Heather Penner
Veterinary Office Assistant
Hi, my name is Heather Penner, and I am a Veterinary Office Assistant at Lakewood Veterinary Hospital.
Personal Hobbies and Interests
At home on our hobby farm, I stay busy with my husband, our two children, dog (Ruby), four cats (Ozzy, Gypsy, Tesla and Bear), two horses (Blaze and Merlin) as well as numerous farm birds. When I'm not caring for animals, or my family, I enjoy spending time outdoors, meditating, listening to audiobooks and wanting to truly learn something new each day.
Favorite Part of My Job
I bring a calm, compassionate presence to our front-of-house team. I am dedicated to creating a welcoming environment for pets and their owners, drawing on my background in emergency care to ensure every family feels supported from the moment they walk through the door. There is nothing more rewarding than an owner saying thank you after a talk down from some heavy or heightened feelings and emotions. Emergencies can be scary, so being a support for the owners in addition to the pet is truly what is important at that moment.
I love watching the veterinarians and medicine doing what they do best. With animals, there is no placebo effect in an animal's mind, medicine and TLC either work or they don't. To see an animal in such a dire and grim circumstance be healed seemingly overnight or a few days, is one of the most beautiful things. I have a soft spot for FLUTD cats, as my boy Ozzy was hospitalized with FLUTD. To see the resilience, fight and then absolute trust from an animal...there truly are no words.
Why I Chose This Profession
Animals have always had my heart and soul. From a little girl telling my mom that "when I grow up, I want to have 100 hamsters, 100 cats and 100 dogs" (audio recorded of course) to walking the neighborhood dogs when I was 10, volunteering at the Winnipeg Humane Society to dog walk the day after my 16th Birthday. My own personal pets hold such special places in my life journey, my heart and personal growth. It was always animals.
Education
In 2006 I graduated from CDI College Winnipeg with Honours in Legal Administration. Many years later, I decided that I would follow my heart and in 2022, I graduated from CDI College BC with an Animal Health Care Assistance Diploma, completed by correspondence.
Professional Background
I am certified in Non-violent Crisis Intervention (2003) and CPR-AED (2022), and hold Legal Administrative Assistant (2006), Administrative Assistant (2006) and Animal Health Care Assistant (2022) certifications.
Work History
I was employed with the Winnipeg Humane Society for 3 years before heading back to school in 2005.
Since the day of graduation, I jumped right into the field and have gained over four years of experience in a fast paced Veterinary Emergency Hospital. I completed my practicum at Bridgwater Veterinary Hospital and went on to full-time employment there.