Our Team
Board of Directors
Lisa McDowell joined the Bow Valley SPCA Board of Directors in May 2017. She brings with her a number of years of experience serving on volunteer Boards including the Canadian Mountain Arts Foundation (artsPlace), Junior Achievement of Southern Alberta and Vecova Centre for Disability Research and Services. She looks forward to making a contribution to the Bow Valley SPCA serving on the Board, volunteering at events and raising money all with a view to helping the organization continue to save lives of dogs and cats and enrich the lives of the families they join. Lisa is a dedicated animal and nature lover and enjoys spending time in the mountains with her husband Dave and their dog Libby.
Helen has lived in Canmore since 1991; originally from the UK. Came to the Rockies for a summer in in 1975! She retired September 2017, after a career in hotels, with a focus on Human Resources.
"I am proud and impressed with the Carla Cumming Sojonky Adoption Centre which Canmore has embraced; we are a better community for it. I look forward to being a contributing member of the Board.
Board Member since 2017
Libbey loves all animals, but dogs and horses are her great loves – she has been riding since she was 11 and has had a dog by her side for as long as she can remember.
Libbey is originally from Nova Scotia and moved to Calgary in 2006. She has called the Bow Valley home since 2019 when she took a job with the Town of Banff and relocated to Canmore with her partner and their son.
Libbey joined the BVSPCA Board of Directors in 2023 to share her love of animals, contribute to the community that has quickly become her home, and put her organizational skills to good use. Libbey adopted Penny, her mischievous Pitbull/ Labrador puppy, in late 2022 and is also lucky enough to own her heart horse, a chestnut gelding named Roo.
Kate is a crazy cat lady and dog enthusiast who volunteers with the Bow Valley SPCA. For the past two years, she has instructed the Open Paw dog training program for new volunteers. This program was designed specifically for shelter dogs and focusses on the benefits of positive reinforcement training in a high stress situation such as an animal shelter.
Kate also works directly with the dogs in the shelter until they find their forever homes. She focusses on basic commands and loose leash walking but loves introducing dogs to agility obstacles. You can also find Kate at many SPCA events, introducing the dogs and talking about the benefits of force-free training methods.
Katya Melnick grew up in Pinawa, Manitoba on the Winnipeg River where she obtained a love for nature and the outdoors. She received her Bachelor of Science in Agriculture at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg before completing her veterinary degree in 2019 at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon. After graduation, she spent a year working at a small animal general practice and emergency/specialty clinic in Lake Country, BC.
Katya has now settled down in Canmore and is enjoying getting to know everyone and their pets. She has particular interests in nutrition, wellness, emergency medicine, and working with clients to find a solution for their pet’s problems together. When she's not in the clinic she can usually be found on the mountain bike trails, on the chairlift, or in the back-country.
Centre Staff
Daisy Hilchey joined the Bow Valley SPCA in June 2020 as an Animal Care Attendant, and in September 2020 took on the role of Assistant Manager in addition to managing social media and events. In July of 2023, Daisy assumed the role of Adoption Centre Manager, bringing with her years of experience in the shelter world, and education in animal health and behaviour. Daisy finds it exceptionally rewarding to help prospective adopters find their perfect match, and believes strongly that there is an ideal home out there for every animal (regardless of the behavioural or medical challenges that animal may have), it just takes time and perseverance to find them. She feels grateful to manage an organization that aligns with this belief.
Before working at the Bow Valley SPCA, she graduated from the University of Alberta with a BSc in Animal Health and Behaviour, and worked as a Vet Tech Assistant at a veterinary clinic. She has a passion for reducing fear and stress in animals, and did an undergraduate thesis in this area of companion animal behaviour.
In her free time Daisy enjoys spending time hiking and exploring outdoors, reading as many books as she can, and of course snuggling with her four-legged (and zero-legged) friends; Gremlin the cat (a BVSPCA alumni), Nagini the snake, and Fluffy the crested gecko.
Bio to come.
Advisors
Joseph has been a board member since 2007 and has served as Communications Chair as well as Vice-President, and Chairperson of Funding Development. He currently works as a Funding and Development Advisor. Maggie (miniature poodle resting in his lap), is 7 years old. Joseph got her when she was 8 weeks old. Clearly the queen of the household.
Sue Donnelly served as President of the Bow Valley SPCA from 2002 to 2005. During this period she was instrumental in leading a team of volunteers who set the vision, developed the strategy, and found the necessary capital funding in order to bring to the Bow Valley SPCA to the building/operational phase. Sue came to the Bow Valley SPCA with more than 20 years of experience in executive Human Resource positions with organizations such as Banana Republic/The Gap, LucasArt (California), Walt Disney Company (Florida), and Euro Disney. While living in the Bow Valley, Sue worked part-time for The Banff Centre and the provincial government, as well as volunteering for various community committees. Since moving to Florida, she has worked part-time as the project manager for the Urban Land Institute, Florida Initiative for Regional Cooperation (Florida) and currently as a part-time Legal Assistant for a law firm. In her spare time, she enjoys lots of outdoor walks in the warm year-round Florida weather, all the local events, and traveling to visit her friends in the 12 cities where she previously lived during her career. "It has been extremely rewarding to work with such a talented team to make our dream a reality - to build a No Kill, No Cage Adoption Centre in the Bow Valley - the First of Its Kind in Canada - one that will benefit dogs and cats, as well as people, because people know that the dogs and cats that they fall in love with will be adopted. Providing a lasting legacy for the care and adoption of dogs and cats in the Bow Valley is truly my passion and the work of all of our souls."
