The Team
The The Ironwood and Seafair team are a diverse group of veterinary professionals who share a love for animals and the expertise to care for them.
Our Doctors
Dr. Liza Lackner (Owner)
Liza Lackner was born in Richmond, B.C. and raised in Steveston. Her love for animals drew her to Veterinary Medicine, and her dual Canadian/Australian citizenship led her to study at the University of Melbourne in Australia. She received her Bachelor of Veterinary Science in December of 2008 and joined the Seafair Animal Clinic team in 2010. Liza also is a member of the Canadian Animal Assistance Team (CAAT), an organization that provides much-needed veterinary services to low-income communities. Liza is passionate about the animals she treats and strives to provide the highest standard of veterinary care for each patient.
Dr. Min Chung (Veterinarian)
Before calling Canada her home, Min spent her life growing up in England, Italy, and South Korea. Min pursued a degree in Cell Biology and Genetics at the University of British Columbia, but it was her ongoing love for medicine and animals that helped her realize her true calling. After graduation, she pursued her dreams of becoming a veterinarian by attending the University of Queensland in Australia. When Min isn’t at the clinic treating her furry friends, she can be found in the great outdoors – hiking, snowboarding, and jogging.
Dr. Carolyn Wang (Veterinarian)
Bio and Picture Coming Soon!
Dr. Gerri Shallow (Veterinarian)
Bio and Picture Coming Soon!
Dr. Michelle Chen (Veterinarian)
Bio and Picture Coming Soon!
Dr. Emily Russ (Veterinarian)
Emily grew up in rural Alberta, where she found her love for veterinary medicine working with farm animals and horses. She obtained her veterinary degree at the University of Calgary, and has since transitioned to focusing on small animal medicine. Emily is passionate about building relationships with people and their pets and enjoys working together to curate a personalized care plan for each individual.
Outside of being a veterinarian, she enjoys running, hiking, and just being outdoors.
Our Registered Veterinary Technicians
Aleesha
Registered Veterinary Technician
Aleesha brings 14 years of veterinary experience to Ironwood Animal Hospital. She graduated from Douglas College and is our Registered Veterinary Technician. Her areas of interest include anesthesia, emergency medicine and of course puppy and kitten appointments! She has a Chinook Sled Dog/Malamute mix named Rookie-Roo who comes along to work every day.
Kim
Registered Veterinary Technician
Kimberley joined Seafair Animal Clinic in June 2020. She completed her Veterinary Technician Assistant Program in 2017 and has been working as a Veterinary Assistant for the last three years. Kimberley loves animals but has never had the opportunity to own any until 2019 when she started fostering an elderly cat. She just applied for Veterinary Technician Program as she loves helping animals.
Our Veterinary Technicians
Stefany
Veterinary Technician
Stefany joined our team in March 2020 coming to us with seven years of veterinary experience. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Criminology in 2010 but decided to switch careers into the animal field by working at a dog daycare, animal shelters, dog rescues and finally moving into the veterinary field. She lives in Richmond with her two German Shorthaired Pointers, Vaughn and Rip and competes in 10 dog sports and shows with them. Stefany loves the outdoors and spends her free time hiking, camping and enjoying being in nature.
Alfred
Veterinary Technician
Bio and Picture Coming Soon!
Our Receptionists
Ross
Receptionist
Currently living in Richmond with his family, fish tanks, orchid collection, and beloved corgi Bee, Ross is currently studying his undergraduate degree in the field of biology at Simon Fraser University. Post undergrad, he plans on furthering his studies and becoming an avian/exotic animal veterinarian or continuing his education in the field of botany or species conservation. While not on campus, you can probably find him walking the dyke’s of Richmond or catching up on his never-ending school work.
Amber
Receptionist
Amber is excited to join the team at Seafair as a receptionist. Growing up in Richmond, Amber developed a deep love for animals, which is reflected in her own furry family members: Loki, a playful goldendoodle; Daisy, a sweet schnoodle; and Kira, an affectionate orange cat. Amber is passionate about providing a warm and welcoming experience for both pets and their owners, and is thrilled to be part of a team dedicated to caring for the community’s beloved animals.
Our Veterinary Assistants
Ciara
Veterinary Assistant
Ciara joined our team in June 2022. She was born and raised in the Philippines and moved to Canada in 2015. After graduating high school Ciara wasn’t sure which field she wanted to start her career in. After researching many options online, she saw the Veterinary Assistant Program and applied right away. She graduated in May 2022 and started working at her dream job. She has a Ragdoll cat named Theia.
Mariia
Veterinary Assistant
Mariia joined our team in July 2023. She was born and raised in Ukraine and moved to Canada in October 2023.
In Ukraine, Mariia successfully completed a five-year program in veterinary medicine and has been practicing veterinary pharmacology and virusology for ten years. She has always, since her childhood, loved animals and dreamed of working in veterinary field. Since she has no practical experience in a clinic, Mariia enjoys developing her skills in our clinic. She speaks Ukrainian, Russian and English and is happy to help with translation for pet owners.
Since she has no pets of her own, she gives all her love to our patients. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and exploring the beauty of British Columbia.
Terence
Veterinary Assistant
A recent addition to the team, Terence brings years of experience in dog handling and training. He started his journey working for the SPCA and started learning to train shelter dogs to increase their adoptability. Definitely not new to reactive dogs, he was always the first one in the kennel when assessing strays and earned the title “Human Pincushion.”
Academically, Terence has a business commerce degree from UVic, specializing in Hospitality and Entrepreneur. Over the years he’s had interesting career choices, having worked for industries such as finance, hospitality, education and tech.
On his spare time, Terence immerses himself in his hobbies which includes gardening, baking, gaming, and sleeping. He’s truly a Jack of all trades and definitely a master of none, but always better than a master of one.
Anna
Veterinary Assistant
Bio and Picture Coming Soon!