Dr Lisa is a local Maritimer, originally from Port Clyde on Nova Scotia’s South Shore. Her dream of a career in veterinary medicine began at a very young age, telling anyone who asked that she wanted to be a vet when she grew up.

At the age of 20 after years of hard work and dedication, Dr. Lisa was offered an early acceptance to the Atlantic Veterinary College on Prince Edward Island. After graduation in 2003, she accepted her first associate position at Shaw Pet and Equine Services in Victoria, British Columbia where she continued to practice for nearly a decade.

After spending many years away, Dr. Lisa was anxious to return to her Maritime home, so in the fall of 2012, she packed up and headed East. She decided to settle in the beautiful seaside town of Chester. In July 2015, Dr. Lisa purchased Chester Basin Animal Hospital from long time owner Dr. David Evans.

At work, Dr. Lisa maintains special interests in Veterinary Dentistry and Feline Medicine. In her spare time, she enjoys jogging, golf, curling, travelling and culinary arts.

Dr. Lisa and her husband’s fur (and not so furry) family consists of a Siamese cat named Kevin and a Hermann’s tortoise named Oswald

Dr. Karen Gormley grew up in Harrington, PEI. She planned to become a veterinarian from a young age, and eagerly watched the construction of the Atlantic Veterinary College when she was in early elementary school. She obtained her B.Sc. (hons) and M.Sc. from the University of Prince Edward Island, and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the Atlantic Veterinary College in 2009.

Upon graduation, Dr. Karen and her husband Kevin moved to Upper Tantallon, and has been practicing in the local area since that time. She joined the CBAH team in March 2018.

Dr. Gormley has continued her veterinary education with advanced courses in dentistry and surgery. In addition to these fields, Dr. Karen is particularly interested in behaviour and pain management.

Dr. Karen lives in Upper Tantallon with her husband and their two children. Their fur-family includes two kitties Nelson and Myles and their black lab, Darcie.

Dr. Cortney grew up in Scotsburn, Nova Scotia. She became part of the CBAH team in March of 2021. It was always her dream to become a veterinarian.

Dr. Cortney completed a Bachelor of Science at Dalhousie University, finishing her final year of the program with a special project training pet dogs to detect low blood sugar levels in diabetic patients. After completing her undergraduate studies, Dr. Cortney was accepted to the Atlantic Veterinary College where she graduated as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in May 2020.
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Following graduation from veterinary school, Dr. Cortney bought her first house and moved to Chester where she now lives with her fiancé, two cats, Oscar and Minnow & yellow lab, Roslin. In March of 2023, Dr. Cortney and her fiancé welcomed a baby girl to their family.
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As a Veterinarian, Dr. Cortney maintains special interests in radiology and surgery. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, hiking, travelling, spending time in her garden, and adding to her collection of house plants.

Kelly grew up on the Eastern Shore and always had a passion for animals.  She followed her other passion for travel and gained a degree in Travel and Tourism Managment from Holland College in 2004.  She developed her Customer Service knowledge through managing hotels in and around Halifax.  She spent 2 years living in England and travelling Europe.  But the East Coast called her home.  Her extensive Customer Service experience, passion for animals and love of rural communties lead her to Chester Basin Animal Hospital.  She currently lives in Lower Sackville with her 2 boxers Callie and Chloe.

Jenn has been with the Chester Basin Animal Hospital team since 2004. She worked as a veterinary technician for 18 years before stepping into the roll of hospital manager in 2022. After 2 years as hospital manager, Jenn stepped down from the position and returned to where her heart really was, working with the patients and clients as a veterinary technician.

Jenn’s special interest is in dentistry and end-of-life care.

Jenn currently lives in Chester with her husband, three cats (Xena, Kiefer, and Carson), two American Pit Bull Terriers (Kaluah and Corona), and an assortment of chickens.

Kim has been a member of the Chester Basin Animal Hospital team for over thirty years. During that time, she has seen the practice continually grow and evolve.

You can find Kim working in all aspects of the hospital, from greeting patients and clients at the front desk, to taking history in the exam rooms, performing x-rays in radiology, running diagnostic tests in the lab, and assisting in surgery where needed.

Kim maintains special interests in feline medicine, oral care and dietary therapy.

Originally from Mill Cove, Kim now lives in Mahone Bay with her 3 cats Barnaby Biggs, Rhubarb and Tiberius.

Mandi grew up in Milton, just outside of Liverpool. As a youngster, she spent most of her spare time at her uncle’s barn with the family cow Half Pint and horse Tony.

