Our Caring & Compassionate Veterinary Team!

Meet the Veterinarians & Team of Centre Animal Hospital in Cold Lake! We are pleased to provide exceptional veterinary care for your pets!

Please call us at 780-594-1255 to speak to one of our caring staff members!

GREG BENOIT, DVM
Owner

Dr. Benoit graduated as valedictorian of his class, from St. Georges University, Grenada, in 2005. He grew up in the Lakeland region and comes from a veterinary and farming background complete with a love for animals. Greg spent significant time in his younger years playing hockey and showing jumping horses competitively.

In 2003, Dr. Benoit spent the summer in Wetaskawin, AB at the Bell Veterinary Services clinic where he developed an interest in equine reproduction; He then accepted an externship in 2004 and an internship from July 2005 – June 2006 at Moore & Co. in Calgary where he was responsible for all facets of equine medicine including minor surgeries, lameness exams, reproduction and medical workups. Following his internship Dr. Benoit worked at the Equine Medical Centre in North Chatham, New York, where he continued specializing in equine medicine and reproduction.

Dr. Benoit worked with Dr. Bill Prybysh at the Bonnyville Veterinary Clinic in 2007. In March of 2008, Dr. Benoit purchased the Bonnyville Veterinary Clinic where he continues to offer small and large animal services to the Lakeland area.

Dr. Benoit also worked with his father and brother at Centre Animal Hospital, where he was responsible for all facets of small animal medicine including minor and major surgeries, medical workups and routine examinations. In 2014, he purchased the clinic and took over full management in 2016.

In February 2009, Greg married his long-time friend, Allison Reid, who is also a partner in the business. They have 3 children together, Norah born in February 2010, Owen born in July 2011 and Easton, a Mother’s Day gift, born in May 2013. They also have a 3 legged Collie mix named Baita, a Chocolate Lab named Loka, and have recently added a Boston Terrier named Belle.

Dr. Robyn Shipclark, DVM
Associate

Robyn moved to the Cold Lake area when she was 13 years old. She lived at CFB Cold Lake for a year before her family moved to an acreage near Ardmore. After attending high school in Bonnyville, she completed a degree in Biology with distinction at the University of Alberta. She began a career in medical research with the CanadaWest Biosciences and the University of Alberta. She later took a position as a teaching technician at the University of Calgary’s faculty of Veterinary Medicine, and was then admitted to the University of Calgary’s Veterinary Medicine program. Since graduation in May 2016, she has been working in small animal practice. Her interests include dentistry and pocket pets.

Robyn married her high school sweetheart, Conrad. They have 2 children together, Everett, who was born in January 2014, and Bennett who was born in November 2017.  They also have a sweet, adopted shelter cat named Shelby and have recently rescued a cat that was found in a hole and named her Carrera.

Dr. Melanie Koetke, DVM
Associate

Dr. Melanie Koetke grew up on a cattle and grain farm outside of Camrose, Alberta. She completed two years at the University of Alberta before attending the Western College of Veterinary Medicine to complete her Veterinary degree. Dr. Koetke graduated from the WCVM in 2017, and is the newest member of the Bonnyville Veterinary Clinic team.

Growing up on a beef farm, Dr. Koetke developed a strong interest in herd medicine and reproductive technologies such as artificial insemination and embryo transfer. Working at other Veterinary clinics in the past, Dr. Koetke also came to enjoy small animal wellness and behaviour. Although she doesn’t have any pets of her own, she especially loves the cats and kittens that come to the clinic as they are her own.

In her spare time, Dr. Koetke enjoys playing sports, reading, and helping out on the family farm.

Melissa,
Veterinary Medical Receptionist

Melissa joined our team in April of 2017, bringing with her more than 6 years of administrative experience. Her sunny personality makes her the perfect fit at reception, welcoming our clients and keeping our day organized.

Melissa is the first and the last face most people see when they visit our hospital. She always has a smile and genuine, kind words to share. Having been in the area for her whole life, Melissa knows many people and prides herself on remembering clients and patients alike.

Melissa has 4 Chihuahua’s; Rico, Bear, Ozzy, Stuart & Gordon.

Alyssa,
RVT

Alyssa began her career with us at the Bonnyville Vet Clinic after graduating from the Animal Health Technology program at Lakeland College in June 2021. She grew up in Peterborough, Ontario, moved to Cold Lake with her parents when she was 13 and has stayed in the area because of all of the great people she has met since she moved here. The Lakeland Area has always felt like home to her.

Continually having a pet or two (or three) while growing up, Alyssa was always around animals. From a young age, she had a fascination with them and was always learning more about them. Heading into the veterinary field just made sense.

Getting to know and care for each patient that walks through the door on a personal level is her favorite part of veterinary clinic life, whether it be for a single wellness appointment or supporting them when they are not feeling their best.

Alyssa and her significant other, Mozes, have two cats, Gracie and Jules.

Danielle,

Veterinary Technician

Danielle grew up in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. She and her husband, Max, moved to the Lakeland Area when he was posted here with the military.

Her favorite part of the job is getting to see the sick patients leave the clinic feeling better. Her love for animals is why she became a veterinary technician.

Danielle and Max have a Portuguese Water Dog named Jake, a Poodle named Coquette, and a Cat named Penny Lane.

MicKayla,

VA

MicKayla joined our team in September 2022. She graduated from the Veterinary Assistant program through Robertson College in January 2022.

Animals have always been a part of MicKayla’s life. She enjoys their presence and has always wanted to be able to help them in some way. MicKayla lives on an acreage with her boyfriend Kris, their 2 dogs, Hank and Maizy, and 3 cats, Crush, Peach and Hiccup. She loves every kind of animal and finds it fascinating to learn new things about them.

MicKayla’s favorite part of the job is knowing that she is part of a team whose goal is the well-being of animals and that she gets to partake in helping the communities’ pets. When MicKayla is not at the clinic or obsessing over her fur babies, you can find her watching horror movies, doing crafts, or relaxing on a floaty in the lake.

Tina,
VA

Tina joined our team in October of 2020 as a veterinary assistant. She came to us with veterinary reception background, but the changes that Covid brought threw her further into the treatment area, and she began to love working even closer with the animals.

Tina grew up in central Ontario, in scenic cottage country, but ventured to Alberta in September of 2020 and fell in love with the beauty of the Lakeland area.

After working in human healthcare for 16 years, Tina realized she wanted to be a part of animal healthcare because animals have always been a huge part of her life.

Tina’s favourite part of the job is helping those patients that are sick/scared by being a safe person for them when they are feeling vulnerable, and providing compassionate care to them.

Outside of work, Tina enjoys hiking, running, and is a Reiki Practitioner. Although she currently doesn’t have any pets of her own, her roommate’s dog Rocky gets extra spoiled with her attention.