Melissa is first and foremost a wife to Dr. Ivan Bos and mother to their two children, Kaelyn and Jacob.

Melissa graduated from McMaster University in 2001 with a Bachelor of Kinesiology. After two years of teaching she has been mainly a stay at home mom. She has always had a love for animals and therefore an interest in Dr. Bos’ work.

Melissa has worked in different capacities alongside her husband including receptionist work, animal care, software implementation and training and website design and development. She enjoys interacting with clients and their pets and making their visits as comfortable as possible. Her organization skills and dedication are beneficial to the team at Balfour Animal Hospital.

When not at the clinic Melissa enjoys spending quality time with her husband, Ivan, and children Kaelyn and Jacob, volunteering and substitute teaching at school and in youth programs at church, and enjoying the family’s small hobby farm. She quite often brings the family pets, Willow and Roxy, to the clinic to visit everyone!

Sharon has spent her whole life in the Niagara Region. She has had a love of animals for as long as she can remember, and has always wanted a career in veterinary medicine.
Sharon graduated in 1991 with honors from the Animal Health Technology program at Centralia College and has over 25 years in the veterinary field. Her first clinic experience was in 1986 as a Co-Op student. This is where Sharon and Sherri first met!
Sharon’s strengths as a technician include lab work and diagnostics, surgery, and of course providing the best care for each and every patient. She also has a keen interest in feline medicine. Her organization and efficiency will be very beneficial to the clinic.
Her busy life outside of the clinic involves raising her 2 sons, Jack and Noah, spending time with her significant other Chris and his son Luke, and snuggling with her beloved kitty Watson. Sharon has always been involved in sports. She currently enjoys running, playing Co-Ed hockey and has recently tried some obstacle races. Her hobbies include tinkering in the garden and geocaching!

Jessica grew up on a Rockton, Ontario farm, where she cared for horses, cows, chickens, and even the occasional rabbit, guinea pig, or pigeon. She can’t remember a time when she didn’t want to advocate for the health of all animals—ever since she was a little girl, Jessica has been dedicated to bettering the lives of the earth’s creatures! Now, she helps pets daily as a Veterinary Assistant.

Jessica was only 14 years old when she started her animal-care career by signing on as a Kennel Attendant. Next, she took a job at a companion animal and equine hospital, furthering her hands-on experience in the veterinary world, before moving to Peterborough for school and diving into the world of emergency veterinary care.

In 2016, Jessica moved away from Peterborough to be closer to her family and boyfriend, and joined the team here at Main West Animal Hospital shortly afterward as a Veterinary Assistant. She’s especially fond of helping during surgical procedures, but her favourite part of the work is interacting one-on-one with her clients and patients.

When she isn’t tending to pets’ needs here at the clinic, Jessica enjoys gardening, horseback riding, hiking, and rock climbing, kayaking, dabbling in art, cycling, and running. She’s successfully trained for a half-marathon, and plans on running a full marathon in the near future! At home, Jessica lives with two cats—Samson, known affectionately as “Frat Cat” since he went through university alongside Jessica; and Fern, who got her name after she was found hiding in Jessica’s garden during her time in Peterborough—and also owns a horse, Lighting, who has been with Jessica for 17 wonderful years.

Jessica knew that she was meant to help animals ever since she was a little girl. She’s always had a soft spot in her heart for them, and her passion simply never let up. Caring for the earth’s creatures is Jessica’s true calling! She’s a member of Main West Animal Hospital’s talented front-desk team and has plans for becoming a veterinarian herself in the future.

Jessica was born in Poland and came to Canada with her family when she was young. She grew up in the St. Catharines area and has been here ever since! Jessica plans on going back to school in the near future to study veterinary medicine and wanted to gain some real-world experience in the animal-care field in the meantime. That’s when she signed up here at Main West Animal Hospital—she’s been a member of the hospital family since June of 2019.

Outside of work, Jessica’s interests include gardening, snowboarding, reading, working on cars with her fiancé, and spending quality time with her own pets at home. She lives with Bella, a Pomeranian/Chihuahua mix that has been with Jessica since she was a puppy, a Pomeranian/Poodle mix named Koda, and Tucker the Golden Retriever. Jessica also cares for two horses, Sam and Spanky, a pair of gerbils who go by Tunnel and Troy, and five barn cats: Mama Midnight, Oreo, Griffen, Shivy, and Pistachio.

Dr. Ivan Bos recognized his own affinity for animals at an early age. He can’t remember a time when he didn’t want to do everything in his power to help them live happier, healthier lives! Dr. Bos’s passion simply didn’t quit—he knew that a career as a veterinarian would suit him perfectly. Now, his journey has come full circle: he’s the owner and operator of Balfour Animal Hospital.

Born and raised on the Niagara Peninsula, Dr. Bos graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 2001 and then worked in a pair of mixed-animal practices in the Niagara region after his schooling. Next, he purchased a small pet clinic that he would operate for the next five years. In the fall of 2011, Dr. Bos launched his next adventure: Balfour Animal Hospital. He’s been helping the pets and animal parents of the area here ever since!
Medically, Dr. Bos is interested in internal medicine and orthopedic care. He’s also one of the few veterinarians in Ontario certified in stem cell transplant therapy. Dr. Bos especially enjoys the daily tasks that go into operating and maintaining a small business, and he loves to meet new pets and develop lasting relationships with the area’s animal owners over time.

Away from work, Dr. Bos enjoys riding his beloved Yamaha FJR motorcycle and spending quality time with his family. He and his wife Melissa have two children, Kaelyn and Jacob, all of whom can often be seen helping out here at the clinic. Together, they love going camping, playing board games, and caring for their own pets—the family shares their lives with two dogs, a pair of cats, and two horses.

Ever since she was a little girl, Dr. Patricia Bailey - who goes by Trish - has been fascinated by animals of every shape and size. She found herself wanting to know everything about them, including what made them sick and what could make them happy and healthy again. That passion just never quit. Dr. Bailey knew that she was destined to become a veterinarian!

Dr. Bailey is from Ottawa and was first introduced to the veterinary world when she completed a number of high school cooperative career placements at pet clinics in her area. She attended the University of Guelph, then continued on to the Ontario Veterinary College to study veterinary medicine. Dr. Bailey graduated as a veterinarian in 2002, then moved to Windsor to launch her career in private practice.

Dr. Bailey practiced in Windsor for two years before moving to the United Kingdom, where she practiced for another two years. Next, she returned to Canada and settled in the Niagara area. Now, Dr. Bailey is proud to serve the pets and animal owners of the area as a veterinarian with the Balfour Animal Hospital team.

Away from work, Dr. Bailey likes studying history, traveling—she was able to explore much of Europe while living and working in the United Kingdom—and spending time with her own pets at home. She and her husband have three cats: Puck, who doesn’t let his advanced age slow him down in the least; Rhea, who isn’t happy until she’s cuddled up next to someone; and the more reserved Vesta.