Meet the Vetwise Animal Hospital Team

Dr. John Gillott, DVM

Veterinarian

Dr. Gillott has been practicing veterinary medicine for 18 years. He was born and raised in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia. He received a full scholarship to attend the University of Prince Edward Island where he completed his Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology and where he met his wife to be in 1995. He was then accepted into the Atlantic Veterinary College where Dr. John received his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the AVC in 1999. He then moved to the West Coast of Canada with his wife Tracy to practice in a busy veterinary hospital in a suburb of Vancouver, BC. After four years of practice, Dr. Gillott and his wife acquired a busy veterinary practice of their own in 2003 where they happily began establishing themselves within their community and building strong relationships.

As their family grew, the desire to return to family and friends and the call of the Maritimes became stronger. In October, 2016 Dr. Gillott purchased Vetwise Animal Hospital and moved with his wife, three children, dog and cat back home. Dr. Gillott enjoys building long-term relationships with his staff, clients, and patients. He is very friendly, compassionate, and kind and believes in strong communication with emphasis on client education and complete medical care. In addition to internal medicine and wellness, Dr. Gillott has extensive experience in soft tissue surgery, dentistry, pain management, and various anesthetic modalities.

John loves spending his spare time with his wife and children. They are a very active family and enjoy mountain biking, skiing, swimming, camping, and travelling.

Dr. Bev MacDougall, DVM

Veterinarian

Dr. MacDougall has been practicing veterinary medicine for 28 years. She grew up on a small farm in rural Nova Scotia. She attended the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in Truro and then completed her Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture at the MacDonald campus of McGill University in Montreal in 1983. She furthered her interest in animal welfare by attending the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph, Ontario. She received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 1989.

Dr. Bev has combined her interest in travelling with veterinary medicine by practicing in many of the Canadian provinces and abroad. She thoroughly enjoys the client-patient-veterinarian relationship and nurturing that relationship through kindness, honesty, and compassion. She has a strong focus on client education, preventative care, and internal medicine. She takes care to explain all diagnostic and treatment options, from simple to complex, to ensure each client understands and are actively involved in decisions regarding their pet’s health.

Bev enjoys spending her spare time with her husband and their pets. She enjoys gardening, kayaking, hiking, and travel.

Dr. Lindsay MacNeil, DVM  

Veterinarian

Dr. MacNeil grew up in rural Cape Breton, where a love of animals was passed down from her mother. She always knew she wanted to be a veterinarian and set out for the NSAC as soon as the island would let her go. Eventually she made her way to the Atlantic Veterinary College, graduating in 2013.

Dr. MacNeil has a keen interest in surgery and emergency care, as well as client communication and education. She loves nothing more than hearing all the little stories about how your pet enriches your life and can often be found insisting on seeing extra pictures of your pets, instead of doing her paperwork. She shares her home with a menagerie of pets and approaches appointments, not only as a veterinarian, but as a fellow pet owner who understands that we all just want what’s best for our furry family members.  

Dr. MacNeil is excited to be a member of a small, locally owned clinic where the vets and staff can connect with members of their own community and where everyone is treated as an individual.

Registered Veterinary Technicians:

Registered Veterinary Technicians are trained professionals in the field of veterinary medicine. They can be compared to a nurse, dental hygienist, medical laboratory technologist, anesthetist, radiologist, and  surgical assistant, among many more roles. Registered Veterinary Technicicans are skilled in all of these areas which enhance patient care and the human-animal bond.

Nancy, RVT

Nancy joined the Veterinary industry in 2004 as a vet assistant but quickly realized that she was spending more time in the treatment area to help with the Doctors and technicians than staying at the desk. After a few years of upgrading she recieved her RVT status. She has worked in regular medicine as well as in alternative medicine/rehab clinics prior to joining the Vetwise team in 2019.  Nancy has a soft spot for senior pets & wants to help ensure their retirement years go comfortably! She currently lives in Dartmouth with her partner and their two cats Ferris & Wink.

Samantha, RVT

Samantha graduated from the Maritime Business College as a veterinary technician in 2020. She did her school internship with us and quickly became a valued member of our team and so it only made sense that she was offered a full time position! One of her favourite aspects of her job is cuddling and comforting patients when they are out of surgery.

In her spare time she loves going on dog walk adventures, roadtrips, and the van life with her partner and Bernese Mountain dog, Zoey!

Receptionists:

Receptionists are the organizational backbone of every hospital. Apart from keeping things running smoothly and maintaining our vast medical record system, receptionists are the voice you hear on the telephone and the smiling faces that first welcomes you when you enter our hospital.

Julie, VA

Julie worked as a veterinary assistant and a receptionist before making the transition to be a full time receptionist here at Vetwise Animal Hospital in 2017. Her interests within the clinic include building relationships with clients and their pets while providing quality customer service.  In her spare time Julie enjoys reading, gardening and spending time with family. She is the adoring owner of Xander, her senior cat.

Julie lives locally here in Downtown Dartmouth and is proud to support the community's shops and businesses!

Emily, VA

Emily graduated from the Maritime Business College Veterinary Assistant program in 2012. She has worked as both a veterinary assistant and receptionist prior to joining us  in 2020.  She enjoys interacting with clients and their fur family members!

In her spare time she enjoys spending her time on her farm with her two horses, two cats, one dog, and birds of many sorts!