Our Team

Dr. McIntosh graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 2010 and began practice with Prince of Wales Animal Hospital and Algonquin Animal Hospital in May 2010. He also graduated with his B.Sc. (Honours) in biology from Queen's University in Kingston and is no stranger to Eastern Ontario.

Born in Ottawa, Dr. McIntosh moved at an early age to a midsized town north of Toronto, where both of his parents and older sister would swear he had veterinary aspirations since childhood. He worked as an assistant in veterinary clinics throughout high school before attending Queen's and then Ontario Veterinary College, also working at several practices throughout York Region and the Kingston area as a veterinary student.

He has an interest in internal and emergency medicine and is always willing to learn from his coworkers’ experiences and skills. He also has extensive experience in advanced imaging techniques, including infrared cameras, and has presented research on using thermal cameras to detect diseases in pigs at the Centralia Swine Research Update.

After the sad and unexpected passing of Dr. Barrie Stewart in 2014, Dr. McIntosh was pleased to buy the practices in 2015. He looks forward to continuing to provide and expand the decades of compassionate care and pet education combined with his and his fellow colleagues’ high standards of veterinary medicine.

Outside of the clinic, Dr. McIntosh loves spending time with his wife Elena, his daughter Alyssa and son Max, and being taken for walks by his Great Dane Athena. He also plays hockey recreationally, as well as inner-tube water polo.

Dr. Jennifer Smallwood grew up in Iroquois, south of Ottawa, and likes to say that she was raised by a series of yellow labs. She graduated from OVC in 1988, having first completed a BSc. (Agr.) with a major in Animal Science. She began her veterinary career as a mixed animal practitioner in largely dairy-based practices in Eastern Ontario. She married her husband Lorne in 2002, followed him to Thunder Bay, and has focussed her attention on companion animal medicine and surgery ever since. She spent 10 years as a locum veterinarian serving Northern and Central Ontario, which allowed her to experience veterinary medicine in over 20 different practices. She and her husband relocated to the Ottawa area in 2012, and she joined the Algonquin and Prince of Wales team in 2017. Dr. Smallwood loves the constant change and lifelong learning in veterinary medicine, and is a member of the American Association of Feline Practitioners, having developed a particular fondness for cats. Her veterinary hero is Dr. Sophia Yin, who pioneered low-stress handling in our profession. Dr. Smallwood became Fear Free Certified in early 2019, and is dedicated to preserving the emotional as well as the physical well-being of her patients. Outside of practice, she enjoys camping, gardening, Tweeting and reading. She and her husband are in service to 2 demanding felines, HRH Francesca Kitten Emeritus (Frankie), and Jonesy, the pride of rural North Augusta.

Dr Dennis Verbickas graduated in 2004 from Ontario Veterinary College. After graduation he worked in a small animal practice in the greater Toronto area for 14 years before moving to Ottawa in 2018. He has special interests in preventative, internal and emergency medicine as well as veterinary opthomology and dentistry.

Dr Verbickas regularly attends veterinary conferences to keep up to date on the most current advances in veterinary medicine and has taken several surgical wet labs to enhance his surgical skills. He is a member of the Veterinary Information Network (VIN) where the latest veterinary information is available.

In his spare time he enjoys hiking, camping and kayaking. He lives with his wife Gita and two cats - Mama and Tuxedo. Dr Verbickas gets a great deal of satisfaction from making a difference every day in the lives of both his patients and their owners.

Dr. Walker grew up in Brantford Ont, she moved to the Ottawa area in 1989 just after graduation. Dr. Walker obtained her Bsc (Agr) in 1985 and graduated from Guelph in 1989. She was in a mixed practice for 2 1/2 years then started at Algonquin Animal Hospital Oct 7 1991.

Married to Steve Walker, she has had an exciting time helping him professional motorcycle race for the past 20 years, now we just ride dirt bikes, bicycle and hike. Her love of travel includes areas with lots of nature and outdoor activities Dr. Walker is an avid knitter and weaver. Dr. Walker is a fitness enthusiast and teaches spin and kettlebell classes in her hometown of Carleton Place.

She has 3 cats and 3 dogs...2 cats are related, Opey and Orange Cat and
Marvin is the newest addition.

She owns 3 dogs Beemer, an accidental Aussie Doodle, Gemma a Husky mix from the North and little Remington Steal My Heart a chihuahua from North Carolina. All of Dr. Walkers pets are rescues.

Dr. David Sparks graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in May 2019 and joined the team here at the Algonquin Animal Hospital in June 2019. As a new veterinarian, his interests in small animal medicine include anesthesia, internal medicine, and surgery. He is looking forward to meeting the clientele here at Algonquin Animal Hospital in the coming years.

