An Aldergrove artist presented Abbotsford veterinarian Dr. Ken Macquisten with an original oil painting on Friday (May 10) at Townline Veterinary Hospital.
Susan Gorris presented Macquisten with the portrait of him holding a bear cub in tribute to his service with Critter Care Wildlife Society in Langley and his advocacy for grizzly bears and other wild animals.
Gorris is a rescue and transport volunteer for Critter Care, and she said the agency is grateful for Macquisten’s many years of service that he has offered to injured wild animals in his care.
“While the Fraser Valley community enjoys the services of many excellent veterinarians, Dr. Macquisten is particularly distinctive because of his experience with wild and domestic species,” Gorris said.
RELATED: Rare bird gets artificial leg
RELATED: Bears in the ‘hood: Abbotsford vet says bears a nuisance not a threat
“His success as a veterinarian of family pets continues to be revealed in the quiet and respectful manner offered each animal whether it may be a chicken, dog, peacock, pig, cat or turkey, to name a few.”
Macquisten has been a veterinarian in the Fraser Valley since 1980 as a small animal, exotic and wildlife private practitioner.
He was director of the Greater Vancouver Zoo for three years and a director of the Fraser Valley SPCA.
He is also a founder of two unique B.C. wildlife refuges – the Kicking Horse Grizzly Bear Refuge in Golden and the Grouse Mountain Refuge for Endangered Wildlife in North Vancouver, where he is currently its managing director.
He continues to practise small-animal medicine and surgery at Townline Veterinary Hospital.
Macquisten is also a recovery team member for the critically endangered Oregon spotted frog, the lead vet for the B.C. northern spotted owl captive breeding project, and a founding board member of the Grizzly Bear Foundation.