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. Art Ceballos (Owner)
Originally from Toronto, Dr. Art Ceballos graduated from the Ontario Venterinary College in 2005. He and his wife Kathy moved to the West Coast shortly thereafter and now live in Vancouver with their daughter Natalie and two dogs, Emmitt and Zeppelin, and one cat, Minerva. Outside of work, Art enjoys spending time with his family, playing and watching hockey and generally relaxing.
Erin Burridge (Owner)
From a very young age Erin knew she wanted to work with animals. That dream came true when she joined the Seafair Animal Clinic in 1995. Erin has a special interest in small animal dentistry and has taken numerous courses. Erin was very excited along with Dr. Art Ceballos to open up their second location, Ironwood Animal Hospital providing even more care to their existing clients as well as new clientele. Erin is an avid sports enthusiast and enjoys running and playing softball in her spare time. Along with her husband, they have 3 children a budgie named “Polly” a hamster named “chubby cheeks”and the proud of owner of a miniature Goldendoodle named Mia.
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. Irene Kong (Veterinarian)
Bio and Picture Coming Soon!
Dr. Carolyn Wang (Veterinarian)
Bio and Picture Coming Soon!
Dr. Gerri Shallow (Veterinarian)
Bio and Picture Coming Soon!
Dr. Christine Mysyk (Veterinarian)
Bio and Picture Coming Soon!
Dr. Michelle Chen (Veterinarian)
Bio and Picture Coming Soon!
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.
Ely
Registered Veterinary Technician
Ely joined our team in 2022 and is a Veterinary Technician who graduated in 2024 and has been passionate about working with animals from a young age. She shares her life with a bunny Mylo and two adorable dogs, Charlie and Finn. When she’s not in the clinic, she loves spending time outdoors. Her focus is on treating every animal with the same love and care she gives her own pets.
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.
Our Receptionists
Julia
Receptionist
Julia has had a love for animals from a young age, but her love for them grew into a career choice when she got her dog Loki, a Siberian Husky, in April 2017. She realized that animals are her passion and joy, and decided to go to school to be a Veterinary Assistant. Julia loves to spend time with her dog/family/friends, eat, and travel. She hopes to go to Vet Tech school in the future, and eventually buy a big property and rescue dogs and cats that need homes.
Alex
Receptionist
Alex joined our team in October 2020 having spend her whole life surrounded by horses and animals of all kinds. She currently lives with her two elderly cats Fraser and Lila; who are her pride and joy. She also has a Marginated Tortoise named Hermie and a gecko named Z. Outside of work Alex is kept busy with school and spending quality time with her four-legged friends.
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
Danielle
Veterinary Assistant
Danielle grew up in the Philippines helping her grandma with her hobby farm. She then moved to Canada in 2018. Having the love for animals of all kind, she decided to take the Veterinary Technician Assistant program and completed it in 2021. Danielle really loves Japanese dog breeds, especially Shiba Inus and would want one in the future.
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.