Get to know Vets – Dr Erin & Dr Emily – what they love about working with animals and the advice they wish every pet owner knew.
Dr Erin – Lead Vet
What inspired you to become a veterinarian?
When I was a young girl, we always had lots of pets and lived on a hobby farm. I felt a strong bond with animals from an early age and wanted to help them in any way I could. Veterinarians were a big inspiration to me, and I knew it was a career I wanted to pursue. Before studying veterinary medicine, I worked as a veterinary nurse, which further reinforced my passion for caring for animals and their families.
Do you have any pets of your own?
Yes! At the moment I have two cats. Ant is a large, mischievous black Domestic Shorthair, and Law—Ant’s partner in crime—is a black smoke and white Maine Coon. They certainly keep life entertaining at home.
What do you love most about working in this community?
We have wonderful clients, many of whom have been bringing their pets to our clinic for years. One of the things I love most is that, because we are a Fear Free clinic, many of our patients actually enjoy coming to see us. It’s always rewarding to see pets happily walk through the door, looking forward to treats, pats, and plenty of attention from the team.
What’s one piece of advice you wish every pet owner knew?
Pet insurance is worth considering. The cost of providing high-quality veterinary care has increased significantly, and unexpected emergencies such as snake bites, fractures, or serious illnesses can quickly result in bills of several thousand dollars. Having pet insurance in place can help cover 80–90% of eligible costs, making it easier to focus on your pet’s care rather than financial decisions. I insure my own pets, and my view is simple: I also have car insurance, but I don’t love my car nearly as much as I love my pets.
Do you have a favourite animal? What is it and why?
That’s a difficult question because I genuinely appreciate all animals. However, I’ve always had a particular interest in feline medicine. Cats can be incredibly unique species and complex patients, and I enjoy the challenge of understanding their behaviour and medical needs. They have a special place in my heart.
Dr Emily – Vet
What inspired you to become a vet?
It’s really tricky to 100% pinpoint this as I decided to become a vet at age 5 and stuck with it my whole life. On the day I decided I think it was actually my sister who said she wanted to be a vet, and as I followed her in everything, I suddenly did too. Her career choices then changed daily from pop star, to lawyer and everything in between, but I stuck with my choice and here I am!
Do you have any pets of your own?
Yes! I have 2 domestic shorthaired cats: Casper and Zelda, who I adopted from Animal Aid when I was living in Gippsland; 3 horses: Arwen, a 27-year-old thoroughbred who I have had for 23 years (!), Luna, a 7-year-old pony and Gus, a 21-year-old thoroughbred; 4 isa brown chickens and 5 Zebra Danio fish.
What do you love most about working in this community?
I love the care and attention that the pets in our community receive. The pets we see at BVC are clearly part of the family.
What’s one piece of advice you wish every pet owner knew?
We aren’t superheroes; coming in early for a problem is always so much better than coming in when things have progressed really far. People often don’t want to ‘bother’ us with something trivial, but we are really happy to see your pets anytime! We find it much more satisfying to PREVENT big problems rather than trying to fix advanced disease states.
Do you have a favourite animal? What is it and why?
This question is too hard! I love horses because horse riding has always been a favourite pastime of mine, but as a vet they are really challenging to treat. I love rabbits because they are actually internally just tiny horses and I enjoy treating them. I love cats because they are so independent and provide very interesting veterinary challenges by just being so different to dogs. And finally: I love dogs because they are so goofy and loyal and they are so brilliant at reading humans even when we aren’t always good at reading them!
