ALBURY ANIMAL HOSPITAL
Dr Sally Whitwell
Veterinarian - Hospital owner and director
Dr Sally has been the practice manager since 2020 and took ownership of the hospital in 2022.
Dr. Sally has a strong vision and passion for positive culture both within our team and for clients. For our team Dr. Sally believes we can change the mould within the industry and provide an equally supportive, challenging and balanced work environment, where the employee feels both valued and engaged. For our clients, Dr Sally is passionate about providing the architecture around great functional protocols and a high standard of care, which will be foundations for our team to deliver excellent care to patients, and compassionate care to clients.
Dr. Sally is also a practicing Vet on our team, and is passionate about internal medicine, dermatology, ultrasound and behavioural medicine.
Dr Jana Walsh
Veterinarian
Dr Jana graduated from the Murdoch Vet school in WA in 1992 and has been practicing on the Border since 1996. Her interests in the Veterinary field are broad, however she particularly loves surgery (orthopaedic and soft tissue), animal behaviour, dermatology and endocrinology.
She is a great believer in giving owners all available options for treating a particular case and being there to give support and help make their decisions easier. It's her mission to give the best possible veterinary service to her clients, to gain their trust, to respect their needs and feelings and to do the best possible for their pets.
Dr Jana has a few pets of her own, Max a Deerhound cross, Lion, a rescue cat from AWAR, and more recently Herbie the beagalier has also joined her family.
Dr Levi Palfi
Senior Veterinarian
Dr. Levi Palfi joined our team in 2020 and originally hails from Hungary. He graduated in 2008 and has been working as a vet in Australia since 2016.
After travelling around Australia, he and his wife, have made the Border their permanent home and have started a family which will keep them on their toes. One of Dr Levi's hobbies is dancing and he and his wife are quite formidable dancers!
Dr. Levi is a classic all-rounder Vet loving both medicine and surgery but he has a particular affinity for anything diagnostic.
Dr Amy Kay
Senior Veterinarian
Amy graduated from Melbourne University in 1998 and followed her passion (inspired by the one and only James Herriot) in cattle medicine and surgery in Rochester, central Vic.
After many years of pulling calves, pregnancy testing, middle of the night caesarians and rural general practice she chose to explore the world instead, combining this with Small Animal locum stints both in the UK and back here in southeast Australia. After working in Tallangatta in 2010 for a year, Amy returned to the border region in 2015 and has been working here in small animal practice whilst raising a small family.
Amy really enjoys being a dog and cat GP veterinarian, dealing with the daily unpredictable and varied nature of the cases presented.'I love how you are an ophthalmologist one minute, a dentist the next, delivering babies the next and then sharing the saddest day of many peoples' lives when we say goodbye to a beloved pet the next'.
Her interests are broad with an emphasis on preventative medicine, quality of life, dermatology, ophthalmology, dentistry and soft tissue surgery. Amy is excited to be part of the enthusiastic team here at Albury Animal Hospital and looks forward to making many long-lasting relationships with both you and your family pet.
Dr Maddy Brown
Veterinarian
Originally from Geelong, Victoria, Dr Maddy graduated from Charles Sturt University in Wagga in 2022, with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science/Bachelor of Veterinary Biology. She has loved caring for animals since a very young age and has a genetic predisposition for working in the veterinary field.
Maddy enjoys all aspects of clinical practice, particularly internal medicine, ophthalmology and soft tissue surgery. She is passionate about providing the highest possible standard of care for her patients and optimising older patients' quality of life. While she loves working with all animals great and small, Maddy is equally passionate about forming positive, trusting relationships with owners and she has a great respect for the human-animal bond.
Dr Maddy is a strong advocate for rescuing animals and has her own rescue Kelpie, Wilbur. Wilbur and Maddy are both equally infatuated by each other.
Outside of work, Maddy can be found exploring the outdoors with Wilbur, enjoying delicious food & drinks with friends, spending time with family and watching the Geelong Cats play AFL.
