Pet Portal
Our Story
Hi! My name is Robin Rainford and I couldn’t be more excited to begin this new adventure as a veterinary practice owner!
One of my childhood friends still reminds me of stories of saving an ailing bird and caring for a stray cat while housing her in my shed. I got my first dog, Cocoa (a rough collie) when I was 9. I still remember running around my back yard with her in a wheelbarrow when she was 8 weeks old.
I have worked in the field of animal health since graduating from St. Clair College of Applied Arts in Windsor, Ontario as a veterinary technician in 1998. I spent my first years away from home living in Beaverton, Ontario where I met some lifelong friends and was reminded of my aspirations to become a veterinarian and inspired me to return to university. I was accepted into the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph, Ontario in 2002 and graduated in 2006. During school, I gained invaluable experience working as a technician in the critical care unit. After graduating, I spent one year practicing in Chatham, Ontario before I decided to pack everything I owned in my little red car (including Brindie, my giant Rottweiler X) and travel west to explore and live here in the beautiful Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. After a few visits to the island and settling into retirement, my Mom moved to Campbell River along with my cats Billy and Azrael. Things turned out even better than expected when I met my future husband, Neil and his dog, Bailey. A short time later, I got married and had my son, Cayden who is now 7 and really excited about this new adventure. He plans on helping with mopping and cleaning kennels…we will see how long that lasts! I have worked in Campbell River since 2007 and gained years of valuable clinical experience. My special interests are dentistry, orthopaedic surgery, critical care and perhaps most importantly, the field of canine rehabilitation and physical therapy. I graduated from the Canine Rehabilitation Institute in 2016 and am excited to see the difference I can make in post-operative recovery, injury diagnosis and management in addition to senior pet therapy.
I have dreamed of owning my own practice for years and with the help of my husband Neil, we are making it happen. Neil retired from the Canadian forces after 19 years of dedicated service, and will complete his Bachelor of Business Administration (Accounting Major) in 2019. He will have the important role of managing the finances and ensuring we provide affordable services and continue to have a well-equipped hospital and a positive work environment that promotes growth and development.
In October, 2018, the Comox Valley’s newest small animal hospital located in the heart of beautiful downtown Comox will open its’ doors! We are excited to be providing veterinary services to the residents of Comox, Courtenay, Cumberland as well as residents of other communities in and around the Comox Valley. The services of many professionals, such as veterinary business advisors, lawyers, accountants, architects and contractors make up the start up team. It all began with a company name, business plan, a bank loan, the perfect location to serve our community and a hospital design that allows us to provide the services we feel are valuable to the healthcare of your companions. We are currently half way through our renovations (we’ve got walls!) and cannot wait to open our doors, invite you in for a tour and introduce you to our medical team!
