Meet Our Team

Dr. Susan Gambling graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph in 1989 and then did an Internship at the Atlantic Veterinary College in Prince Edward Island. She opened the Rice Lake Animal Hospital in July 2014 and is proud of how this practice provides modern and exceptional care with a small town, family feel. She enjoys devising a plan specific for your pets individual needs.

Susan lives with her incredibly supportive husband Rick at Cedar Pond Farm. They happily share their farm with 3 dogs, 2 cats, 4 horses, chickens and last but not least, a donkey.

In her spare time, if she is not stand up paddle boarding with her Border Terrier on Rice Lake, you will find her riding a horse in the beautiful Ganaraska Forest.

Dr. Alison Sutton graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1999. She practiced in Toronto for the first 2 years, then spent 15 years in Oshawa at a very busy small animal practice. Alison and Susan practiced together in Oshawa several years ago. In 2016, they combined their knowledge and efforts in order to expand the services offered here at Rice Lake Animal Hospital. In addition to small animal medicine, Alison has a special interest in dentistry and ophthalmology. She also enjoys seeing several exotic pets such as rabbits, guinea pigs, lizards, turtles and other small furry companions. In her free time, she loves kayaking, fishing and spending time with her husband and two boys. Her family also includes 2 beagles, 3 cats, a hedgehog and her beloved red foot tortoise.

Dr. Sherry Blenden graduated from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Cum Laude, in 2007. She is a native Floridian and immigrated with her husband from the United States to Ontario in 2018. She has practiced in a variety of settings including small animal, equine/farm animal, shelter medicine and spay/neuter. She particularly enjoys helping owners to set their pets up for success from day one, believing the best cure is prevention ( including daily tooth brushing for pets! ). In her free time, she enjoys conditioning her horse, Sonny, for long distance endurance rides.

Dr. Monika Janssen hails from Hampton, ON where she first harboured her love of nature, wildlife and pets. After a high school co-op at a veterinary clinic, she knew a career in veterinary medicine was where she was headed. While obtaining an honours degree at the University of Guelph in biomedical science, Dr. Janssen spent her summers working in research at the Toronto Zoo. She then went on to study veterinary medicine at the Ontario Veterinary College. After graduating in 2013, Dr. Janssen followed her dreams of working in a mixed animal practice and headed to Thunder Bay, Ontario. She affectionately refers to this time as her 'James Herriot Days' where she gained invaluable memories and experience. After a few years, Dr. Janssen then returned home where she worked at a busy small animal practice in Oshawa. She is now the newest veterinarian at Rice Lake Animal Hospital, and is incredibly excited to be joining our team. Dr. Janssen is happy to be returning to her roots in a rural practice and is looking forward to being a vital part of a friendly and compassionate veterinary hospital. Dr. Janssen's special interests include dentistry, surgery, dermatology and exotic animal medicine.

Kim graduated from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto in 1994, then, combining both her love for animals and her extensive experience and skills as a chiropractor, she attended the Veterinary Chiropractic Learning Centre in 2008, where she is currently co-director and an instructor. Kim is further certified with the College of Animal Chiropractors and devotes much of her time to education and the evolution of Animal Chiropractic in Canada. Since giving up her human practice to focus on animal chiropractic, her patients now consist mainly of horses, cats, and dogs. Kim’s calm, gentle touch puts animals (and owners) at ease allowing her to skillfully address a variety of muscle, joint, and related nerve issues. Kim shares her life with her cat, Daisy, and much loved 4-legged companions Reggie & Dazzle. In her spare time, Kim, Reggie and Dazzle compete in the dog sport of Dock Jumping.

Robyn graduated from the Registered Veterinary Technician program at Northern College in 2008. She has worked mainly in small animal practices but has some experience with horses as well. Robyn has a special interest in dentistry and is passionate about caring for all animals. She also enjoys assisting in teaching fresh faces new to veterinary medicine. Robyn spends her time with her husband John and their two active young boys, Parker and Jadon. They have one dog Quinn, a happy Border Collie puppy, and two cats, Johnny and Kiara. Robyn also has two horses, Shrek and Johnny. She enjoys spending her spare time at the barn, going on family bike rides and hikes and out on the water in the family boat during summer weekends.

Ali has always had a love for animals and people. She started working for a veterinary clinic at the early age of eleven and easily found her passion. Having worked for a variety of small animal clinics for over 25 years, she brings much experience. She prides herself in establishing and maintaining close client relations. Ali is happily married to her handsome husband of twenty years, Brad and extremely proud of their son Curtis, who always keeps them laughing. In her spare time, Ali enjoys walking her two dogs, Manny, a French Bulldog and Maven, an energetic Bullmastiff. Ali also enjoys cuddling with her two feline friends, Wilson and Kiwi.

Sasha has always loved learning about animals and caring for them since she was young. Her first job was at a veterinary clinic in high school and she has had a job or volunteered in the animal care field ever since. Sasha has worked in high paced emergency hospitals as well as smaller family clinics working with everything from cats and dogs to exotic pets. Graduated from George Brown College in 2005 and Trent University in 2009, she has worked in multiple positions in the veterinary field from receptionist and veterinary assistant to office management. She loves spending time in the outdoors with her husband, two young children and their two Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers, Tillie & Paisley. She also has two cats named Taz & Kitty.

Picture and Bio Coming Soon

Stefanie graduated from the Veterinary Technician program and the Companion Animal Physical Rehabilitation program at Northern College in 2015. She became a Registered Veterinary Technician with the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians in 2014. Stefanie has always had a passion for taking care of animals. She enjoys all aspects of working in the veterinary field and has a special interest in physical rehabilitation. Stefanie spends her time with her fiancé and young daughter, Madelynn. Together they have one dog, and three cats. 

Dan graduated from the Veterinary Technician program at Seneca College in 2011. He has since found an interest working with small animals and enjoys the challenge of physiotherapy. Other interests include reptiles, especially red foot tortoises, and working in emergency medicine. In Dan’s spare time he enjoys reading, cooking and baking and playing games. Dan shares his house with two dogs Apollo an Australian Shepherd and Penny a Great Dane and three cats Sofa, Braydon and Archie as well as his live plant fish tank. Dan looks forward to getting to know all the Rice Lake Animal Hospital fur children.

Picture and Bio Coming Soon. 

Anna graduated with honors from the Animal Care program at Durham College in 2013. She started her journey in the animal field at a high volume clinic in Toronto and it was there that Anna knew she picked the right career. Anna joined the Rice Lake Animal Hospital team in 2018, bringing a positive attitude and the love of caring for our furry friends. Anna enjoys going on adventurous hikes with her daughter Emilia and her dog Shyla, as well as hosting dinner parties for friends.

Hilary graduated with honors from the Animal Care program at Durham College in 2014. She made a decision to change careers after working in Human Resources for a few years as something was missing. Hilary has always had an extra big smile on her face when she is around animals and pursuing a job that would allow her to be around them and help them just made sense. After completing the Animal Care program, Hilary went on to graduate with honors from the Animal Grooming program at Northern College in 2015. She worked at a high volume clinic right out of school and knew she made the right decision for her future. Hilary joined the Rice Lake Animal Hospital team in 2018 and loves meeting new clients and patients every day. She spends her free time with her stubborn samoyed, Riot and her two humorous persians, Smartie and Tybalt.