Veterinarians at EastRidge Animal Hospital
Meet Our Vets
Dr. David R. Loff,
B.S.A., D.V.M.
Dr. Loff graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon in 1988. He was born in Saskatoon but grew up in Calgary, later returning to Saskatoon for his Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture and Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. He practiced for three years in Prince George before joining a busy multi-veterinarian hospital in the Lower Mainland, where he worked for six years.
In 1997, he designed and opened EastRidge Animal Hospital, initially as a one-veterinarian practice. Over the years, he has been joined by other like-minded veterinarians.
Dr. Loff has a special interest in surgery and has completed additional training in orthopedics at Ohio State University.
He is also active in the veterinary community in the Lower Mainland, having been president of the Vancouver Academy of Veterinary Medicine for four years. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of True North Veterinary Laboratory.
An avid scuba diver and underwater photographer, he was also a member of the Underwater Archaeological Society of British Columbia, a group that seeks to preserve our underwater heritage by discovering, mapping, and protecting British Columbia shipwrecks. In his spare time, he tries to keep his Audis running!
As a pet owner himself, he understands your concerns – he shares his home with five cats.
Dr. Sue Whitley,
D.V.M.
Dr. Whitley is originally from Saskatoon, and after graduating from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 1988 in the same class as Dr. Loff (but he is much older), she moved to the lower mainland to be near the ocean.
She worked at a few practices and owned a clinic for several years. After travelling to Africa the first time, she discovered that she enjoyed adventure travelling and decided to do locums instead of owning a practice. She has been working at EastRidge for at least 25 years. She currently has 1 dog and 3 cats. She has travelled extensively, including climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, staying at the Everest Base camp in Nepal, and travelling through Patagonia going to the southernmost tip of South America. She enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping trips, scuba diving, and plays ice hockey.
Dr. Kelly Armstrong
BSc, D.V.M,
Dr. Armstrong was born and raised in Maple Ridge and wanted to be a veterinarian from a young age. She was inspired by Dr. Loff when he saved her cat from a garage door in 1995.
She earned her Bachelor of Animal Science from the University of Alberta in 2014 before moving to the tiny Caribbean island of St. Kitts and Nevis to attend Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. She completed her clinical year at Louisiana State University in 2019 and returned home where she has worked in general practice in the lower mainland for the last 6 years before joining the team at East Ridge. She has special interests in dentistry and behavioral medicine. She has a full house with three dogs (two KBD mixes and a senior Chihuahua), two senior cats, and a toddler.
Dr. Armstrong is a long suffering Canucks fan and enjoys spending time with family and friends in her spare time.
Meet Our Staff
Christine
Head Registered Veterinary Technologist
​
Christine has had a fascination with all things involving animals and insects since a small child. She graduated from the A.H.T program at Douglas College in 2011. She joined the team at EastRidge Animal Hospital shortly after. She has adopted 5 cats from Katie’s Place Rescue after they came to the hospital for care. She is passionate about the environment, loves hiking in the great outdoors, gardening and true crime.
Ali
Registered Veterinary Technologist
Ali graduated from Thompson Rivers University A.H.T. Program in 2010. She joined EastRidge in 2014. She has adopted 2 animals from work, including a Golden Retriever Walle and a cat named Tilly. She enjoys running, hiking, and spending time outside with her kids.
Becca
Veterinary Office Assistant
Becca has worked in the veterinary industry for almost 20 years, starting at an emergency clinic when she was 17. She worked her way through the different support roles of the veterinary industry, even managing a clinic for a couple years when she first moved to BC from Calgary in 2023. She realized she wanted to get back to working closer with the animals and their owners and get out from behind the paperwork mountain, so she is enjoying being a veterinary office assistant again. Becca started at EastRidge in October 2025, and she is really loving getting to know the clientele here! She has a 5-year-old Mexican rescue named Frida, and a 16-year-old cat named Marty. In her free time, she spends it watching NFL football (Go Bills!) or at the many beaches that drew her to BC.
Lynette
Veterinary Office Assistant
Lynette began her career as a veterinary assistant in 1995 at a clinic in Long Island, New York. After five years, she moved back to Maple Ridge to raise a family. As a perk to veterinary employment, she has gained several pets over the years. She currently has 2 dogs and 3 cats to squeeze in among her 3 children. She is an avid dragon boat racer, competing locally and internationally.
Emma
Veterinary Office Assistant
Emma joined EastRidge in 2020. She has always had a strong passion for animals since she was a child. She has a dog named Maddie whom she loves taking on walks & down to the river for a swim. In her spare time, she enjoys watching the Toronto Blue Jays & true crime documentaries.
Alysha
Veterinary Office Assistant
After coming from a music school background, they changed gears and graduated from the University of the Fraser Valley Veterinary Assistant program in April 2021 and joined the team shortly after. Alysha has two cats adopted from Katie’s Place and enjoys playing a good cozy video game and nature walks with an iced coffee.
Samantha
Veterinary Office Assistant
Sam has always had a passion for animals ever since she was a kid. She’s had many pets over the years and currently has 1 dog & 3 cats. In her spare time, she likes to hang out with her pets, make dream catchers / friendship bracelets & volunteer at Katie’s Place Cat Shelter. She is an avid Shrek enthusiast with a massive Shrek merchandise collection.
Kelsey
Veterinary Office Assistant
Kelsey has been a veterinary assistant since 2017 and joined the EastRidge team in late 2024. She has a background in assisting in critical care and specialty medicine, having worked at Canada West Veterinary Specialists for a few years. A lover of all kinds of animals, she has a rabbit and two cats of her own and in her free time enjoys bird-watching, trying new vegan recipes and going to hardcore metal concerts.