Dr. Karen MacMillan obtained her Bachelor of Science in 1989 and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1991, both from the University of Guelph. After practicing in Ontario for 2 years she moved to Canmore in 1993 and has been at the Canmore Veterinary Hospital ever since. In 2009, Karen became certified in Canine Rehab Therapy, allowing her to further develop her interests in canine sports medicine, puppy development and senior pet care. She enjoys all aspects of being a veterinarian, including surgery, dentistry and wellness care. When not at the clinic, she enjoys time with her husband, two athletic sons, Kylie her dog and Kona the cat. Karen is involved in numerous sports including running, skiing, weight lifting and Pilates.
Dr. Sylvia McAllister has been a veterinarian since graduating from OVC (Guelph), in 1987. She moved to Canmore the same year and has been happy to call it home ever since. Sylvia enjoys caring for her patients in all facets of veterinarian medicine but especially surgery and diagnostic technology, including x-ray and ultrasound. She shares her house with two teenagers, two dogs and two cats, which keep her pretty busy. (She is also a hockey Mom). In her spare time she loves to travel, paddle board (with one of her two dogs on board), cross-country ski, ride her horse and practice her photography skills. Check out her great photos on the Canmore Veterinary Hospital Website.
Dr. Ian graduated with a Biology degree in 1996 and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from OVC in 1999. He was working in Brooks, Alberta in 2007 when the call of the mountains brought him to Canmore.
Dr. Jen graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan in 1998. Jen has recently moved to Canmore from Calgary where she owned her own clinic and practiced veterinary medicine for over 20 years. Jen is one of the few veterinarians in the province that is board certified with the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in canine and feline practice. Throughout her career Jen has been an active volunteer in the Veterinary community and served as president of the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association in 2012. While Jen enjoys many aspects of veterinary medicine, she has a special interest in dermatology. In her spare time, Jen loves to hike, cross country ski, bike, snowshoe, do yoga, cook, travel and study wine.
Dr. Kelsie Paris graduated from the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in 2021. Born and raised in Banff, she spent two years practicing in BC before making the decision to return to the Bow Valley. Kelsie enjoys all aspects of veterinary medicine, with a keen interest in general wellness care, surgery, and dentistry. When not at work, she can be found somewhere out in the mountains skiing, hiking, biking, kayaking, or swimming.
Dr. Melnick grew up in Pinawa, Manitoba on the Winnipeg River where she obtained a love for nature and the outdoors. She received her Bachelor of Science in Agriculture at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg before completing her veterinary degree in 2019 at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon. After graduation, she spent a year working at a small animal general practice and emergency/specialty clinic in Lake Country, BC.
Katya has now settled down in Canmore and is enjoying getting to know everyone and their pets. She has particular interests in nutrition, wellness, emergency medicine, and working with clients to find a solution for their pet’s problems together. When she's not in the clinic she can usually be found on the mountain bike trails, on the chairlift, or in the back-country.
Dr. Adam grew up in a small community near Hinton, Alberta, surrounded by nature with the mountains a short distance away. She received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta before completing my Veterinary Medicine Degree at St. George’s University in the beautiful Caribbean islands. After four years of travelling, Dr. Adam is ready to settle back into the Rocky Mountains of Alberta.
Dr. Adam's interests include internal medicine, dermatology and nutrition. When she is not in the clinic, you can find her at the top of a mountain or cuddling her cat, Lemon, at home.
Dr. Robin grew up in Canmore, surrounded by wildlife and family pets (everything from degus to an Irish Wolfhound) and was inspired at a young age to give back to the animals in her life and pursue a career in veterinary medicine.
Staying close to the mountains, she obtained a BSc. in Biology from the University of Calgary, and a DVM from the U of C Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in 2021. Robin has worked at BRVC since 2014, starting as an animal care attendant, and is excited to now be working in a position that requires cleaning up less dog feces. As a first-year veterinarian she is still trying to find her niche in the profession but has an interest in diagnostic imaging and all things feline.
In her spare time Robin enjoys a multitude of Canmore activities including hiking, mountain biking, cross-country and downhill skiing, yoga, drinking overly-expensive coffee, and wearing athleisure clothing. When not out and about in the Bow Valley, Robin can be found at home with her two cats, Evelyne and Theodore.
