I grew up on a farm in South Australia so I’m a fan of Farmer’s Union Iced Coffee, wear “bathers” rather than “swimmers” and know what a stobie pole is. When deciding on a career, I wanted to find something that would always have variety, would allow me to continue to learn every day and would make use of my affinity for working with animals – Vet Science was the perfect choice!  

I studied at Murdoch University in Perth and went into mixed practice in northern NSW for my first job. As much as I enjoyed the challenge of unpacking alpacas and pregnancy testing cows in the snow, I moved into small animal practice after 4 years and have focused on cats and dogs ever since. I have been caring for Townsville pets and their families since 2011.  

I am one of those rare vets who has a small fur family. –  One cat, “Private Henry” aka “Henry” who enjoys the solitude of the office during the day and ventures out at night after the non-fur children have gone to bed.  And one dog, a rescue called “Bon Bon” who has helped me appreciate the importance of taking time to smell the roses (or doggie wee-mail), that you are never too old to learn new tricks (you just need someone to understand your method of learning and encourage you in the right way) and the joy of a good zoomie around the backyard.   

I really enjoy preventive medicine and dentistry and the challenge of deciphering medical conditions. I have come to understand how important mental health is for our animals especially when we are asking them to cope with a world that is nothing like the world their ancestors were in. I believe keeping animals healthy both physically and emotionally is one of the greatest things we can do for our pet family.