Four CK clinics,
one amazing team.

Dr. Courtney Tait originally grew up in Bolton, Ontario with her family, including her identical twin sister. She fulfilled her lifelong dream of becoming a veterinarian when she graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in spring 2018. She is extremely excited to begin her career with the amazing staff that makes up the Chatham Kent Veterinary team! While Dr. Tait enjoys all aspects of veterinary medicine, she especially loves that every day brings a different set of cases and challenges.

As a new resident of the Chatham-Kent community, Dr. Tait enjoys spending her free time exploring the city as well as hiking and playing hockey. Dr. Tait can’t wait to meet all clients and their special four-legged friends!

Born in Guelph, Dr. Emily Durbin and her family moved when she was young to Saskatchewan, where she grew up and earned her degrees at the University of Regina and the University of Saskatchewan. What Dr. Durbin loves the most about being a vet is that she gets to provide the same kind of health care available to people—but to pets. After all, as Dr. Durbin tells her sons, pets make our lives better, and it is a privilege to be able to look after them. She believes that listening closely to the pet owner’s concerns and a thorough physical examination are the most important diagnostic tests a vet can do. In her spare time, Dr. Durbin serves on the executive of the Women’s Leadership Council and is the Veterinarian for the Board of Directors for Autism Dog Services.

Dr. Ingrid Walker was born and raised in Nova Scotia where she attended Dalhousie University for her philosophy and biology degrees. She received her DVM from The Atlantic Veterinary College in Prince Edward Island. She moved here for her first job in 2002, fell in love with the area and the people and decided to stay here and raise a family. Her favourite areas of veterinary medicine are dentistry, ultrasound and palliative care.

As a vet, Dr. Ian Vallee thinks one must have two major skills: a strong love of furry creatures and a constant desire to problem-solve. Dr. Vallee grew up in the Windsor/Belle River area and earned his degrees at the University of Windsor and the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College. His favourite part of being a veterinarian is the opportunity to meet a new puppy or kitten. In contrast, one of the most difficult, but also most important, parts of his job is helping someone say “goodbye” to a longtime companion. Dr. Vallee appreciates his staff because they know that compassion and care are just as important as diagnostics and treatment. He always tells his co-workers that it’s okay to talk to the animals…just don’t tell anyone if you think they talk back!

Highgate is Dr. Caitlin Goldhawk’s hometown, and she is proud to have grown up in the Chatham-Kent community. She graduated from Ridgetown District High School, and from there she ventured to Guelph for university and earned her DVM at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College. Dr. Goldhawk says that what impresses her every day is how in-tune owners are with their pets. Owners know their pets like their children and are amazing at detecting subtle changes when a pet is not well. She believes the most important part of her job is to help heal those who cannot speak for themselves. Dr. Goldhawk is happily married to her husband, Dylan, and her best “fur” friend and side-kick is their rambunctious border collie named Howard. Scarlett and Conrad are her two children who keep her busy with many funny and exciting moments!

Dr. Tracy Landry loved growing up in the small town of Havre Boucher, Nova Scotia, and she believes that’s why she feels so comfortable living and working in friendly Chatham-Kent. Dr. Landry earned her BSc at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College and her DVM at the Atlantic Veterinary College. After more than a decade as a vet, she has come to the conclusion that she will never become bored with the challenges of medicine and will always look forward to playing with puppies and kittens after a stressful case. Through her work, Dr. Landry sees that the human-animal bond has a physical and emotional impact on all our lives. At home with her husband and two amazing daughters—and of course her two cats, Kleine and Paisley, along with Lexi the dog—she sees the same tight relationship. Dr. Landry knows that no two pets or two owners are the same, and she notes that every day she is amazed by their resilience and loyalty.