It was Mandi’s interest in animal welfare that led her to apply to the Veterinary Technician program at Dalhousie Agricultural College. She graduated from the program in 2016 and joined the CBAH team in November 2017.

Mandi loves all aspects of veterinary medicine, but has a keen interest in cytology, and can often be found in the lab next to the microscope.

Outside of the hospital, Mandi can be found singing and playing music with family and friends, walking her Boxer Cali, or cuddling her cats Kidden and Ash. In March of 2023, Mandi and her fiancé expanded their family by welcoming their son, Walker.

Erica grew up on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia, where she found herself becoming involved in volunteering at Hope for Wildlife from the age of 11 years old.

Erica’s  passion in caring for the natural world led her to pursue a BsC in Animal Science at Dalhouise’s Agricultural Campus. After graduating in 2018, she returned to the campus to attend the Veterinary Technician program to allow her to further her ability to care for animals, domestic or wild.

Erica loves all aspects of veterinary medicine, but has a keen interest in surgery and nursing care.

Outside of the hospital, Erica can still be found caring for wildlife, gardening, exploring the forest or wandering a beach.

Erica moved to Martin’s River and joined the CBAH team  in 2022. She lives with her partner Josh, 2 cats Buddy and Gizmo and their newest addition Beau the German Shepherd.

Laura graduated from the Veterinary Technology program at NSAC in 2012, following the completion of her BSc in Animal Science and Aquaculture in 2010. She has spent the last 11 years in general practice working with small animals. She lives in Hebbville with her son John and Shorkie, Lizzie. She spends most of her spare time at the beach. She has a passion for horses and spent most of her younger years in the saddle. She is very thankful to be part of the Chester Basin Team and is looking forward to expanding her knowledge over the coming years.

Emma knew she wanted to help animals ever since she was a little girl. She graduated the veterinary technician program at Maritime Business College in 2019 and since then has been growing in this profession. She’s currently working on obtaining her RVT status . She spends her free time with family and friends and let’s not forget about her two rescue dogs, Bruce and Frankie. Emma also spent many years learning and teaching art lessons. After a long journey she made her way to the Chester Basin team!

Jessica dreamed of being in the veterinary world from a young age. After going through DalAC for her animal science degree and AVC for her DVM, she found her place here, at Chester Basin Animal Hospital, as a veterinary assistant. She has a special interest in dentistry, surgery and low stress veterinary visits. Jessica resides in Chester Basin with her dog, Lucas, and two cats, Toulouse and Berlioz. In her spare time, she enjoys sewing, crafting, cooking, and is thankful to have found herself living near the beaches of Nova Scotia’s south shore.

Growing up in a family with a variety of different pets such as; dogs, cats, ferrets, birds, rabbits, horses and chickens, has certainly been the driving factor that sparked my passion and love for all kinds of animals at a very young age. After graduating high school, I relocated to Wolfville, where I studied Sociology at Acadia University for one year before returning to my hometown and current residence, Western Shore, in order to gain more work experience in a variety of different jobs in the years to come.

In November of 2022, I made the decision to leave my current job working in Carpentry, in order to begin pursuing my dreams of working with and helping animals. Since joinging the CBAH team as a Client Service Representative, I have begun making the necessary academic upgrades in order to further my career in veterinary medicine with a dream of one day becoming an RVT. I have a particular interest in working with exotics and wildlife rehabilitation.

In my spare time, when I’m not greeting clients and beloved companions, I enjoy the beach, nature photography, hiking, reading, and guitar. Currently, I have a ball Python named Sweetheart, and two parrots, named Bean and Benny!

Paula joined the CBAH team in 2008. Her previous experience of working in a fast paced medical environment has proven to be an important attribute to her role in reception. Whether greeting clients in person or on the phone, Paula’s compassion and dedication to her role are obvious. Her quick wit and sharp sense of humor is sure to get a smile out of just about anyone.

Paula lives in Western Shore with her husband. Her fur-family consists of her 3 cats Penny, Logan and Phyllis.

Chester Basin Animal Hospital welcomed Savanna to the team in the fall of 2021. Savanna graduated from the Medical Office Administration program at NSCC in 2017, and after working for several years in human health care, she decided to change career paths and follow her true passion of working with animals.

When not at the hospital, Savanna enjoys being outside, spending time at the camp and hanging out with family and friends. She also loves crafting.

Savanna’s fur family includes two dogs, Deacon and Gunner, and one cat, Murph.