History of Transcona Veterinary Hospital

With an air of hope and a desire to help animals, Transcona Veterinary Hospital opened in February 1988 with a staff of just two people: Dr. Murray R. Moffatt and technician, Sharon Topnik. Slowly, they established a general veterinary practice and aquired clientele. “It took about five or six years of being there to start getting the trust of the people around us,” says Dr. Moffatt.
That trust has since blossomed to create one of Winnipeg, Manitoba’s most successful veterinary hospitals, with hundreds of clients, and two dozen staff, including five veterinarians. Doctors Tim Bowles, A.Konarzewski, Karen Skakun and Renata Ward round out the practice, sharing a wealth of knowledge, skill, energy and compassion.

Transcona Veterinary Hospital has become a touchstone for families seeking treatment for their pets, and a centre of excellence in advanced animal surgery. The hospital was the first clinic in Manitoba to offer ground-breaking knee surgery for dogs (known as Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomy, or TPLO surgery) and conducts about 160 such surgeries per year. It’s also well known for treatment of fracture and tissue repair, cancer, eye problems, and routine services like exams and vaccinations for cats, dogs and other animals.

Transcona Veterinary Hospital is also famous for its open door policy, whereby clients are encouraged to be active participants in their animal’s treatment. Clients are invited to put on a gown and mask and watch their pet’s surgery, or sit in the comfort of the observation room with its glass window “eye” to the operating room. The open door policy also extends to the community at large, with eager students encouraged to volunteer. The open-door policy is all about maintaining the animal-owner link.

“People like the ability to participate and share what’s in here. We don’t take the animal and disappear. We involve you.”

Transcona Veterinary Hospital is built on trust, a two-way relationship that’s proven beneficial to both staff and clients - a foundation that’s created many lasting relationships.