UPCOMING EVENTS
Nutrition
Dr.Jenna Manacki
Dr. Jenna Manacki completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Guelph. She attended Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine on the beautiful island of St. Kitts and completed her clinical training at the University of Saskatchewan. After four years in private practice, Dr. Manacki pursued a clinical nutrition residency at the University of Missouri, finishing in 2022. Her clinical interests include enteral nutrition (feeding tubes) and formulating diets for patients with food sensitivities.
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October 9, 2024
End of Life Care
Dr. Chris Hickman
Dr. Chris Hickman graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1988. She has worked steadily as a veterinary locum in various practice settings including several emergency clinics, small animal clinics (both rural and urban settings) and feline specialty practices. Dr. Hickman has interests in emergency medicine and surgery, feline medicine, and end-of-life care. She has earned the designation of Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Veterinarian, being one of the first to earn the distinction. Dr. Hickman runs a mobile veterinary hospice service in Ontario, where she focuses on palliative care and end-of-life issues in the pet's home environment. She has been part of the CAETA team since 2023.
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September 11, 2024
November 13, 2024
Neurology
Dr. Stephanie Lovell
Dr. Stephanie Lovell is a neurologist with Animal Health Partners in Toronto. She completed her DVM at the OVC in 2017 where she then went on to do a rotating internship in small animal Medicine at the VEC. In 2018 she started her journey towards a neurology specialty at TAHP and then finished her residency in neurology at Texas A&M. Dr. Lovell has a special interest in IVDD and acute spinal cord injury, syringohydromyelia, tumours affecting the nervous system, and neuroradiology.
She is an avid runner and has two cats named Ralph and Cricket.
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February 12, 2025
Surgical Oncology
Dr. Sarah Boston
Dr Sarah Boston is a veterinary surgical oncologist who is an ACVS board certified small animal surgeon and an ACVS Founding Fellow of both Surgical Oncology and Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. She practices at the Capital City Specialty & Emergency Animal Hospital in Ottawa. She
spent the first part of her career in academia as a tenured faculty member at both the University of Guelph and the University of Florida. Dr Boston is also a best-selling author of the book, LUCKY DOG: HOW BEING A VETERINARIAN SAVED MY LIFE.
Her newest passion is stand up comedy. She completed the Humber College Comedy Performance and Writing Program in 2023, where she won the Award for Academic Excellence in her program and the Tim Sims Encouragement Award for emerging comedic performers. What I am saying is Sarah is a bit of a nerd, regardless of what she is doing. She is a regular performer at YukYuks Comedy club in Ottawa. She did her first solo show at the Guelph Fringe Festival in August 2024, and won a Jury Nod for Best Storytelling. Sarah is the host of a podcast called Comedicine, where she talks to other healthcare professionals (human and animals) who are also comedians. She is working out how to bring comedy into veterinary medicine because she believes veterinarians need to laugh more.
@drsarahboston
www.drsarahboston.com
@comedicine_comedy
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This lecture is sponsored by:
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March 12, 2025
Reproduction
Dr. Rasa Levstein and Dr. Juan Castillo
Dr. Rasa Levstein decided to become a veterinarian at the age of five. Born in Lithuania, she graduated from the Lithuanian Veterinary Academy in 1994. During her student years she was breeding and showing Bloodhounds, and was the head of the Hound Group of Lithuanian Kennel Club.
Dr. Rasa’s main focus is small animal reproduction. She completed a residency and obtained a Doctor of Veterinary Science (DVSc) degree in this field at the University of Guelph, working together with Dr. Cathy Gartley at the Ontario Veterinary College. In 2009, she became a Diplomate with the American College of Theriogenologists (veterinarians specialized in animal reproduction). Dr. Rasa continued working at the OVC Theriogenology Service until August of 2011, when she joined the team at Graham Animal Hospital.
Dr. Rasa lives with her husband, also a veterinarian, her teenage daughter, a Bull Terrier named Ice Breaker, a white Shepherd named Violet, and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Ginger, and two cats named Freddie and Patrick. Dr. Rasa spends her free time with her family and friends, horseback riding, hiking and exploring the great outdoors with her dogs.
