Kayla Noel
Practice Manager and Registered Veterinary Technologist
Kayla grew up with a Sheltie named Sunny, and it was the countless hours playing with and caring for him that first inspired her to help pets. She has always felt a natural inclination to fix things that were broken, and as she got older, her interests in anatomy and physiology started to blossom. For Kayla, caring for pets professionally in the veterinary field was simply the only choice that made sense!
Kayla is originally from the Transcona area of Winnipeg and spent many hours
during her teenage years volunteering with her family’s veterinarian, learning the
ins and outs of the veterinary profession hands-on. She graduated from Red
River College’s Animal Health Technology program in 2010, then transferred here
to Sage Creek Animal Hospital from a “sister” clinic to serve as Head Technician
upon the clinic’s grand opening in April of 2013. Now, Kayla serves as the
hospital’s Practice Manager! She’s especially interested in neonatal care—Kayla
even volunteers with rescue groups to care for orphaned puppies and
kittens—and is also fond of pet nutrition and likes helping pet owners choose the right diets for their animal companions.
When she isn’t helping to ensure things run smoothly here at the hospital, Kayla
enjoys camping, horse back riding, waterskiing, and wakeboarding.
Kayla lives on a 10-acre hobby farm east of Winnipeg with her husband, Jack, and
their daughters, Rose and Evelyn. Kayla and her husband share their farm with a
multitude of animal companions: a loving Shepherd/Malamute mix who goes by
Moose; five cats named Saturn, Styx, Ranger, Pixie and Rupert; and occasionally a host of pigs and chickens.
Wayne Mackey
Registered Veterinary Technologist
Starting from childhood, Wayne had a desire to care for animals as a profession.
Wayne finds caring for each animal as if they were his own extremely rewarding.
Wayne was born and raised in Winnipeg. He is an only child from a small family.
He has had dogs since he was 4 years old. Being around dogs since a young age influenced his ultimate career choice.
Wayne began school in the Business Administration program at Red River
College. After starting the program, he realized that his true calling was in animal health. He registered for the Animal Health Technology Program the same day he discontinued Business Administration program. Wayne started working at
Sage Creek Animal Hospital in February 2020. His favorite part of the job is client education, pet nutrition and inventory management. Wayne has two dogs, Stewie and Megatron. Stewie is an Italian greyhound/chihuahua and Megatron is Jack Russell Terrier. When not working, Wayne enjoys camping, gardening, barbecuing, and playing Softball and Hockey.
Melissa Hemminger
Registered Veterinary Technologist
Both of Melissa’s parents worked in the human healthcare field, so she’s been
interested in the medical sciences ever since her earliest days. Coupled with a
lifelong adoration for the earth’s creatures, a career in the veterinary world
simply made sense! Melissa is proud to help pets live happier, healthier lives on a daily basis as a Registered Veterinary.
Melissa grew up on a honey farm three hours southwest of Winnipeg, where she
and her family kept everything from pigs, chickens, cats, and dogs, to hamsters, a
guinea pig, and fish. She attended Red River College in Winnipeg to study in
their Animal Health Technology course, even serving as Class President and
graduating with honors. Shortly after her time in school, Melissa joined the Sage Creek Animal Hospital family—she’s been here ever since.
Medically, Melissa enjoys the challenges of placing IV lines and completing
dental cleaning procedures. She never tires of hearing before-and-after stories of
pets who have been revitalized after a thorough tooth cleaning! Melissa also likes discussing animal care techniques with pet owners.
In her time away from work, Melissa can be found crocheting, camping, baking
and going for walks with her husband and sons. She also enjoys spending time with her cats, Maple and Stella.
Chantel Richey
Registered Veterinary Technologist
Chantel has been told all her life that animals are her calling, and some have
even said she has a sixth sense for all types of animals. She grew up surrounded
by animals, her family dog Buddy, many cats over the years, guinea pigs,
hamsters, a chinchilla, and even rescued some beta fish one time. From 3 years old Chantel has wanted to help, heal, and make sure every animal feels loved, so
becoming a Veterinarian Technologist was the perfect fit as an adult.
