Our Veterinarians

 
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Meet Dr. Elizabeth Andree DVM CHPV CPEV
(Dr. Liz)

(she/her)

Since early on in her career, Dr. Liz has had a passion for helping families say goodbye peacefully and respectfully to their furry family members. Her top priority is to maintain the human-animal bond between you and your dog or cat, while ensuring her patients have good pain control.

Dr. Liz was born and raised in Winnipeg. She is a 2013 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine graduate from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon. Dr. Liz worked as a small animal veterinarian at a general practice in Winnipeg from graduation until starting Sunset. She has been in the Winnipeg veterinary world since 2007. In 2019 Dr. Liz became the first veterinarian in Manitoba to be certified in hospice and palliative care through the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care. She is also a Certified Peaceful Euthanasia Veterinarian via the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy.

Dr. Liz appreciates how end-of-life, palliative and hospice veterinary care intertwine the medical aspects of care with building relationships and being creative to individualize care plans. In 2017 she lost her heart-kitty, Tiger, to cancer. This was a pivotal moment in the search for an area of veterinary medicine where she felt she could provide the most benefit to the bond between her patients and their people. Learn more about her journey on the blog. Dr. Liz founded Sunset Veterinary Care in 2020.

Dr. Liz resides in Winnipeg with her husband, young sons and their dogs (Hot Rod and Rigbee). In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, walking and cooking.

Dr. Liz was honoured to be the recipient of the Manitoba Veterinary Technologist Association’s 2021 Veterinarian of the Year Award.

At the end of 2023, Dr. Liz and her family said goodbye to their beloved dog, Jack. Dr. Liz plans to honour his memory by continuing to provide compassionate care, and expanding Sunset Veterinary Care’s support and resources for children experiencing pet loss.

 
Dr. Rita McKay

Meet Dr. Rita McKay DVM CVA CCRT CSMT CPEV
(Dr. Rita)

(she/her)

Dr. Rita graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 1990. She has worked as a general small animal practitioner for many years. Early in her career, it was noted that there was often a segment of patients that were unable to tolerate the prescribed pharmaceuticals or who did not respond to treatments as well as hoped. With a desire to expand the knowledge beyond conventional medicine, Dr. Rita began taking courses to better help these patients.

She completed her Veterinary Acupuncture Certification through the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS) in 2008. She completed her certification in animal spinal manipulation through the Veterinary Chiropractic Learning Center in 2010. She also completed certification in canine rehabilitation therapy through the Canine Rehabilitation Institute in 2013. 

Over the years, Dr. Rita has also taken several herbal, acupuncture and nutritional courses through the Chi Institute focusing on the integration of eastern and western medicine. She has also taken Integrative Hospice and Palliative Medicine courses through the Chi Institute and Purple Moon Herb Studies. She is a Certified Peaceful Euthanasia Veterinarian through the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy (CAETA).

The goal of Dr. Rita’s journey has been to focus on patient centered care, as opposed to disease centered care. Dr. Rita has a soft spot for elderly patients. She likes to work with families helping to keep their companions comfortable and able to enjoy a good quality of life by supporting their physical, environmental and emotional needs. 

In her spare time, Dr. Rita enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She also likes to spend time in the outdoors through canoeing, skiing, biking, hiking and gardening. She also likes to create, be it through pottery, stained glass or painting.