Dr. Charette has been practicing at PAH since 1984, and the most rewarding part of her job is experiencing the bond between her clients and their pets. To her, being a vet is about more than just medicine, it is about family. Building that relationship is so important to her, and she knows that to do so, she must go above and beyond what medicine can provide.
After receiving her Doctorat en Médecine Vétérinaire from the Université de Montréal in 1984, Dr. Charette joined the PAH team. It was the first- and only- animal hospital she has ever worked at, and in 1986 she became a PAH partner. To this day she is still an owner of PAH, and has made a lifelong commitment to practice best medicine.
As a doctor at an AAHA practice, Dr. Charette knows that the relationship that a pet owner forms with their pet is an unbreakable bond. That is why she was a driving force in starting the PAH Pet Learning Centre. Dr. Charette has a special interest in dog behaviour and training, and is a member of the Human Animal Bond Association of Canada. It was important to her that PAH offer more than just medical care to patients, and she was happy to achieve her goal of offering obedience and puppy classes, right here at the hospital. She wants to provide her clients with everything they need- under one “woof!”
Dr. Charette has two dogs, Dizi and FM. Dizi is an adorable 11 year old Chihuahua that she rescued from a puppy mill. FM is a beautiful, brindle Whippet who is eight years old and thinks she is a Retriever. She will retrieve in any terrain- land, snow and even in the water. Her dogs have environmental allergies that Dr. Charette has well managed with a therapeutic diet. She also has had experience living with a cat that is diabetic, and another with a thyroid condition, so she is well versed in day-to-day treatment of these illnesses. She has also completed an animal acupuncture certification course.
When she is not working with animals she enjoys spending time with her family. Her daughter is an exceptional dancer, and completed the rigorous summer school program at Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet School in 2015- a program designed to train serious performers for a professional career in dance. When she is not watching her daughter perform, she is fund raising for her dance program.
Dr. Charette is very involved with the North American Business Association (NABA), which is affiliated with AAHA. She acts as a NABA mentor, which means she is dedicated to always going above and beyond to exceed the standards laid out by both AAHA and NABA.
Being a practice owner of an AAHA hospital allows Dr. Charette to practice the type of medicine she loves- the type that focuses on the human animal bond. To her, there is no better way to practice, and that is why she never left the PAH family. Every day is a rewarding day for Dr. Charette because she isn’t just helping pets- she is bonding a family!
