Sandra Lean-Leighton

Sandra Lean-Leighton BA RVT

 

Sandra Lean-Leighton has had three passions in her life, theatre, travel and the love of animals. She has had the privilege of experiencing all of these through the years and continues to combine them in her new project, the one-woman comedy entitled “Adventures of  a SuperVet Tech”.

After graduating from Mount Allison University in 1975, she hit the road to discover the world and worked as a stage technician and stage manager in Australia and in the West End of London. Returning to Canada, she continued to work in theatre production at Neptune Theatre in Halifax and Centaur Theatre, Montreal.

In 1981, she “took the plunge” and moved to Toronto to start an acting career working in film, television and the stage. A member of both Canadian Actors Equity Assoc. and ACTRA, she established the children’s theatre company, Lilliput Productions in 1985. Writing, acting and producing over 10 shows, her company toured extensively across Canada for 10 years.

Having reached certain personal goals, in 1992, she was ready for a change and found the perfect outlet. She went back to school and graduated from Seneca College, becoming a Registered Veterinary Technician. “Vet techs are nurses for animals, but so much more. We do x-rays, medications, lab analysis, small surgeries, owner counselling. You name it”.

Always a free-lancer at heart, she established Vet Tech Support Services  and worked as a locum veterinary technician in over 40 clinics in the Toronto area.

“I’ve seen it all” she says, “From nursing animals for the rich and famous to referral clinics, emergency facilities and humane societies.”

“Being a registered veterinary technician is more than a job or a career. For those of us passionate enough to withstand the physical and emotional challenges of the profession, it’s an honour and dare I say, a calling. The problem is, nobody knows who we are or what we do”.  Sandra intends to change that.

She’s melded her two careers and written a one-woman show about being a veterinary technician entitled “Adventures of a SuperVet Tech”.

The veterinary field is a wacky, weird and wonderful world and those people who are lucky enough to work in it require, above all, a terrific sense of humour. Lean-Leighton is sharing her stories, mostly funny, some touching and sensitive, always entertaining, hoping to raise the public profile of veterinary technology.

“I am constantly in awe but also humbled by the dedicated professionals with whom I work and I hope to make my show a fitting tribute to these highly intelligent, funny and hard-working individuals.”

To satisfy her love of travel, Sandra plans to take her show on the road, touring veterinary technician colleges and conferences around the world.

“I’m thrilled to be able to share my stories and adventures. For me it’s a dream come true. I can hardly wait to reveal the secrets of the veterinary world.”

 Seneca cover

 

Read about Sandra Lean-Leighton’s life as a VetTech in the Seneca Alumnae Newsletter.