Meet the Team
Meet the Team Behind Durham Veterinary Clinic
Durham Veterinary Clinic is proud to provide a team of caring individuals to help the residents and pets around Bowmanville, Ontario. To learn more about our team, take a look at the following bios:
Dr. Robert McCleary
Dr. Robert McCleary graduated from Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph in 1994. He was raised on a farm near Campbellford, Ontario. From a young age, Robert has always had a love of animals. He purchased our clinic from Dr. Dan in March 2018. He has worked in emergency medicine for over 20 years, and he owned a practice in Scarborough for 13 years. Robert has a special interest in surgery and general medicine. And he lives in Ajax with his wife and two kids. In his spare time, he is usually found at the local hockey arenas cheering his kids on.
Dr. Janice Aluin
Dr. Janice Aluin graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph in 1979. Following graduation, she worked in a mixed animal practice for two years and then returned to the OVC to complete an internship in small animal medicine and surgery. Afterwards, she moved on to a new endeavor, and in 1982, she opened the Durham Veterinary Clinic with her friend and business partner, Dr. Everett Turner. She has worked here ever since. Janice has a particular interest in surgery, behaviour, and rehabilitation.
When she is not busy at the clinic, Janice enjoys Alpine skiing and volunteers as a ski patroller. Janice retired in June 2007. However, she isn't ready to fully retire. She occasionally comes back to Durham Veterinary Clinic to fill in when Dr. Robert McCleary takes time off to spend with his family.
Gambit, Supervisor
Gambit is our staff supervisor/clinic dog. He joined the Durham Veterinary Clinic team in January 2017 when he was just 12-weeks-old. The highlights of his day are helping unpack an order when it arrives, keeping our patients comfortable while they recover from anaesthetic, and greeting clients when they come in.
When Gambit's not at work, he enjoys lounging on the back porch, watching squirrels and birds. He has just recently started agility training, so he also now enjoys running the course. And during his spare time, he loves to play in his kiddy pool, cuddle with his mom (Tanya Spry), and play with his big bro, Major.
Tanya Spry, VA
Tanya Spry joined our clinic in October 2012. Tanya is an integral part of Durham Veterinary Clinic. She works extremely hard behind the scenes to ensure everything runs smoothly. Tanya's fur babies include Major the crazy Mastiff, Gambit the Frenchie, and Quincey the budgerigar. She enjoys being outside in the summer time as much as possible but hibernates during the winter. She has recently taken up scrapbooking, sewing, and knitting as a hobby.
ASHLEY VANNATTER, VA
Ashley Vannatter, who is originally from Kitchener, graduated from the Animal Care program at Durham College in 2019 and joined our clinic in 2020. She has over a year of emergency veterinary medicine experience. Her family owns a horse rescue in Waterloo so her love for animals has always come naturally. She has 2 cats Nala and Baby and a hound mix named Ella.
As much as she shares a love for our furry four-legged friends she also has a passion for cetaceans. In her spare time outside of the clinic, she enjoys going to concerts, binge-watching Netflix TV series, and travelling with her friends and partner to seek new adventures.
Julie Gray, RVT
Julie Gray graduated from Northern College and achieved her registered veterinary technician status in 2001. Julie joined Durham Veterinary Clinic in July 2016. Currently, she enjoys mentoring and training our new technicians.
Julie has been working in the veterinary field for 20 years. Over the last 20 years, she has enjoyed watching how the human–animal bond has evolved. Julie’s goal is to offer the best care possible to pets so they can live healthy for as long as possible. Because of this goal, she has a special interest in senior pets!
Julie lives in Courtice with her husband, three children, and three comical short-leg Munchkin cats, Juan Carlos, Stephen, and Manny. Julie also has two chocolate labs, Mabel and George, the puppy. They always keep her on her toes.
In her spare time, Julie enjoys playing hockey, helping out as a hockey trainer on her kids’ teams, and reading a good book at the cottage!
LAUREN HEMBRUFF, RVT
Lauren Hembruff is the newest member to join our team. Lauren is a registered veterinary technician who graduated from Seneca College in April 2014. Her favourite part of veterinary medicine is diagnostics. She loves watching the puzzle pieces come together to determine how to best care for pets. She also enjoys educating owners on preventative care measures. When she’s not caring for your pet, Lauren can be found hanging out with her Jack Russell Terrier, Toby and her two cats Theo and Paul.
