care to all of our wonderful patients.

Amber grew up in the North Delta neighbourhood and joined our Scottsdale team after volunteering with us straight out of high school. She was first hired as a receptionist in 2008 but decided to go to school to become a technician. In May of 2013 she successfully completed the Animal Health Technology program at Douglas College and has worked as a Registered Veterinary Technician with us ever since. Amber manages our Facebook page and is our Cat Friendly Practice advocate here at Scottsdale. She has a Labradoodle named Briar, and two cats, Flynn and Rosy Lee.

Karyn joined our team in the fall of 2014. She first came to Scottsdale as our spring practicum student who then took a summer internship with Canada West Veterinary Specialists. We were happy to welcome her back to the team as a full time RVT. Karyn lives in South Surrey with her dog Otis, a Great Dane cross.

Bri graduated from Douglas College's Veterinary Technology program in 2022. She joined the team after completing her final practicum with us. Bri has 2 Ragdoll cats - Dante and Kashmera - along with a Papillon named Cypress. Outside of work you can find her playing video games, exploring with her dog, or reading a good book.

Laura is a transplant from Portugal and comes to us with a background in Hospitality. She looks forward to welcoming clients with a smile and a passion for animals. When not at work, she loves to spend time with her children and her three rescue cats, Stormy, Pumpkin, and Ari. She will ensure your visit with us is enjoyable and is here to assist you with your needs.

Daphne was rescued from a farm the winter of 2011 and brought into the hospital covered in cow feces and lice, and unable to walk as she had sustained a severe injury to her spinal cord. It was a tough recovery, but she has the tenacity and strength to overcome just about any obstacle. Daphne won over all our hearts and the hearts of many clients. Be sure to say hi the next time you are in the hospital, but don't let her cuteness fool you, as she can be very naughty at times.