Our Veterinarians
Dr. Rob Ashburner, Veterinarian
Dr Rob, the owner of the practice has been working as a Veterinarian for 33 years. He graduated from the WCVM in the last century and moved out west shortly thereafter to open WKEAC in 1988. Rob enjoys all aspects of the profession, showing a special interest in Veterinary surgery.
When he is not at the clinic, he is hard to catch as he is always on the move. He enjoys cycling, running, and most outdoor activities. He also enjoys spending time on the gulf islands with his Wife, Cora. He has three adult children (the youngest of which, Dr. Claire who is a vet with us!) and five grandchildren whom he enjoys as much time with as possible!
Dr. Claire Ashburner, Veterinarian
Dr. Claire graduated from UCD Veterinary College in Ireland in 2013 and started working at the WKEAC that fall. She enjoys working with her dad, Dr. Rob – learning from him and also teaching him things along the way! It is wonderful to have Claire working with us at the WKEAC. Claire has a special interest in Veterinary analgesia and internal medicine.
Claire enjoys spending lots of her time with her husband on the Seawall- cycling and running. She also loves to spend time on local mountains- hiking in the summer, and snowboarding or skiing in the winter!
Dr. Alex Boo, Veterinarian
Dr. Boo, has been part of the WKE team since 2018. He grew up here in Vancouver, BC, and started volunteering in various veterinary clinics in the lower mainland during secondary school. He then obtained a BSc (Hons.) in Applied Animal Biology at the University of British Columbia (UBC), and graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon. During his final year of vet school, Alex had the opportunity to complete an externship at the University of Cambridge in England, which allowed him to travel and learn loads at the same time!
Alex happily offers consults in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. He has a special interest in dermatology and internal medicine, and loves the long-term veterinarian-client-patient relationship, as well as the variety that comes with general practice. In his spare time, he enjoys photography, hiking, kayaking, and travelling. Alex also holds an adjunct professor position at UBC where he lectures on shelter diseases, with the aim to educate and prepare the next generation of compassionate veterinarians.
Dr. Jackie McDowell, Veterinarian
Dr. Jackie McDowell graduated from University College Dublin, Ireland in 2014. Before moving to Vancouver with her husband in 2017, she practiced small animal and equine medicine in England and Ireland. She particularly enjoys soft tissue surgery and has interests in internal medicine and wound management. Jackie has a particular soft spot for Jack Russell Terriers and Labrador Retrievers having grown up them on the farm back home.
Jackie is an avid Rugby fan and follows Leinster rugby during the winter. She plays field hockey with the Jokers and enjoys hiking and all things outdoors.
Dr. Makhan, Veterinarian
Dr. Makhan is a locum Veterinarian who has been working part time at WKEAC for 14 years. She graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1996. She began her career working in Equine practice for a few years, and then changed to working in Small animal emergency medicine in downtown Toronto. Dr. Makhan then made her way to the west coast where she worked at Vancouver Animal Emergency Clinic for 4 years while starting locum shifts at WKEAC.
Dr. Lauren Martin, Veterinarian
Dr. Martin graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 2013 and has been practicing small animal medicine in the lower mainland for the past ten years. Her special interests include ophthalmology and infectious disease, and she is passionate about helping pets live healthy and happy lives. Dr. Martin also has a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree in Cell Biology and maintains a strong interest in biomedical research and basic science.
Outside of work, Dr. Martin enjoys mountain biking, hiking, riding horses, and spending time with her husband, her two children, and family. Her wonderful dog, Galtee, is also an avid hiker and joins them on all their adventures. Galtee’s special interests include swimming and ball.
Dr. Irene Kong, Veterinarian
Dr. Irene Kong grew up in a pharmaceutical family in Vancouver and studied Biochemistry at Simon Fraser University. She travelled to Australia in 2016 to pursue a veterinary medicine degree and graduated with honours from The University of Queensland.
Dr. Kong shares her household with her two dogs, Simba, a gentle sweet yellow Labrador Retriever who loves trail walking and hiking and her new puppy Chewie, a black Labrador Retriever. Dr. Kong enjoys watching movies and TV shows with Simba and Chewie in her spare time.