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Our Veterinarians

Your pet’s emotional and physical well-being is prioritized with every visit. We put our patients first!

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Dr. Mike Astin

Dr. Mike Astin

Partner Veterinarian

How does a person who loves science, medicine and animals satisfy all three of these in one job? By becoming a veterinarian. That’s precisely what Dr. Michael Astin did. He took his love of science, mixed it with his admiration of modern medicine and added a touch of his passion for animals and turned it into a career! Today he’s a registered veterinarian at Dixie Road Pet Clinic, and he’s making a difference in the lives of animals and their owners!

Dr. Michael completed his undergraduate degree in biomedicine at the University of Guelph. He spent multiple summers shadowing at an animal hospital, while studying the DVM program at Ontario Veterinary College.

The defining moment in Dr. Michael’s life that inspired him to pursue a career in the veterinary world didn’t involve a dog, a cat or a bird. It actually involved a cow! Dr. Michael watched intensely as a veterinarian performed a c-section on a cow, and then incredulously watched that same cow stand on its own feet a few hours later. Stunned by the power of animal medicine, he immediately decided that this is what he wanted to pursue as a profession.

Getting to know clients and pet owners better is one of Dr. Michael’s favorite parts about working at Dixie Road Pet Clinic. He loves nothing more than to hear people tell unique stories about why they love their pets. As far as day-to-day tasks at the hospital go, he enjoys performing surgery and monitoring anesthesia. The ability to work with his hands in a fast-paced environment is something he relishes.

In his free time, Dr. Michael enjoys spending time with his fiance and their dog, Murphy. Murphy is so intelligent that when his owner tells him “get your leash,” the dog will promptly pick it up with his teeth!


Dr. Ricky Lau

Dr. Ricky Lau

Veterinarian

When Dr. Lau was a child, you could usually find him glued to the television, engrossed in a National Geographic documentary about animals. Even at a very young age, he found animals fascinating and knew he wanted to become a vet when he grew up. Clearly, he was onto something, because that’s exactly how things played out!

Following the completion of his undergraduate degree in Toronto, Dr. Lau went on to attend veterinary school in New Zealand, where he then spent some time working at a clinic in Aukland before moving back to Canada. After a couple of stints on Prince Edward Island and in British Columbia, Dr. Lau relocated to Toronto to be closer to family and, shortly thereafter, joined the Dixie Road Pet Clinic team.

Professionally, Dr. Lau has a special interest in surgery because he finds it challenging and because it requires him to think on his feet. You just never know what to expect, which makes it exciting!

Outside of the clinic, Dr. Lau resides with his partner and their two rescued domestic medium hair cats, Maple and Fern, who are sisters born to the same litter on PEI. Maple is an orange female, which is relatively uncommon, and Fern is a Torbie with random patches of orange.


Sloppy Kisses

23,458

Sloppy Kisses

Bellies Rubbed

19,389

Bellies Rubbed

Treats Given

27,193

Treats Given