She started in the veterinary field in 2013 working as a veterinary assistant for 7
years where she grew her love of surgeries, emergencies, and client education.
She graduated from the Veterinary Technologist program at Red River College in
2021 and can’t wait to further her career with Sage Creek Animal Hospital.
Chantel hopes to further develop her skill set in behavior and dentistry and is
more than excited to help clients with the best care for their fur babies.
Chantel enjoys
spending time outdoors with walks or even just sitting on a deck. Her greatest
joy is being an aunt to her nieces and nephews and spends as much time as she
can with friends and family. Chantel currently is a fur mom to her golden cross, Lily, and two cats, Max & Zuzu.
Bria Yeryk
Registered Veterinary Technologist
Meet Bria Yeryk, a passionate Registered Veterinary Technologist (RVT) at Sage Creek Animal Hospital, where her lifelong love for animals has blossomed into a rewarding career. Raised in Winnipeg with her parents and two brothers, Bria’s upbringing was enriched by the presence of family dogs, fostering her deep-rooted connection to animals. From a young age, her affinity for animals was evident, as she played, trained, and even fashioned homemade bandages while playing “vet” at home. It was clear early on that she was destined to work in the veterinary field.
In high school, Bria explored various programs before discovering the RVT program, which immediately resonated with her. She enrolled at Red River College in 2016 and began working in clinics the following year, relishing the hands-on learning experiences offered by the program. Graduating in 2018, Bria’s passion for her work only continued to grow.
Bria’s favorite aspect of her job is analyzing lab samples under the microscope, especially when she observes the intricate movements of tiny critters. She thrives on the diversity of each day in the veterinary field, cherishing the opportunity to educate clients on pet health and nutrition while forging meaningful connections with both pets and their owners.
Outside of work, she finds joy in spending time indoors with her own pets or embarking on outdoor adventures such as hiking and kayaking with her beloved pups. Whether unwinding with a good book, practicing yoga, or cycling through the scenic landscapes of Winnipeg, Bria’s zest for life is evident in all that she does.
Emma Stewart
Head Veterinary Assistant
Working as a veterinary assistant was something that Emma had always felt that
she would excel at. She loves working with both the clients and the patients.
Emma loves that she is learning new things everyday about how to keep your pet happy and healthy.
Emma was born and raised in Winnipeg. She attended the Veterinary Office
Assistant program at Robertson College and graduated in 2014. She previously worked at another clinic before joining the Sage Creek family in May 2019. Emma loves the interaction with clients. If you have a concern, then she is concerned too! Her favorite part of the job is being able to help with surgical procedures,
treatments and pet care. Emma had the opportunity to go to Guelph, Ontario to see the Royal Canin food plant and has learned so much about food through those lessons, along with
being able to ask the wonderful team at Sage Creek for nutritional advice. In Feb 2023, she was extremely lucky to go to the annual Western Veterinary Conference in Vegas! She brought back many helpful tools for the clinic to be even more supporting to you and your pet.
Emma lives with her two cats, Ella and Frankie. When not at work, she likes to
attend gym classes, such as cycling or kickboxing, going for bike rides and cross- stitching.
Jennifer Ritchot
Veterinary Assistant and Student Veterinary Technologist
Jenny’s love for working with animals began when she was young. Her parents would foster young kittens, sometimes as young as 1 day old, until they were old enough to be adopted and she would help wherever she could. This often- involved bottle feeding and lots of kitten cuddles!
Jenny grew up in Morden, Manitoba with her younger siblings. After graduating from high school, Jenny moved to Winnipeg and studied at the University of Manitoba. While studying, she began working in childcare, where she remained for many years. In 2016, her dog, Dash, was diagnosed with epilepsy. When learning about epilepsy and what was involved with the diagnosis, Jenny became even more interested in pursuing a career in veterinary medicine. After completing her Veterinary Office Assistant program at Robertson College, Jenny moved back to Winnipeg from Drumheller, Alberta and began working at Sage Creek Animal Hospital. After several years at Sage Creek Animal Hospital, Jenny wanted to further her education in veterinary medicine and is now working towards becoming a Registered Veterinary Technologist. Jenny has a special interest in dermatology and enjoys educating clients on how to best support their pet’s with allergies.