Dr Frances Higgens
Veterinarian
Dr. Frances graduated from Melbourne University in 1991 and has worked for many years in mixed and small animal practice around Australia and the UK. She enjoys the variety and challenge of general practice, and is passionate about making the trip to the vet as stress-free as possible for animals and their owners.
Dr. Frances volunteers annually for an animal health program with WALDHeP (University of Melbourne), providing veterinary services to remote Aboriginal communities in West Arnhem and West Daly regions of the Northern Territory each dry season. This involves building relationships with local people and mentoring final year veterinary students.
Dr. Frances enjoys working with the very supportive team at Albury Animal Hospital, and the privilege of being able to look after peoples much loved pets.
Dr Aimee Owens
Veterinarian
Dr Aimee joins us as a graduate from Charles Sturt University in Wagga (2023) with a Bachelor of Veterinary Biology/ Bachelor of Veterinary Science. Some of you may remember Aimee as she did some nursing work at the clinic during her university holidays over the past few years. Originally from Queensland, Aimee has been living on the border for nearly 10 years now and loves the lifestyle it provides.
Aimee is interested in all facets of veterinary medicine however has special interests in canine behaviour and training and emergency and critical care. She loves forming long-term relationships with her patients and clients and finds it endlessly rewarding when she can see that she has made a positive impact on the life of a pet. Aimee is up for any challenge and also loves working with large animals, particularly horses and cattle, and works part time doing this work as well.
Outside of work you can usually find Aimee with her 2 rescue dogs, and you can often find her at the Dog Education Centre training her kelpie, Darby, or on the family farm working with sheep and cattle. Aimee is excited to be back at the clinic where she can continue to help the people and pets of the border region!
Dr Mary-Lou Doolan
Veterinarian
Dr Mary-Lou graduated from James Cook University in Townsville in 2010. She has worked in equine, mixed, emergency and small animal practices and taught at TAFE and university.
Dr Mary-Lou has a special interests dermatology, preventative medicine and soft tissue surgery. Outside of work she is usually spending time with her family, her dogs and her horses.
Stacey
Head receptionist
You will find Stacey in our reception area at the hospital most days, she not only is the face that greets you or the voice on the phone, she is part of our management team and spends a lot of time looking after all our team members.
Stacey has had extensive experience with all microchip processes and registration laws and has worked at the Albury pound for several years. Stacey has always been a big advocate of AWAR, having been a volunteer herself in the past. She brings with her a wealth of experience in the animal industry and helps liaise between the veterinary clinic and Rescue groups. Stacey is a proud fur nan to Otis the Border Collie, rescue cats Mambo and Mateo and several horses.
Nikki
Lead Vet Nurse
2022, when she joined our team and we cannot remember the team without her!
Nikki is passionate about professional development and is always seeking new opportunities to learn and help co-workers develop and hence provide a better standard of care for our pets. She is now our Lead Veterinary Nurse and does an amazing job coordinating and looking after our team, including managing all the nurse training.
She has been nursing since 2010, has completed the Certificate IV in veterinary nursing, is fear-free accredited, and in 2018 completed the Diploma in Veterinary Nursing General Practice.Away from the practice, she enjoys anything to do with nature, birds, photography, arts and crafts. Nikki is a pet parent for Rambo, a very clever, loving, and spoilt brindle staffy.
Daisy
Vet Nurse
Born and bred in the Albury Wodonga region, Daisy is a massive dog lover (bonus points for large breeds), and also loves horses. Daisy has cert 4 qualified and has been nursing for 7 years. Daisy loves that no two days are the same. Loves the challenges that each day brings, ending the day seeing a clients face light up when they get to take their fur baby home once they have been nursed back to good health. Daisy's next learning journey will involve post surgical rehabilitation and canine reproduction.
When not at work Daisy has a German Shepherd called Sassy (who lives up to her name) and a cockatoo called Freddie (who loves a good chat) and a turtle named Dennis
Miranda
Vet Nurse
Miranda has been nursing for over 10 years and have a strong love for helping animals and people. After years of nursing I found a passion in the health and fitness industry and became a holistic personal trainer , yoga and Pilates instructor. After 5 years of running her own business she am now an online integrative health practitioner specialising in helping women with their health specifically stress and hormones. After a few years of having a break from vet nursing she is keen to meet more animals and their humans and work in helping both achieve optimal health and happiness.
