2021 Nominees

A native of Lambton County, Laura always wanted to be a veterinarian. She explored her interest at a young age by volunteering and working part-time at her local vet clinic. Her dream was fulfilled and she attended the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph, Ontario, and graduated with Honours in 2011.

Meanwhile in Ireland, Ciaran grew up training horses and working with them, he had a real love for horse riding. He travelled from one horse racing country to another and moved to Australia to train racehorses and take green horses to saddle and jump.

Laura worked for 6 years at a mixed animal veterinary practice in southern Australia, where it was uncommon to refer for specialty procedures and emergencies, so she gained extensive emergency medicine experience with a variety of different animals. She also learnt and performed many surgeries, including difficult kangaroo attack stitch ups, soft tissue surgeries, orthopedics, and cruciate surgeries.

Laura was working at this vet clinic in southern Australia, while Ciaran was working at a nearby horse training and breeding facility, when they met up again and they have been together ever since! Ciaran introduced Laura to horse jumping and riding, which has become an essential source of fun and relaxation for her ever since. While in Australia they lived on a small farm with sheep, alpacas, horses, their first dog together Marley, and their cat Skittles. Shortly before moving back to Canada, they added Lily and Czar, Russian Toy Terriers, to the pack.

The pack has gained a few more Russkiys with Lily and Czar’s daughters: Penelope and Lexi. Skittles now shares her sunny sleeping spot with Pepsi – a kitten, the newest addition to the house.

After moving back to Canada to be closer to family, Dr. Laura Ryan began working as an associate vet at Bright’s Grove Animal Hospital, where she had previously worked growing up. She worked there for almost 3 years, until Dr. Laura Ryan and Ciaran Ryan decided to start their own animal hospital.

They began with Thedford Mobile Veterinary Services and soon opened the Thedford Veterinary Hospital at 83 Main Street Thedford, Ontario.