The Machray Animal Hospital Team
Dr. Diane Keddie
Dr. Diane Keddie was born in Ontario, and grew up in Winnipeg. She has always enjoyed spending time with animals and decided at the age of seven that she wanted to be a veterinarian. To reach this goal, she obtained a chemistry degree at the University of Winnipeg and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at the University of Saskatchewan.
Dr. Keddie began working at Machray Animal Hospital straight out of college in 1994. She is especially proud of the impact we have in the community through our work with several rescue organizations. She considers herself a general practitioner and enjoys the problem solving necessary when her patients cannot speak for themselves.
Apart from work, Dr. Keddie enjoys cycling, family, time at the lake and travelling. She currently shares her home with two cats, Freyja, and Josie, rescued from local shelters.
Dr. Heather McDonell
Dr. McDonell was born and raised in Winnipeg. She completed her pre-veterinary studies through the faculty of Agriculture at the University of Manitoba and received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (Saskatoon) in 2004. She has worked at Machray Animal Hospital since August 2004, and joined Dr. Barb Deviaene (retired) as a co-owner of the practice in 2017.
As a life-long animal lover with very understanding parents, Dr. McDonell grew up surrounded by pets. She rode and trained horses for many years and worked at the U of M dairy barn as a summer student. She has been honoured to share her home with many rescued animals over the years.
Dr. McDonell’s professional interests include dermatology, soft tissue surgery, dentistry, diagnostic imaging, pain management and animal welfare. She enjoys all facets of general veterinary practice, and finds great joy in solving medical problems, no matter how big or how small.
Outside of work, Dr. McDonell spends her time training for and competing in triathlons and half marathons, cooking & eating delicious vegan food, travelling, concert-going, gardening, and volunteering.
Dr. Esther Hillonov
Dr Hillonov (previously Hill) has worked at Machray Animal Hospital since 2013. She holds a Bachelor of Arts & Science from McMaster University and a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine.
Known for her warm and compassionate approach, she loves building relationships with pets and their families. She values personalized care and has special interests in internal medicine,
dentistry, dermatology and end-of-life care.
Dr Hillonov has served on the Manitoba Veterinary Medical Association Council and many of its committees for several years, helping to improve the veterinary profession and animal welfare
in our province. She was the shelter veterinarian for D’Arcy’s ARC for many years and has fostered dozens of kittens for various rescues.
When she isn’t working in the clinic, she and her husband can be found traveling, camping, reading, hiking and chasing after their three young children or cuddling with their cats.
Dr. Saskia Lagace
Dr. Lagace was born and raised in Winnipeg. Her love for animals began at a young age. She grew up with a variety of pets in her family home and went on to ride horses and compete in reining. She decided to become a veterinarian at the age of five and never looked back.
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She completed her pre-veterinary education through the faculty of Science at the University of Manitoba. She then went on to receive her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 2021. She joined Machray Animal Hospital shortly after graduation.
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Dr. Lagace enjoys many aspects of veterinary medicine, including soft tissue surgery and animal welfare, but her highest priority is always patient care.
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Outside work, Dr. Lagace enjoys travelling, scuba diving, spending time with family and friends and playing soccer. She spends her time at home caring for her plants and snuggling with her tuxedo cat Caesar.
Dr. Jessica Buchel
Jessica moved with her family to Winnipeg in 2004 and has called this city her home ever since! Jessica joined the amazing team at Machray after graduating from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in June 2024. Before being accepted into vet school, she was working towards a degree in genetics at the University of Manitoba.
It was always Jessica’s dream to become a veterinarian. Growing up with pets and riding horses from a young age solidified her love and appreciation for the human-animal bond and all the ways that animals bring joy and enrichment to our lives. She and her fiancé currently have two cats, Mary and Ella, whose antics are a constant source of amusement in their lives.
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In her free time, Jessica likes running, going to the gym, reading, and baking! She competed in squash in high school and loves to get back on the court from time to time as well. She is currently training for half marathons and hopes to one day run a full marathon! On summer weekends, Jessica likes to head out to the cabin on Lake Winnipeg to spend time with friends and family.
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Jessica’s interests include wellness and preventative medicine, diagnostic imaging, and surgery. She looks forward to becoming established as a general practitioner and continuing to soak up all of the knowledge and mentorship that her work family at Machray has to offer!