Dr. Elizabeth McGill

After 28 years I still love being a veterinarian. You know that old saying “When you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.” That’s me. When I was a kid, I always had a myriad of pets. My parents were like minded and embraced the philosophy that pets were part of the family. I am so appreciative of them for giving me the gift to understand and appreciate the human animal bond. The relationship between pets and people is bilateral, in that we each benefit so much from each other. Pets are so engrained in my life and who I am. I am so grateful to be able to serve pet owners to help facilitate this amazing bond between humans and animals. As I provide care for pets I know that I am improving both the quality of life and making them better companions. My favourite pets are the elderly ones. These are the animals that have spent a lifetime loving their care givers. This is anunconditional love (yes, the cat that sits in the room with you but does not want to be patted is so in love with you), and gives us companionship, joy and purpose to our lives. Even in their death pets teach us that life will go on and time is the ultimate healer. For children especially, pet loss gives them the experience to cope with human loss later on. I have spent a life time observing both people and pets. As once pointed out to me by a client, I see the most compassionate part of the population. People that come to see me are willing to help another creature generally out of pure generosity and love. They are people that feel a sense of peace giving their sick or elderly friend care and treatment. It is a privilege to serve our clients and be part of this relationship. My goal in steering the ship at Martindale Animal Clinic is to provide compassionate care to my patients and their care givers. I would define compassionate care as doing my best for each patient and care giver every day. I believe this goal is also shared by every team member at Martindale Animal Clinic. Through my definition of compassionate care, I feel the need to provide the best care possible. It is because of this that everyone at the clinic has continued their growth and education. We are one of the very few practices in our area that have achieved certification by the American Animal Hospital Association. This is a prestigious certification and means we have passed 900 stringent parameters for patient care. Education wise, all of our staff have achieved certification as Fear Free Professionals. This provides us with the means to practice veterinary medicine in an environment that is as stress free to our patients as possible. I am so proud of the medicine that I am able to practice and provide every day. My thanks go out to our clients that are committed to their pets. It is through their love and compassion that gives me permission to provide treatment and care. My thanks also goes out to our staff and I am so grateful for their expertise and support. Mostly I am grateful and thankful to all of the animals that have shared my life. They have brought me joy and an understanding that there is a deep connection between all of the creatures that share this planet.