Kitchener South Animal Hospital
Our Veterinarians
Dr. Jen Madden, DVM
Dr. Jen knew from a very young age that she wanted to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. Graduating from the Ontario Veterinary College in 2010 was a dream come true and she has worked in small animal practice ever since. She is excited to now be the co-owner of Kitchener South Animal Hospital and to be able to practice high quality veterinary medicine with such a wonderful team of people.
Dr. Jen shares her home with a shoulder surfing cat named Scooby, a schnoodle named Etsy, her husband, and their 2 young sons. They own a hobby farm in Puslinch where she enjoys watching her flock of chickens free ranging in the grass and sun. She has particular interests in surgery and internal medicine, and has a soft spot for the older kitties.
Dr. Jen looks forward to providing the best medicine she can to your beloved pets, so that you may have as many years as possible together.
Dr. Chris Haves, DVM
Dr Chris Haves learned to love working with animals at an early age as he grew up on a dairy farm outside of London. They had Ayrshire cattle and an awesome Border Collie named Kerry who herded the cattle up to the barn for milking each day. He taught her many tricks but couldn’t get her to stop wagging her tail when she played dead!
He went to university in Guelph, earning a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Molecular Biology and Genetics before entering the Ontario Veterinary College. After graduation in 2000, he worked in mixed animal practice for 6 years before focusing on cats and dogs exclusively.
He and his wife have 3 sons who are active in local sports. When he is not at work he is probably at an arena or coaching his son’s baseball! Dr. Chris has lots of pets of his own including 2 cats named Parker and Fisher, a Westie named Nash, a border collie mix named Jet, and his rescue dog Molly.
Our Technicians
Natalie, RVT
Natalie is a registered veterinary technician that graduated from the vet tech program at Sheridan College in April of 2019. She joined the team at Kitchener South shortly after, and passed her licensing exam to become an RVT in July 2019. Having loved animals all her life, pursuing a career as an RVT was the perfect choice for her!
Natalie shares her home with a Shetland sheepdog named Ziggy (who is best friends with Dr. Jen's dog Etsy). Natalie is also Etsy's official "fun aunt".
When she's not at work, some non-animal related hobbies Natalie enjoys include going to concerts, archery, and curling up with a good book. Natalie hopes to one day live on a farm so she can have as many animals as her heart desires!
Julie, Veterinary Technician
Julie has been a veterinary technician since 1993. Julie’s passions include dentistry, senior cat care and, of course, meeting all of the new puppies and kittens that come through the door!
Julie is married with two daughters. They have a very loved feline friend named Foster (Dr. Jen actually found him!) and a Bernedoodle puppy named Oakley.
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In her spare time, Julie can be found driving her daughters to volleyball, soccer, and to the ski hill.
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Julie also owns the Cat’s Meow pet sitting, which she started in 1994. She provides visits to homes for cat care while their owners are away, including many of our patients.
Leslie, Veterinary Technician
Leslie has always known from a young age that her love of animals was her calling. She graduated from the Veterinary Technician program at the University of Guelph's Ridgetown campus in 2005. Leslie initially worked at a 24 hour vet practice while in high school and college, and then moved to a smaller practice. She stayed there for 14 years before joining our team in September 2021.
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Leslie is married with 3 children and has 2 dogs - Vinny the wiener dog, and Harlow the Doberman. All of them keep her busy and keep her on her toes!
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In her spare time, Leslie loves to go to her kid's sporting events, watch movies, and go on hikes. When she's not taxiing her kids to and from their hobbies, she can often be seen nose deep in a book.
Tara, RVT
Tara brings with her a wealth of experience. She graduated from the Veterinary Technology program at St. Lawrence College in 2004 and obtained her registration with the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians shortly thereafter. She has spent the past 21 years working with small animals in general practice as well as in emergency and critical care settings. Tara joined our team in February 2025 and hopes to develop personal connections with patients and owners alike.
Tara shares her home with her 3 children, their goofy golden retriever, Willow, and their handsome tuxedo cat, Miles.
In her spare time, she can be found studying Spanish as a second language, playing guitar, going to concerts, or travelling to the Caribbean (she goes as often as her busy schedule will allow!).”
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Our Customer Care Team
Kimee, Receptionist
After working in the veterinary field for many years, Kimee joined Kitchener South Animal Hospital when it first opened it's doors in April 2019 as part of our Customer Service Representative team. She grew up with a love for animals as her father was a veterinarian, so client pets became her extended family.
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Dog behaviour and training have always been a keen interest. She currently shares three wonderful Springer Spaniels with her father - Hemi (mama's girl), Briar (the big guy) and Phoenyx (the wild child). They are all field trial dogs - a form of competition involving hunting and retrieving - although Hemi is now retired. Kimee and her father are members of the Central Ontario Spaniel Club and the South Western Ontario Spaniel Club.
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In her off time, Kimee enjoys working with her dogs, is an active movie/tv show enthusiast, an avid reader, and loves to write fiction.
Minnie, Clinic Supervisor
Minnie has the very important role of being the clinic supervisor at Kitchener South Animal Hospital. She makes sure that the entire team is doing their jobs efficiently and she keeps the clinic in tip-top shape.
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You may see Minnie supervising on our front reception counter, or keeping track of stock in our pharmacy. As she works very long hours, sometimes she even naps on the job!
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Minnie's hobbies include begging Dr. Jen for attention, warming laps on cold days, and sampling temptations treats. She also enjoys chasing her own tail and complaining about not having enough food in her dish.
