SPECIALIST SURGERY

All surgical procedures are done in our clinic, including orthopaedic and complex soft tissue surgery

MEDICAL IMAGING

Radiography and ultrasound

chiropractic

Gentle, effective techniques, including massage, mobilisation, manipulation, stretching, laser & rehabilitation. Suitable for animals of all ages

puppy school

Behaviour training and socialisation for your energetic puppy at a pivotal age.

Puppy School currently runs on Thursday nights from 6:30-7:30pm in five-week cycles.

Call Sonya at the clinic to book a spot.

Dr Kirsty Lynch
Clinic owner & Veterinarian

Kirsty’s had a love of animals and science since she was young. Becoming a vet just made sense. Behavioural medicine is her special interest because she can educate people and speak on behalf of animals with mental health issues, while supporting their owners. Her ultimate goal is to improve animal welfare and the human-animal bond. Kirsty, a certified Free Fear Professional, hopes to cultivate a low-stress, empathetic clinic environment, as free from fear as possible, where animals and their owners can feel at ease. Kirsty has a Border Collie, Chilli, a Cavoodle, Desi, a Shetland pony, Murphy, and two horses, Bob and Jackie.

Briar Beca
PRACTICE MANAGER
& Veterinary Nurse

Briar is our Practice Manager, which brings its share of exciting challenges. Briar is seasoned in the vet and zoo industries. She is particularly drawn to caring for our exotic pets and local wildlife. In her downtime, you’ll find Briar with family, friends and her crazy Bengal cat Kai, or hiking national parks and plotting the next getaway.

Dr Peter Cameron
Veterinarian

Peter is our exotic animals enthusiast. He has a broad range of experience with dogs, cats, birds, reptiles and amphibians. He lives in the Dandenongs with his family and two cats, Plum and Ping. Outside work, Peter likes collecting and restoring pressure lanterns, tinkering in his shed, fishing, and exploring the Aussie bush.

Dr Colette Hester
Veterinarian

Colette is passionate about all aspects of small animal medicine, especially working up interesting cases and educating clients on the best care for their pets. She also likes surgery, and performs both routine and soft tissue procedures in clinic. In her spare time, Colette enjoys heading to the beach and socialising with friends.

Dr Claire Ng
Veterinarian

Claire was welcomed to the Ringwood Vet team in June 2023. She loves learning everything new in veterinary medicine but is particularly interested in soft tissue surgery and feline medicine. Claire fosters cats and kittens for various animal shelters. In her free time, she enjoys watching TV and playing board games.

Karine Hart
Receptionist

Karine is our part-time receptionist and has been in the veterinary industry for over 25 years. During that time, she has held various positions within the field, as well as managing a coffee cart business with her husband Jason. When not at work, Karine enjoys finding treasures at vintage markets, mastering roller skating, and looking after her Cavaliers Basil and Oscar, and Chilli the ginger cat.

Elaine Burdett
Veterinary Nurse

Elaine has had a lifelong passion for animals, having been surrounded by them since childhood. She grew up with horses and now shares her home with her beloved Blue Heeler, Jay. In her free time, Elaine enjoys horseback riding and exploring the outdoors. She is excited to bring her skills and dedication to the practice and looks forward to meeting all of your furry friends!

Fiona Kates
Animal Chiropractor

Fiona started out as a chiropractor for humans. After further training, and driven by her love for horses, she is now a dedicated animal chiropractor. Fiona spent time as the assistant program coordinator for the animal chiropractic course at RMIT, where she studied. Through chiropractic, she wants to improve the health of pets and horses for owners who are drawn to a natural approach.

Sharon Curtis
Dog Groomer

Sharon is a professional dog groomer with a great deal of experience in the UK and Australia. She has a knack with breeding and showing toy poodles, Lowchens and Yorkshire Terriers. Sharon is a mum to three boys and three pets; a Maltese x poodle and two guinea pigs. To relax, Sharon enjoys yoga, pilates and hanging with her family.

Classes are on Thursdays from 6:30-7:30 pm. Call Sonya at the clinic to book a spot.

Why Puppy School?

We teach owners how to grow social, fun-loving dogs that can obey basic rules and live well alongside people and other animals. Puppies are at their most impressionable between 8 and 16 weeks of age. Any positive or negative influences introduced to your pup are imprinted in their brains, much like a young child. Puppy school is like kinder for kids. It sets them up with a solid foundation for learning and behaviour for the rest of their lives.

Puppies go through a stage of vaccination (8 weeks, 12 weeks and 16 weeks). They are not fully protected against disease until about 10 days after their final shots. This means they can’t be socialised safely in public, in case of contracting the serious and sometimes fatal Parvovirus.

In a safe and controlled environment like puppy school, your pet can positively interact with other dogs and their owners, directly impacting on your pup’s character for the future.

What does your pup learn?

Your little rascal learns to play safely with other dogs and respond to basic commands, such as ‘sit’, ‘come’, ‘stand’ and ‘drop’, using positive reinforcement.

What do humans learn?

We teach children to be confident and in control of their puppies, who often see kids as just another puppy buddy. It is a great idea to bring your kids along to class.

Any behavioural problems, such as dominance, can be controlled with exercises that reinforce the higher ranking of humans in the household.

We teach you how to be the leader of the pack and maintain a happy, balanced family with a dog as a treasured new member.