Jules dos Santos
ACCES Manager

Jules is the Senior Emergency Nurse as well as Managing the Animal Critical Care and Emergency Service department. She has been nursing for 14 years in several fields from general practice to surgical nursing but has found her passion in Emergency and Critical Care. She cares for, and nurses, all the in-patients and attend to emergencies as they arise.

She left the UK to come to Australia 11 years ago, to continue her nursing career. Along the way Jules has accumulated some wonderful family members; 3 dogs (Jayden, Joey and Skye) and 2 cats (Dominic and Star), whom she adores, as her special family.

 

Lucy Grace
Nurse
Surgery

Lucy started working at the VSC in 2004 as an Animal Attendant and has since completed Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing. She is currently working as a nurse within the surgical team. She has two fox terriers of her own who she adopted from Monika's Doggie Rescue.

 

 

 

Mel Mozley
Senior Nursing Unit Manager
Medicine

Mel has been a senior nurse at the VSC since 1997. Originally a Kiwi, Mel lived in the US for 11 years where she completed her Bachelor of Science in Pre-Vet. She also lived on Maui, Hawaii for 2 years.

After becoming a mum to a beautiful boy, she now works part-time. Mel resides on the Central Coast with her Husband, son, “Zac” the blood donor German Shepherd and “Noe” (which means snow in Hawaiian) the cat.

 

Ruth Schumi
Senior Technician
Laboratory

Ruth graduated with an advanced certificate in Veterinary Nursing in 1993, after gaining 5 years experience in emergency medicine and general small animal practice. She continued managing the emergency service for a busy small animal practice in Perth for a further 5 years. During this time she commenced her undergraduate studies in Biology and became a part-time lecturer of Veterinary Nursing and Animal Care at Murdoch University.

In 1998 Ruth commenced training as a Veterinary Technician in general, emergency and critical care Veterinary Medicine in Ottawa, Canada. Upon her return to Australia in 2002 she joined our ACCES team. Ruth is currently in charge of our laboratory.

 

 

Vickie Wong
Nurse
ACCES

Originally from California, where she obtained her certificate as a registered Veterinary Technician. Vickie has been with the VSC since 2000 and has over 10 years experience in the Veterinary industry. She really enjoys the challenges that are often faced as part of the ACCES team and receives a lot of gratification from helping restore patients to their healthy happy selves.

In her spare time she enjoys reading, going to the movies and horse riding. Vickie is the proud mum of 2 rescued dogs "Rubin" and "Annie", and her 2 trusty steeds "Toby" and "Valentino".

Vickie is currently on maternity leave.

 

 

Tanya Jacobs
Nurse
Medicine

Tanya joined the VSC team in June 2007. Prior to the move over to specialist medicine, Tanya worked in general practice for 7.5 years where she occupied her high maintenance pooch "Bella". Tanya is currently completing her final year of veterinary nursing through AIRC.

 

 

 

Cathy Radford
Accredited Veterinary Nurse
ACCES

Cathy begun working with the VSC in January 2008. Prior to this she worked as a Veterinary Nurse in general practice for 3.5 years.

Cathy completed her qualification in Veterinary Nursing in 2006 and became VSC's only Accredited Nurse in November 2008.

Cathy lives on the Central Coast with her partner Luke and their much loved and very spoilt 'children' "Chopper" the German Shepherd, "Tess" the German Collie and "Charlie" the chattering Cockatiel.

 

 

Meimei Christian
Nursing Unit Manager
Surgery

Meimei qualified as a veterinary nurse in South Africa. She worked in England for 3 years where she met her husband who is an Australian. They moved to Sydney in 2006 where she started working for Dr Tony Black at the former Northern Sydney Veterinary Specialist Centre which joined VSC in Sep 2007.

Meimei is currently on maternity leave.

 

 

 

 

Stacey Dobson
Nurse
Surgery / ACCES

Stacey has been a qualified veterinary nurse for 6 years, 3 of those years were spent in the U.K. where she enjoyed travelling Europe and working in orthopaedic specialist centre. Stacey moved to Sydney in October (being from Melbourne originally!) and has joined the specialist surgery team.

