Animal Lovers To Our Core

Caring for your pet isn’t our profession. It’s our calling.

Your Veterinarians

Dr. Erin Heck

Your Veterinarian, Clinic Owner and Continuous Dreamer

Dr. Kristi Jacobson

Your Veterinarian

Dr. Kim Palacios

Your Veterinarian

Dr. Sarah Pedersen

Your Veterinarian

Dr. Jenevieve Fuller

Your Veterinarian

Dr. Katherine Sparkman

Your Veterinarian

Dr. Kieren Gray

Your Veterinarian

Your Registered Veterinary Technologists

Joni

Your Registered Veterinary Technologist

Justine

Your Registered Veterinary Technologist

Jaimee

Your Registered Veterinary Technologist

Sarah

Your Registered Veterinary Technologist

Nicole

Your Registered Veterinary Technologist

Kristin

Your Registered Veterinary Technologist

Jenn

Your Registered Veterinary Technologist

Your Client Care Coordinators

Trina

Your Client Care Coordinator

Deanna

Your Client Care Coordinator

Jayden

Your Client Care Coordinator

Vicki

Your Lead Receptionist

Your Assistants

Taelor

Your Assistant

Jenna

Your Assistant

Hailey

Your Assistant

Brooke

Your Assistant

Your Managers & Admins

Kaela

Your Clinic Manager

Danielle

Your Inventory Coordinator

Jeff

Your Clinic Administrator

Tinille

Your Clinic Manager

Jordan

Your Inventory Coordinator

Dr. Erin Heck

Your Veterinarian, Clinic Owner and Continuous Dreamer

Hello! Thanks for checking out who I am. I love to share my story and how I came to start Happy Paws Veterinary Clinic.

I grew up in the agricultural town of Olds, Alberta with three sisters and an older brother. My two amazing parents allowed me to have many opportunities to interact with animals and even have a multitude of pets. This came with many trips to the local veterinary clinic of course, which I ended up volunteering at when I was 14. After high school, I decided to become an Animal Health Technologist (the equivalent of an animal nurse). I worked in an emergency practice for two years before deciding to go back to school to become a vet. This decision was fueled by the desire to work more closely with pet guardians, focusing on communication and shared decision making. After two years of undergraduate studies, I got my acceptance phone call to go to the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine! This set me up for the next four years of learning and adventure, leading to graduating with my DVM degree.

My next steps were into a fast-paced emergency and primary care clinic in Calgary. I honed my technical skills and relied heavily on my communication skills to help clients through difficult emergency situations with their pets. I moved into a mobile practice next, traveling to people’s homes and building relationships. It taught me more about what amazing bonds you as a pet parent have with your fur child.

I finally felt ready to create a veterinary clinic that captured the veterinary experience that I felt I would want for my pets. That was when Happy Paws Veterinary Clinic was created.

I am blessed with two happy, silly, golden retrievers (Sam and Sherman) who have been an inspiration for the veterinarian I want to become. My animals have comforted me in difficult times and taught me new things about living for the moment. I am currently without a kitty in my life, I keep adopting senior cats and enjoying them for their last few years. Dizzy and Swiper were my last two. I think for me the next endevour will be fostering some kitties that need a little extra support. Stay tuned.

I have an amazing human family in my life, too, who you may see around the clinic as the clinic administrator (Jeff’s bio below). His support has been unmeasurable as I have pursued my dreams. We have an amazing daughter named Fiona who at the time of editing is 4 years. She is so full of imagination; loves playing with her stuffies and has a loveable heart. I have an energetic son named Ethan who is now 3 years, he loves puzzles and cars and adores anything his sister does. You don’t really see the world until you see it through the eyes of developing kids. They have already taught me so much.

My passion is making a stress-free experience at the vet clinic for both you and your pet. As your veterinarian, you can expect an open, judgement-free zone where you can ask all the questions you want. I believe in offering you options and choice in care as nobody knows your pet better than you do.

It is always an honour when someone selects me to be their veterinarian. I hope to meet you soon!

Tinille

Your Clinic Manager

Tinille has been in the veterinary field for over 30 years! She started as a kennel attendant in high school and thought she wanted to become a veterinarian. After 1 year of post secondary courses she decided that was not her path. Luckily, she found the path that lead her to an Animal Health Technology program in Kamloops BC. At the University College of the Cariboo (now Thompson Rivers University- TRU) she graduated with her diploma in Animal Health Technology. Being from Vancouver Island Tinille returned to work in a small animal general practice for a year after graduation. However, during school, a teacher had shared about an experience in NYC where you could do a 1 year internship. So being the ever explorer of opportunities Tinille applied and was excepted as one of 6 people in North America. Living on Manhattan at a young age was very eye opening and an amazing opportunity! The next opportunity to present was an externship in Colorado with horses- off she went for 6 weeks! During her time away her boyfriend had moved to Calgary, so upon her return to Canada this is where she went. Tinille lived and worked in Calgary from 1996 to 2006. During those years she spent time at Airdrie Animal Clinic, Crowfoot Veterinary Hospital, the emergency hospital in Inglewood and finally Calgary North Veterinary Hospital (CNVH.)

At CNVH another opportunity arose- pursuing a Veterinary Technician Specialty in Emergency and Critical Care. With some extremely hard dedicated work and amazing vet mentors Tinille was the first to attain her VTS (ECC) in Alberta and was one of the first few Canadians as well. After 8 years at CNVH in management positions and many overnight shifts (because that’s when the animals like to come in most on emergency!) she decided to follow her now husband back to Vancouver Island where all their family was.

While in the Nanaimo area Tinille worked as a manager in general practice, as an equine tech for a veterinary surgeon, teaching for TRU’s distance program for other up and coming techs (for 13 years!) and then finally she made her way back into emergency medicine at the local emergency hospital (Central Island Veterinary Emergency Hospital) where she locumed first and then was hired on into management. During these years 2 children were added to the family as well- busy years!

2022 presented the next opportunity with a family move back to AB. Looking for employment opportunities resulted in Tinille and Dr. Erin’s paths crossing again (they had previously been coworkers at CNVH when Dr. Erin worked as an RVT there!!) Currently Tinille is the Clinic Manager for both of the Happy Paws Vet Clinics and between this and her family she stays very busy!

Current pets of the family are a rescue dog named Cherry, a Siamese cross cat that the family adopted from the TRU AHT program named Carlos and a tripod cat with a short kinky tail named Mello (of course another rescue!)

In her free time (very limited!) she likes to read and is learning to master the board game Catan.

She looks forward to meeting all of the Happy Paws clients and patients when they come in for visits!

Animal Lovers To Our Core

Caring for your pet isn’t our profession. It’s our calling.

Your Veterinarians

Dr. Erin Heck

Dr. Kristi Jacobson

Dr. Kim Palacios

Dr. Sarah Pedersen

Dr. Jenevieve Fuller

Dr. Katherine Sparkman

Dr. Kieren Gray

Your Registered Veterinary Technologists

Joni

Justine

Jaimee

Sarah

Nicole

Kristin

Jenn

Your Client Care Coordinators

Trina

Deanna

Jayden

Vicki

Your Assistants

Taelor

Jenna

Hailey

Brooke

Your Managers & Admins

Kaela

Danielle

Jeff

Tinille

Jordan

Happy Paws West

Happy Paws East

Happy Paws West

Happy Paws East