Reina

Dr. Reina Fennell was born and raised on Haida Gwaii, BC. She grew up around animals and has always had a passion working with horses. An avid traveller, she first started exploring other parts of Canada on her own at age 14, and later at age 17, she moved to New Zealand for 6 months. After completing a global leadership development certificate in NZ, she backpacked around NZ and the Phillipines working on farms.

The following year, Reina pursued my lifelong dream of becoming a veterinarian, starting with a bioveterinary BSc. program at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia. Two years later, she was accepted into the Western College of Veterinary Medicine and achieved her DVM in June 2021. Upon graduation, Reina moved back to NZ to complete a rotating equine internship at Veterinary Associates Equine LP, a large primary and referral hospital near Auckland. Through this position, Reina has been both involved in many surgical and medical referral cases, gained a vast number of after-hours emergency experience, as well as operated as an ambulatory field veterinarian, first. Reina also saw her first southern hemisphere reproductive season and all the breeding work, dystocias and foals it brings. Their caseload was approximately 50% racehorses, the rest being made of polo, performance, and pleasure horses.

Outside of work, Reina is an outdoor enthusiast, with surfing, running, hiking, and skiing being her most prominent activities, but name anything on or involving the ocean and she would probably do it to some extent! A creative, Reina also dabble a fair bit in sketching, writing and photography. She is excited to be returning to BC and starting practice with Swiftsure Equine Veterinary Services as an ambulatory veterinarian on beautiful Vancouver Island.