Dr. Sparks is originally from Sarnia, ON, and attended the University of Ottawa for his undergraduate where he studied Biochemistry. After moving to Guelph for veterinary school, Dr. Sparks moved back up to the Ottawa Valley where he lives with his wife, Olivia, daughter, Lyla, and 7 dogs in the Ottawa Valley.

Outside of work Dr. Sparks enjoys playing and watching hockey, working outdoors, boating, and going to the dog park!

Tama joined the Algonquin Animal Hospital in 1984 as a high school co-op student. She became a part-time employee of the practice after her co-op while she attended Algonquin College to obtain a degree in business. After graduation, she became a full-time employee. Tama is now the practice manager, of the Algonquin and Prince of Wales Animal Hospitals.

Tama is a true cat lover, especially black cats, making her home with two furry felines, Coraline and Possum. She also has a Golden Retriever, Berkley. She loves to travel, her favourite destination being Roatan, Honduras. In her free time, Tama enjoys spending weekends at the cottage with her husband and daughter. Her favourite pastime is drinking wine and online shopping …. A dangerous combination!

Rhonda has been an employee of The Prince of Wales Animal Hospital since 1997. She was hired as a receptionist after completing her Diploma in Animal Science and Medical Office Administration. She is now the Office Manager at The Prince of Wales Animal Hospital.

She is easily distracted anytime a dog catches her eye no matter what she is doing, especially if it's a bully breed. If you can't find her at the front desk, she can be found in the exam room giving cuddles to all the dogs. She enjoys her pet/client relationships she has made over the years and always looks forward to making new ones.

She adopted her Mastiff Mix Bane from The Ottawa Humane Society in 2013. She has never experienced a dog quite like him but has enjoyed the challenge and has learned a lot about dog behavior.

In her downtime she enjoys cooking, sipping a good Cabernet, dance, enjoying time by the lake and long walks with Bane.

Christina grew up on the East Coast, in the small town of Truro, Nova Scotia. She worked for the Atlantic Superstore for 14 years in the cash office, in both Nova Scotia, and Fredericton, NB, before moving to Ottawa with her fiancé in the summer of 2016.

Once settled into Ottawa, she knew she wanted to try something new, and applied for the reception position at The Algonquin & Prince of Wales Animal Hospitals and started working for us in October 2016. She really enjoys all the knowledge she’s learned working with us as well as getting to see all the different breeds of dogs and cats that come into our clinics.

Currently she lives with her fiancé, Julien, their three cats, Francis, Franklin and Freya, as well as their tri-coloured Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Nova (named after Nova Scotia!!).

In her spare time she enjoys watching movies, in particular anything by Tim Burton, with the Nightmare Before Christmas being her all time favourite movie, listening to music, attending concerts and music festivals, as well as travelling to new places, both within Canada and outside of Canada.

Devyn was born in a small town outside of Toronto, but grew up north of Barrie, surrounded by Lake Simcoe. She moved to Ottawa in September 2012 with her partner, John, and started at Algonquin Animal Hospital in January of 2016 following multiple years in retail management.

Devyn is currently completing her degree online through Athabasca University specializing in Psychology and Women’s and Gender Studies. Devyn is our resident artist responsible for our new “Fur Your Information” board and has recently taken on the position of Customer Service Supervisor.

Devyn and John married in the summer of 2020. In her spare time, you can find her with her beagle, Silas. She also enjoys reading, calligraphy, traveling, and swimming. She hopes to join a Masters Swimming team in the near future.

Born and raised in Ottawa, Sierra joined the team in February 2019. Sierra, who is bully breed obsessed adopted her male American Bulldog at 8 weeks old. Ivyn, is now 5 years old and was the 10th out of 11 in his litter. Sierra spends most of her time outdoors. She enjoys canoeing, hiking, snowboarding and biking. In her downtime she enjoys crafting, drawing, painting and anything artsy. Sierra has a big heart for animals of all kinds but holds a special place in her heart for our furry felines and canines.

Meredith was born and raised in Ottawa. She is one of our most recent additions, starting with the Algonquin Animal Hospital in June of 2019. Prior to working at our clinics, Meredith attended Marvel Beauty School and worked as a hair stylist and retail supervisor for many years.

Meredith has two young children, and a American Bully who keep her very active. In her spare time, you can find her at the gym, listening to music, outdoors, or doing activities with her kids. In the future, Meredith hopes to travel the world.

