Meet Tread. At first glance, he looks like your typical black lab cross: goofy, sweet, ball obsessed, water loving mutt. However, Tread is not just your average run of the mill dog; he is a life saver. Tread is a blood donor dog and on more than one occasion, when an emergency situation has arisen, his gift of blood has saved the life of a dog in need.
Tread has not always led such a glamorous life. In fact, when Tread first came to Van Isle Vet, he was brought in by the SPCA who found him lying in a ditch. He had been hit by a car and suffering from multiple fractures to the pelvis. Luckily fate was in Tread’s favor that day because it was Dr. de...
Our Facility
Van Isle Veterinary Hospital was founded in the Comox Valley by Dr. Bruce Renooy and his wife Hilary Renooy in May of 2001. The practice originally started in a leased location of 2100 sq ft with four employees. After 8 years of providing veterinary services to the Valley, the hospital recently moved to its new 10,000 sq ft location in the fall of 2008, and currently operates with a staff of 26. This includes 6 full time veterinarians, 6 animal health technicians as well as 14 full and part time staff. The success of Van Isle Veterinary Hospital has been through the efforts of its founders and its staff – from the original 4 to the current 26, and beyond. Bruce and Hilary have tried and will continue to work towards maintaining a hospital which respects its staff, the animals and the clients who support the practice, and the community which supports us all.
About Our New Home
“Our home is your home” was the inspiration behind the construction of our new hospital. Every effort has been made to incorporate an animal friendly environment with a functional animal hospital. A deliberate effort was made during the planning process to provide a floor plan which allows animals and their owners to be moved around in the facility without interrupting the operations of the Hospital.
Hoping to capture that West Coast feel, the new building was designed as a Timber Frame Hybrid which incorporates traditionally cut and fitted local fir timbers into a dimensional wood frame structure. This feature is present in the Reception Area as well as the Horse Barn. One extremely large central fir beam was hand logged from a local woodlot and mounted on the front wall to stabilize the large glass face of the building.
Hallways are wide, ceilings are high, floors have extra grip, color tones are soft, and waiting areas are large to allow abundant space between animals. In the winter, a warm fireplace burns and provides an additional feeling of warmth and security against the inclement outdoor weather. Fresh coffee and ice water are always available at the Coffee Bar for clients as well as an endless supply of hypoallergenic treats at the front counter for our animal patrons! We want our clients and their companions to feel that they are welcome.
Now that you know about our facility, find out about our people!