In her spare time she loves fishing, kayaking, the beach, a good book and seeing friends. Unfortunately, she has no adored pets but gets visited daily by (noisy but charming) Rainbow Lorikeets at her apartment (named Larry and Keith).

 

 

 

 

Fay McDarmont
Nurse
Senior ACCES

Fay rejoined the Veterinary Specialist Centre as an emergency nurse in 2007. Fay completed her Veterinary Nursing Certificate in 1995 and has over 10 years nursing experience with many of them being here at the Veterinary Specialist Centre. Fay is kept busy outside work with her energetic cattle dogs “Bundy” and “Esky” and an ever growing menagerie of farm animals.

 

 

 

 

Janet Johnson
Veterinary Nurse

Janet joined the VSC in June 2008, after moving from Canada, where she obtained her diploma in Animal Health Technology in 1993. Her background is varied, consisting of experience working with large and small animals, in general practice and specialty / referral, and alternative as well as conventional medicine. A stint as an officer in the Canadian military, and a combined honours degree in languages, have cultured within her a unique diversity and rejuvenated appreciation for veterinary medicine! In her spare time, she enjoys music, traveling, and getting together with good friends. She is thrilled to finally be able to call Sydney "home", and rejoices in the knowledge she may never have to endure another Canadian winter!

Janet has a divine feline named Spencer, who will be joining her in the coming months. He is the centre of her universe... as it should be.

Kelly Shackleton
Veterinary Nurse

Kelly gained her veterinary nursing qualifications in England and has been nursing for 10 years. She came to Australia in February 2007 where she began working between travel. Kelly has recently moved down from Brisbane to Sydney and joined the VSC in August 2008. She plans to stay and work at the VSC permanently.



 

Caroline Outred
Nurse
ACCES

Caroline started working part time at the VSC in April 2008, starting full time in August 2008. She spent her first 7 years nursing in general practice in Western Sydney, where she gained her Certificate IV and Diploma in Veterinary Nursing. In 2006 she fled to England and worked in and around London at several small animal practices, travelling around Europe and the UK when she could. She returned to Australia in early 2008 to her long suffering and dearly missed dogs, Matilda the Jack Russell Terrier and Dusty the Kelpie.

 

Kylie Drake
Nurse
Surgery

 

 

Clair Parnwell
Nurse
ACCES

 

 

Melissa Topp
Nurse
ACCES

 

Maiko Crispin
Nurse
Medicine

 

Christy Janssen
Nurse
Medicine

 

Jade Kneebone
Junior Nurse
Medicine

Jade has been working at the VSC since the beginning of 2007. Although she is working as an animal attendant, she is also studying Veterinary Nursing Certificate IV at TAFE, and hopes to be a nurse one day.

Jade lives in the Hawkesbury area with her husband Luke and their two adorable cats "Rose" (Burmese) and "Pixie" (Abyssinian X) who were both adopted from the VSC.
 

 

Penny Brown
Junior Veterinary Nurse

Penny started working at the VSC in 2007 as a kennel attendant and is now a nurse. She is currently studying full-tim for her Veterinary Science Degree at the University of Sydney. She has had experience working with both large adn small animals and cannot decide which she loves the most! somehow she still manages to find time in her life for her Border Collie "Lexie", 2 horses "P.J." and "Joey", to work at the VSC and at Figtree Clinic and study.

 

 

 

 

Andrew Layman
Animal Attendant

Andrew has been a kennel hand for around a year and a half. He has completed certificate 2 in animal studies and is currently studying certificate 4 Veterinary nursing part time.  

His interests are rugby union, black and white photography, going to the beach and out with mates.



 

 

Lenna
Animal Attendant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mel Taylor
Animal Attendant

Melanie is originally from England and worked as a Registered Nurse, then as a manager of Quality and Information before coming to work at the VSC as an Animal Attendant in Nov 2005. She also works as a veterinary nurse at Blaxland in the Blue Mountains. She lives with her "slightly" overweight ginger cat, Biscuit, and in her spare time loves indoor rock climbing and bushwalking.

She has completed a degree in marine biology and Certificate II in Animal Studies. She is at present completing Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing.

 

 

Maya Frick
Animal Attendant