Jenny lives in the St. Norbert area with her husband, Jesse and their children, Finn and Holly. They have a very busy household with three cats, Lieutenant Dan, Starr and Taco and a Golden Retriever, Lucy. When not at work or busy studying, Jenny loves to bake and try new Pinterest recipes! She will never pass up an offer for sushi or seafood and can usually be found spending time with family and friends.
Roxy Herie
Veterinary Assistant
As a child, she grew up with a variety of animals, such as horses, goats, chickens, ponies, cats, and dogs, but her favorites have always been horses and cats. She wanted to be in a field that would better help her understand any animal that she would have in the future.
She was born in St Boniface, Winnipeg, and grew up all throughout southern Manitoba. In 2019 she graduated from the Veterinary Assistant course at Robertson College. She worked for a few years at another clinic before coming to Sage Creek Animal Hospital in July 2021. She has always had a fascination with lab work and learning anything that she could.
Roxanne’s interests outside of the clinic include reading books and manga, going out to hang with her friends. Watching anime and movies, especially horror movies. Anything with ancient history has always fascinated her, such as the Egyptian pyramids and the Greek temples. She has always had the biggest wanderlust to travel and that the world is bigger and more exciting than ever.
She shares her home with her cat named Stitch, after the movie Lelo & Stitch as she is exactly like the movie version of her name. There are two other furry friends that live with them are Piper and Nero, Roxanne’s roommates’ cats.
Yulii Syniavskyi
Veterinary Assistant & undergoing Veterinarian Licencing process
Meet Yulii Syniavskyi, a dedicated Veterinary Assistant at Sage Creek Animal Hospital, whose childhood dream of helping animals has evolved into a fulfilling career in veterinary medicine. Born and raised in Kiev, Ukraine, Yulii’s passion for animals was nurtured from a young age in a household filled with family dogs and cats, including the calm and gentle chihuahua, Druzhok.
After graduating from high school, Yulii pursued his dream by earning a degree in veterinary medicine from the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine in 2013. Building upon his foundation, he furthered his education with a master’s degree in veterinary medicine in 2015. Yulii’s professional journey began at the Lessy veterinary clinic in Kyiv, where he honed his skills in general veterinary practice.
Since 2015, Yulii has specialized in emergency veterinary medicine, traumatology, neurology, and surgery at Animal Health veterinary hospital. His passion for neurology and critical care shines through in his work, as he thrives on the challenges and sleuthing required to provide the best care for his patients.
In November 2022, Yulii joined the team at Sage Creek Animal Hospital, bringing his expertise and enthusiasm for animal care to the community. Outside of work, Yulii finds joy in music, often indulging in playing musical instruments to unwind and relax.
Kenya Eastoe
Veterinary Assistant
Meet Kenya Eastoe, a dedicated veterinary assistant at Sage Creek Animal Hospital, whose lifelong passion for animals fuels her fulfilling career. Raised just outside of Winnipeg, Kenya’s love for all creatures began early, from keeping grasshoppers in her pockets to befriending frogs in the nearby creek. Growing up as an only child to hardworking parents, Kenya found companionship in a diverse array of pets, fostering a special bond with large dogs, including those often misunderstood as “dangerous” breeds.
After high school, Kenya embarked on a journey of self-discovery through travel, experiencing diverse cultures and landscapes worldwide. Determined to align her career with her lifelong passion, she pursued online courses through Robertson College, completing her training in just nine months.
In February 2023, Kenya joined the team at Sage Creek Animal Hospital, where she found the perfect blend of social interaction with pets and people. Every day brings new challenges and opportunities for growth, supported by welcoming colleagues, clients, and patients. Beyond her professional pursuits, Kenya indulges her love for travel, literature, and dance, embracing solo adventures and relishing the thrill of exploration.