Miranda has 3 border collies, a Kelpie and two horses that keep her busy.
Tayla
Vet Nurse
Tayla has always had a love for animals having grown up around dogs, birds, cats and horses. Before entering the veterinary industry in 2019, Tayla lived in Melbourne for five years and completed her Diploma in Professional Dance - so you may catch her dancing around the hospital every so often!
Having sparked a passion in working with animals once she had moved home to Wodonga, Tayla completed her Certificate II in Animal Studies in 2020 and is continuing to further her knowledge by studying her Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing.
Meg
Vet Nurse
Meg has come onboard with the team as a trainee nurse and we are already so impressed with Meg's calming and caring presence with all stakeholders.
Before entering the veterinary industry with the Albury Animal Hospital in December 2023, she had been working in animal rescue with the RSPCA Wangaratta since 2019. Meg loves every aspect of working in the shelter environment and particularly developed an interest in animal behavior and training and neonatal care, particularly raising orphaned kittens! Meg completed her veterinary nursing studies in 2022 and she is very excited to develop her skills further.
Outside of work you will find her kayaking and paddle boarding with her kelpie Ned or in the garden with her Netherland dwarf Rabbit, Monty.
Merryn
Vet Nurse
Merryn has always had a passion to care and advocate for the well-being of animals - it has been an ambition of hers to become a veterinary nurse.
Merryn first joined AAH in May 2023 as a work placement student to complete the remainder of her required work placement hours and has recently graduated in November 2023, joining the AAH team officially in December.
Merryn finds fulfilment in greeting clients and their pets as they enter the clinic as well as providing compassionate care to unwell or nervous patients.
Outside of AAH you will find her enjoying activities and swimming with family or walking her Border collie X Staffy Mia.
Sarah
Vet Nurse
Coming soon
Kayla
Vet Nurse
Kayla grew up with a big love and passion for animals. She knew from a young age that she wanted to be in the veterinary industry, and throughout her career she has developed special interests in anaesthesia, medical and emergency / critical care nursing.
Kayla works hard to continually develop her knowledge and skills to be able to provide the best standard of care for her patients, and be part of the amazing recovery when patients walk out the door with a wag in their tail. At home she has two cats, “Diego” and “Monty,” which she adopted through her previous workplace. Kayla is very excited to be part of the caring (and welcoming) team at Albury Animal Hospital and can't wait to become acquainted with clients and their fur babies
Personal service We want to take the time to get to know you and your pet on a more personal level! We believe in continuity, encouraging you to continue to see one of our vets that you feel most comfortable with. We've found that cats and dogs are more relaxed being cared for by the same vet each visit. Knowing you and your pet well makes it easier for us to give you great service!
Minimal waiting times We pride ourselves on being punctual and running on time to the best of our ability, but as we all know, emergencies can happen. If we are running later, we will always communicate any delays and, if necessary, we will get in touch to re-schedule your appointment to prevent unnecessary delays for you.
Sick pet? We will never turn you away. We are a hospital, not a clinic. Although we have booked appointments, we will always see pets based on urgency. Even if we are fully booked, if your pet is sick, we will ask you to bring your pet to the hospital and our nursing team will triage your pet, just like at a human hospital! Every pet seen under our nurse triage is communicated to a veterinarian, and the vet will decide on how best to look after your pet. If your pet is sick, we will rearrange the schedule so we can look after them.
Expertise To be able to deliver exceptional service, we ensure all our team members are highly trained and knowledgeable. You can be assured that when you speak to us, you will receive the latest and correct recommendations. Our team members regularly engage in continuing professional development.
Approximately once a month AAH and AWAR run a community cat desexing day. AAH heavily subsidises (thanks to your support to us!) cat desexing surgeries. Owners through the program make a contribution and AWAR. All procedures are performed by AAH vets and nurses.