Amanda came to us as a receptionist on her way to becoming a Registered Veterinary Technician and is now our technician/VA supervisor. She graduated with honours from Algonquin College and obtained her registered status in 2013. Most recently, she completed an online program in Advanced Anesthesia and Surgical Pain Management Techniques through the University of Guelph. Although her hometown is in Newfoundland, she and her husband have lived all over eastern Canada and Ontario. Her most favourite thing to do is cuddle a Chihuahua! Amanda is a beer connoisseur in her spare time and she also loves crafting, especially crochet. She has 3 little dogs of her own, Macaroni, Zoodles, and Nacho, along with her 3 cats, Smeagol, Homer, and Java.

A 1990 graduate of the Animal Health Technician program at St. Lawrence College, Kingston, Stephanie joined the Prince of Wales Animal Hospital team in February 1994. Initially going back and forth between Algonquin and Prince of Wales, Stephanie now spends 2 days a month at Algonquin Animal Hospital and the majority of her time at Prince of Wales Animal Hospital. As a senior technician at Prince of Wales Animal Hospital, Stephanie enjoys complete control of her work environment.

After losing her mother to breast cancer in 2004, Stephanie and her team The Titty Cats have participated in CIBC run for the cure and have now stepped it up a notch and have participated in the Weekend to End Women's Cancers for the past 2 years. The Titty Cats fundraise throughout the year and are proud to have raised almost $20,000 for the Ottawa Regional Cancer Centre. Stephanie usually has to take the week off after the 2-day event to recuperate.

Outside of work, Stephanie and her husband Andrew share their lives with Luci, domestic shorthair and an adorable Corgi named Angus. Stephanie enjoys reading and can be seen with her Kobo® reader whenever she has a break.

Shelby was born in Ottawa, Ontario and moved just outside the city in 2016. Shelby adopted Shadow, her best friend, from the Ottawa Humane Society in 2010. Shadow is a 10 year old cocker spaniel mix who is the sweetest boy in town. She recently rescued two incredibly handsome long-haired cats, Dill and Pickles. In 2015, Shelby attended Algonquin College and graduated from the Veterinary Assistant program with honours. She then applied to the Veterinary Technician program. After graduating with honours, Shelby received RVT status from the OAVT in the summer of 2018. Shelby began working at the Algonquin Animal Hospital after a placement in June of 2018. Some of her hobbies include petting dogs, snuggling cats, attending concerts and traveling.

Andrea was born in Lahr, Germany. She moved to Canada at the age of 11, and learned English and French in Montreal. Andrea was always partial to animals and earned spending money training the area dogs, while others her age babysat. After college, Andrea went to train at different horse facilities such as Bromont to become a coach and trainer. In 1999 she opened Maplewood Equestrian Center with her family. In 2009 she went back to school to at Algonquin College to become a Veterinary Technician. Graduating in 2011, she has started work at Algonquin Animal Hospital since May 2018.

Heather graduated from the Veterinary Technology program in 1998 and has worked at Algonquin Animal Hospital for most of that time. She is married with 2 teen daughters . She has a soft spot for older dogs and is considered our small dog whisperer. When she is not working, she enjoys reading and spending time with her family.

Alex was born in Ottawa, Ontario and graduated from the University of Ottawa with a Bachelor’s in Biology. Afterwards she volunteered in different countries and frequently travelled between Ottawa and Toronto, Ontario. There she volunteered at a wildlife center and finally attended Sheridan College in 2017. After graduating she move back to Ottawa and obtained her RVT status in 2019. She has a border collie mix named Meisha.

Mandy started working at Algonquin Animal Hospital in 2017 after completing the Veterinary Assistant program at Algonquin College. Since joining our team, Mandy has worked both as a receptionist and vet assistant. She currently lives in Ottawa with her partner and has recently adopted two cats, Allan and his new little sister Tilly. During her spare time, she enjoys going to the movies, camping, and going on hikes. Mandy has recently taken on the role of Veterinary Assistant Supervisor.

Sabrina was born in Ottawa and has lived there most of her life. She grew up always wanting to be involved with animals and started in the field by working at a kennel in high school. She took the Veterinary Assistant program in 2016 and started with Algonquin Animal Hospital soon after. She applied to the Veterinary Technician program at Algonquin College and is currently completing her schooling there. After she graduates, she hopes to receive her registered status and work at a small animal clinic. Sabrina lives with her fiancé and two cats Archer and Rowan. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, and spending time with friends.

Alyssa was born and raised in Ottawa, and graduated from Carleton University with a degree in Biology. Alyssa plans on applying to the DVM program in Guelph soon, and hopefully one day becoming a veterinarian! Alyssa started working at the Algonquin Animal Hospital in 2017. Alyssa lives at home with her number one guy Charlie. Charlie is an 11-year-old Cocker Spaniel and is the king of cuddles. Alyssa also has a fluffy cat named Ross, named after her love for the show, Friends! In her spare time, Alyssa likes to play hockey and enjoys the occasional night out bowling.