Our Team

Veterinarians

Dr. Jeff Dand- Owner

Jeff graduated from the Atlantic Veterinary College in 1997 and then continued on to Florida to complete his Veterinary internship. While in Florida Jeff focused on canine behavior and dermatology. Since then Jeff has operated several clinics in Calgary and Airdrie always with a priority of great client service and patient care. He now spends his time between Victoria and Calgary. His three rescue pets at home are Cola (Pitbull/Lab Cross), Dexter (Brussels Griffon) & Sheriff (Domestic Longhair Cat).

**Please note that Dr. Dand is not currently taking appointments

Dr. Chavonne Bertamini - Medical Director

Dr. Chavonne Bertamini grew up in Calgary, Alberta where she gained a passion for veterinary medicine through volunteering and growing up with her family pets. She received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Calgary; afterward, she traveled for a year before heading back to school and completing her DVM at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in Basseterre, St. Kitts in 2018. She then completed a small animal rotating internship at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon in 2019.

Dr. Bertamini is new to our team and enjoys spending time going to the dog park, going to the gym, and finding new restaurant’s. In her free time, Dr. Bertamini keeps busy with her not so well trained but very lovable 3-year-old Golden Retriever.

Dr. Kyle Hager- Coming October 17th 2022!!

Dr. Hager grew up in Washington state and graduated from Western Washington University with a Bachelors in Cell Biology. He then worked at the University of Washington for six years studying gut bacteria and their role in human disease. Once he discovered his passion in veterinary medicine he attended Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine and graduated in 2021. His main interest is in preventative care medicine, surgery, dentistry, and developing relationships with clients and their pets. He enjoys hiking, fishing, and spending quality time with his partner, their dog Rex, and cat Ernie.

Dr. Maureen Hollinshead

Dr. Maureen Hollinshead graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan in 2004. She worked in Northwest Calgary for over ten years at Tuscany Veterinary Hospital and Boutique. Dr. Hollinshead took ownership of Parkdale Veterinary Clinic in January Of 2019. Over the years Maureen has developed a passion for Veterinary Rehabilitation, and she is excited to continue her development in this field while working alongside our team here!! In Dr. Maureen's spare time, she spends time with her husband, 2 boys, and Wilson, her beautiful Irish Wolfhound!

Management

Nicole Gigian, RVT

Originally from Manitoba, Nicole moved to Alberta several years ago. She grew up loving all animals but had a special passion for horses. Following her passion, she received her diploma in the Animal Health Technology program in 2008. As a new RVT, she worked in a variety of different areas in the veterinary world including small animal, equine, emergency care, and bovine embryo transfer. Working in these different areas allowed her to gain vast knowledge and experience. After moving to Alberta, she was hired on with Dand Veterinary Clinics as an RVT and helped Dr. Dand to bring Springbank Pet Hospital from the ground up. Over the years she has helped with the opening of several clinics including a few on Vancouver Island and soon realized her passion for management as well as the business side of Veterinary clinics. She now manages and operates the four Dand clinics in Calgary and is enjoying every moment of it. She currently has two pets, Nim a little black cat and Phoebe a rescue white shepherd mix.

Mackenzie Robertson

Mackenzie was born in Almonte Ontario and raised in Calgary after moving here as a child. Mackenzie’s original interest in human physiotherapy led her to the university of Lethbridge’s Kinesiology program. Her fondness for animals ultimately altered this career choice, and led her to becoming a part of the Dand Vet clinic team as a Receptionist, Rehabilitation Assistant, and Technicians Assistant. It was at this time she realized her passion for business management, and natural aptitude for customer service and leading teams. Mackenzie is currently working closely alongside our team of managers within the city and is excited to continue her development within the company.

