Let Our Family Take Care of Your Family Pet
Woodgrove Animal Hospital is owned and operated by the husband and wife team of Dr. Jeff Goldman and Dr. Jayne Buchan. Jeff and Jayne were classmates at the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph, Ontario. They graduated in 1990, receiving several awards, including the jointly presented Toronto Humane Society Award for the humane treatment of animals.
After opening the practice in Nanaimo, Jeff and Jayne moved to Nanoose Bay to raise their two children, Alexandra and David, on a 5 acre property. Jayne’s love and experience with small ruminants prompted the family to start Arbutus Ridge, an alpaca and Nigerian Dwarf goat breeding farm, complete with cats, dogs, and even a horse.
After graduation they moved to Vancouver Island and opened the Woodgrove Animal Hospital in Nanaimo in August of 1991 with the goal of providing high quality health care for all species of household pets. Since that time we have had the pleasure of treating a variety of animals including goldfish, pythons, hedgehogs, rabbits, pot-bellied pigs, parrots, sugar gliders, iguanas, tortoises, and even ring-tailed lemurs.
With their children now grown up and off to university, Jeff and Jayne moved from the farm to the waterfront in Nanoose Bay where they’ve traded the alpacas and goats for sea lions and whale watching. Sharing the ocean view are their 13 year old French Bulldog Jasmine and 8 year old Golden Retriever Skye.
We truly enjoy the challenge of working with all exotic pets including pet birds, but our true passion is keeping our canine and feline patients happy and healthy. Wildlife that is brought to us will receive free treatment and then be released back into the wild or transferred to a licensed rehabilitation centre. We are also a local drop-off hospital for the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre.
Jolene
(RVT)
Sandy
(AHT)
Jolene first started working for Woodgrove Animal Hospital immediately after graduating High School in 1996. She enjoyed the veterinary field so much that she enrolled in the Veterinary Technology Program at Thompson Rivers University graduating in 1999 and has a been a key member of our team for more than twenty years . Jolene is a true fixture at our hospital and has formed many deep long lasting relationships with both our patients and clients.
An active and exuberant dog named Farley and Louie a mellow cat, keep Jolene company when she and her husband aren’t out enjoying the great outdoors by hiking through the trails in Nanoose Bay and all over Vancouver Island. Jolene is also a visual artist whose work can be seen on her website www.jolenehassard.com
Sandy graduated from the Animal Health Technologist program at Thompson Rivers University in 1994 and joined our team right after graduation. She has been an important part of the Woodgrove Animal Hospital team for over twenty five years and this has given her the opportunity to follow many of our patients as they’ve grown from puppies and kittens through adulthood and into their senior years. While she loves working with many different species, Sandy has a special affinity for cats and has two of her own, Rascal and Goose.
Along with her husband and twin daughters Sandy spends much of her spare time camping, hiking and exploring the natural wonders around Nanaimo and the surrounding area.
Christy
(Veterinary Care Assistant)
Christy has recently moved from Ontario and is the newest member of our team. We are very happy to welcome her and her 25 years of experience as a groomer and veterinary assistant. Developed throughout her long career, her empathy and caring attitude are appreciated by patients and owners alike.
She has a special fondness for large and giant breed dogs but her motto has always been “big or small, I love them all.” Christy often jokingly refers to her beloved six year old Irish Wolfhound Whisper as her “little pony.”
Alexandra
(Web Design and Social Media)
Allison
(Receptionist)
Allison was born and raised in Nanaimo and graduated from the Applied Business Program at Vancouver Island University in 2020. She loves all animals but has a special affinity for the smaller pets like Guinea Pigs, hamsters, rabbits, and rats.
In her spare time, she enjoys going for walks, kayaking, paddleboarding, and hiking with her dog, Goat.
David
(Web Design and Social Media)
Growing up on a farm, Alexandra and David have always had a deep love of animals. Whether it be alpacas, goats, hedgehogs, dogs, cats, guinea pigs, horses, or even a 5 year old Betta fish, their fondness for animals knows no bounds. Although not directly following in their parents' footsteps, both Alexandra and David continue to help out with the family business on the social media side!
Alexandra is a professional actor, with a BFA in Theatre Performance and an MA in Acting from the UK. She is very excited to be back in Western Canada for an upcoming theatre production. David is working on his MA in International Security and Conflict Studies at Queen's University Belfast in Northern Ireland. He is an avid scuba diver, and his videos of diving with sea lions have been bought by National Geographic.
Did you know that all the animals seen on our website belong to the members of our team?