Dr. Kirstie Puskas knew she wanted to become a veterinarian when she was young and has spent many years achieving this goal. She grew up in Waterloo, Ontario and moved to Guelph to complete her Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Science at the University of Guelph. After completing her degree, she was accepted into the Ontario Veterinary College. Since graduating, Dr. Puskas has worked in south western Ontario and Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. She recently moved back to Guelph with her husband and is happy to join the team at Close Veterinary Clinic. She enjoys working with owners to provide the best possible care for their pets. She has a special interest in surgery, anesthesia and emergency medicine. Dr. Puskas and her husband have a 1 year old son and share their home with Hunter, a bluetick coonhound. When not working, Dr. Puskas enjoys many outdoor activities including mountain biking, running, cross country skiing and hiking.

Jessica is one of our Fear Free certified RVT’s that joined the Close Veterinary Clinic team in 2014 after graduating from the Veterinary Technician Program at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus. Her passion for animals started at a young age and led her to work at a veterinary clinic and a horse farm while attending high school prior to becoming a veterinary technician. Jessica grew up in Georgetown but currently lives in Kitchener with her husband Shayne, daughter Elena and son Noah. They share their home with both fur and scale babies including a pug named Yoda, two cats – Fred and George, as well as multiple snakes and fish. In her spare time Jessica enjoys spending time with her family, reading, playing video games and attending reptile expos.

Holly is one of our wonderful, Fear Free certified registered veterinary technicians here at Close Veterinary Clinic. She joined our team at the beginning of 2020 after successfully completing her externship and she passed her national examination to become registered at the end of 2020. Prior to coming to Close Veterinary Clinic, she had attended the University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus, where she graduated with honors and adopted her furry best friend, Stevie. Holly has always had a passion for animal welfare, exceptional healthcare, and continuing education. Outside of work she has a special interest in wildlife rehabilitation and conservation. To indulge in her passion, she enjoys volunteering locally and abroad; her most recent volunteer experience was at a local wildlife refuge in Guatemala. Aside from her intellectual interests, Holly loves to play hockey, watch the Toronto Maple Leafs (not win the Stanley Cup), spend time with her 3 pet rats, and go on adventures with Stevie, her dog, who she fell in love with and adopted from the veterinary technology program when she was in college.

Meet Fiona, one of our receptionists. Fiona grew up with two cats Pigpen and Roxie who sparked her interest and adoration of animals. She started her journey in animal care during high school working in dog grooming. After high school, she completed the Veterinary Office Administration program at University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus where she was Fear Free certified and graduated with distinction. Shortly after, she started working with the staff at Close Vet Clinic. She currently has two cats Archie and Arianna that were adopted from a rescue in Guelph.