Registered Veterinary Technologists

Lisa

Lisa grew up in Sherwood Park, AB and with never having had her own pet, was known as the neighbourhood petsitter! She got her first pet at the age of 19! After starting a job as an animal care attendant for the Edmonton Humane Society, she knew she wanted to pursue a career in the animal health industry. Lisa graduated from the Animal Health Technology program at NAIT in 2006. She worked at a small animal practice in Edmonton for 17 years (15 years as an RVT) before moving to Calgary to be closer to family. She has an interest in integrative medicine and looks forward to expanding her knowledge!

In her spare time, Lisa enjoys reading, working out, spending time with her family and visiting the cat cafe’s!

Alex

Alex was Born and raised in Calgary, Alberta and grew up with a passion for animals from a very young age. Her fond early childhood memories are of helping strays find their forever homes, and walking the neighborhood dogs at every opportunity she could find. As an adolescent, Alex worked closely with horses while participating many community passion projects through 4H. These hobbies later evolved into a career interest within the veterinary medicine industry. Alex later graduated Olds college in 2014 with her animal health technology diploma and has since worked in a variety of clinics, including emergency medicine where she developed an interest in surgery and internal medicine. Alex now works with us as a valued member with us at the Westmount Animal Clinic. She currently owns 2 cats, Ruffles and Bear , a horse named Talon and recently adopted a dog named Sirius from AARCS! Alex spend her spare time horseback riding in the mountains, hiking and spending time with her partner.

Technician Assistants and Client Care Specialists

Blaire

Blaire grew up in Calgary, and graduated from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Science in biology. She hopes to pursue a career in veterinary medicine and will be applying to vet school in the future. She has worked with many different animals including goats, chickens, and cows, but dogs will always be her favorite! Her family’s two cats, Tilley and Willy, are currently her only pets, but she hopes to foster and adopt a dog very soon! Blaire currently volunteers at AARCS as a dog caregiver and is passionate about shelter medicine and animal rescue. She loves hiking, skiing, running, and playing soccer in her free time!

Hayley

Hayley grew up in the Edmonton area and is so excited to begin her journey in Calgary as a part of the Westmount team! She is currently in the process of completing her RVT studies online through Penn Foster College and has been lucky enough to gain a broad range of hands on knowledge throughout her studies. Hayley has worked in veterinary emergency, which inspired her to want to care for animals and led her to applying for tech school. She has a passion for rescue medicine and believes in being the best advocate she can for our furry family members!

When she’s not studying, you can usually find Hayley curled up on the couch with her 3 orange cats, watching true crime documentaries. She also enjoys live music (of every kind), outdoor adventures, long-boarding, running and yoga.

Jordyn

Jordyn grew up in Calgary, Alberta, and graduated from St. Mary’s University with a Bachelor of Science and a major in biology. She realized her passion for veterinary medicine after she started fostering dogs four years ago. This led her to working at an emergency vet hospital as a receptionist for the past 3 years. However, she is looking forward to beginning her new role as a tech assistant and hopes to pursue vet school in the future. She has two fur babies, Charlie and Luna, both from Pawsitive Match Rescue Foundation. Charlie was a foster fail 3 years ago and she just adopted Luna in December. In her spare time, she likes to hike, play volleyball, practice yoga, and spend time with her family.

Joshua

Josh was born in British Columbia and has lived all over North America from Winnipeg, Manitoba to Modesto, California. Growing up, he had a wide array of pets including dogs, cats, newts, and birds. He loves all animals (yes, even spiders!) but mostly his two cats, Circe and Jimi. In his spare time, Josh enjoys reading and hiking outdoors. Josh is new to the Westmount team and looks forward to learning everything he can as a client care specialist.

Taylor

Taylor grew up in Calgary, Alberta where she graduated from the University of Calgary with a bachelor of science majoring in geology. She always knew her true passion involved working with animals and she has been working as a tech assistant for the last year. She recently got accepted into tech school through Thompson Rivers University and is very excited about furthering her career in the veterinary industry. She hope’s to eventually specialize in surgery or anesthesia. In her spare time she can be found hanging out with her two chihuahua’s and leopard gecko at home.