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Dr. Juan Castillo was born in Bogota, Colombia. He completed his veterinary degree in 2014 at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia where he found his passion for animal reproduction. After graduation, he worked for the Reproduction Teaching Hospital where he was trained and mentored in the world of theriogenology. He did an internship in equine reproduction in rural Texas and then completed a Residency in Theriogenology at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
Juan came to Canada in 2018 initially to the University of Calgary, where he did some training in applied experimental research, while being hired as a sessional instructor to annually deliver small animal theriogenology lectures to third year veterinary students and lead clinical skills laboratories. Since 2023, Juan has been an Associate Theriogenologist at Graham Animal Hospital, where he works exclusively in canine and feline reproduction, attending a variety of cases that range from breeding management to reproductive pathologies. He also supports local veterinarians consulting small animal reproduction cases.
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​This lecture is sponsored by:
April 9, 2025
Work-Life Balance
Senani Ratnayake
Globally renowned consultant and speaker, Senani has received multiple awards for her contributions to veterinary medicine, including the 2021 RVTTC Canadian RVT of the Year, and the Founder Award from Dr. Andy Roark's Uncharted Veterinary Community.
She has gained a unique perspective by working in practice, industry, and with a corporate group. Combining her experiences with her natural way with words, she became a catalyst for change within the industry and founded Motivatum Consulting. In 2020, she joined the team at Vet Alliance and most recently has become the National Director of Engagement and Practice Services.
She believes that success in patient care, client experience, and business practices, comes from focusing on strong leadership, full team utilization, communication skills and culture development. She is best known for challenging perspectives, problem solving, and her authentic and honest approach. Passionate about the longevity of our industry, she uses her voice to be an advocate at any, and every, opportunity. She is a Past President of the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians, and was the first non-DVM President of the Toronto Academy of Veterinary Medicine.
May 14, 2025
Rehab
Dr. Jennifer Dodd and Lauren Heise RVT
Dr. Jennifer Dodd completed her BSc. in Zoology at the University of Calgary in 2000, followed by her DVM from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) in 2005. She began her career in mixed private practice in Alberta, spending two years refining her clinical skills before returning to WCVM as a Clinical Associate in Anesthesia. During this time, she also pursued additional training in Traditional Chinese Acupuncture and Tui-Na (Chinese Medical Massage).
In 2012, Dr. Jennifer returned to companion animal practice, initially focusing on emergency care before transitioning to general companion animal practice. In 2019, she and her husband relocated to Ontario due to his military posting to Borden. Dr. Jennifer has been with Mountain Vista Veterinary Hospital since and she earned her Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner (CCRP) certification in 2022. She currently serves as the rehabilitation veterinarian at Collingwood Active Pets.
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Lauren began her career as a Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) in Kingston, Ontario, after graduating from the Veterinary Technologist program at St. Lawrence College. She spent three years working in a small animal hospital before relocating to Guelph, Ontario, where she gained extensive experience over seven years at a 24-hour general and emergency practice specializing in small
animals and exotics.
Her passion for rehabilitation medicine was inspired by her personal experience managing her Newfoundland dog’s osteoarthritis and cruciate disease, which were complicated by comorbidities and drug intolerances. This interest eventually led her to join the Mountain Vista Veterinary Hospital team, where she became a Certified Companion Animal Therapist (CCAT) through North Carolina State University. Lauren also played a key role in developing and opening Collingwood Active Pets, a rehabilitation and hydrotherapy center dedicated to enhancing the well-being of pets.
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This lecture is sponsored by:
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*Location Change*
Lecture Locations:
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March/April Lectures
Hawkridge Golf Club
1151 Hurlwood Ln.
Severn, ON
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May Lecture
Fairfield Inn
8 Mulcahy Court
Orillia, ON
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**Lectures run from 1 pm to 7 pm**
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All lectures run from 1 pm to 7 pm. Dinner, coffee, tea and dessert are included (see membership page for more details).
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Interested in hearing a specific topic or speaker? Feel free to contact us at georgianbayveterinaryassoc@gmail.com with your ideas!