There is no support for this program from local or state governments. We desex approximately 80 animals per year through this program, which prevents the birth of approximately 10,000 unwanted kittens into the local area. What an amazing achievement! If you are experiencing financial difficulty, you can contact AWAR directly to discuss you situation. Selection and entry into this program are on a case-by-case basis and is at the discretion of AWAR. All animals must have a calm temperament and be able to be handled, and the program covers the cost of desexing only. It does not cover anything relating to pre-existing health conditions, and patients will be screened for suitability.
To learn more about becoming a foster carer for AWAR or to donate visit awar.org.au.
AAH has a vision for our team and workplace culture. AAH management empower team members to be the change we want to see within our industry. Our workplace is a supportive and engaging, space where everyone can come to work, and achieve their goals.
Even if we aren't currently advertising for a new team member, we still want to hear from you!
Please send any expressions of interest for work to [email protected] - Attn: Dr. Sally
or placement positions (veterinary nurse or veterinary student) to [email protected] - Attn: Nurse Nikki
Our hospital offers dedicated feline areas within the layout of the hospital. This means that your cat is going to be more relaxed and comfortable being treated by us, when compared with traditional general practices layouts.
The benefits start from the waiting room. We have a dedicated cat waiting area, which has low stress 'cat parking', and a cat only waiting area. We recognise that smell, sounds and visual triggers are a source of stress for cats. Simply just coming to the vet and being in a carrier can be stressful! We therefore offer an area that is physically separated from dogs, and we utilise Feliway calming pheromones and visual covers for their cages.
Inside the cat consultation room, we again have Feliway pheromones to promote calmness, but also utilise handling techniques such as examining the cat where they are comfortable in the room, and providing hiding spaces by means of a towel, and using slow movements and soft voices. The reduction in visual and sound stimulus helps us to conduct physical examinations - we can interpret the patient more meaningfully.
Our cat hospital is again a dedicated feline space, and it is another zone that is physically separated from dogs. It's the zen palace of the hospital! When cats need to be hospitalised we have large condos that we set up for them, which include space to move around and we always provide place for them to hide or perch as this is a well recognised behavioural outlet that cats need in their environment. More timid cats will utilise it to hide in, so they feel more secure and more confident cats will perch on top, as cats like to be up high. Understanding feline behaviour helps us to provide the lowest stress environment for them whilst they are in hospital, which means patients are more likely to heal.
Our Vets are knowledgeable on feline specific medicine and regularly upskill their knowledge and skillset for feline specific conditions.
To book an appointment for your cat, please give us a call today.
We understand veterinary care for your pet can be expensive, or come at inconvenient times. We have partnered with VetPay and ZipPay to give you finance options, where you can Buy Now, Pay Later. With finance options we can focus on treating your best mate.
Please let our team know if you would like to utilise BNPL - we have a $35 administration fee, and the minimum spend is $100.
You can visit Zip pay or vet Pay for further information.
For all Albury Wodonga Animal Rescue related enquiries please call:
0436 435 035
| Monday | 8am-6pm |
| Tuesday | 8am-6pm |
| Wednesday | 8am-6pm |
| Thursday | 8am-6pm |
| Friday | 8am-6pm |
| Saturday | 9am-1pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
AFTER HOURS VETERINARY INFORMATION
To help keep up with demand, give our vets a rest and to ensure our clients have 24/7 access to vet advice, we have partnered with VetChat for all your after-hour pet care needs. VetChat vets are all Australian board certified, with a minimum of 5 year's experience and are passionate about improving pet health outcomes.
When our hospital doors close each day, VetChat will help us support you and your petby offering primary triage.
After Hours Support Costs:
VetChat
$39.00 6am - midnight AEST/AEDT
$59.00 midnight - 6am AEST/AEDT
If your pet requires emergency critical care, VetChat will alert our vet on call and we will be in contact shortly.
Please Note: The fee for a Vet to attend the hospital after hours is $430. After an examination and consultation, all recommended treatment plans will be discussed, including all additional fees.
To contact VetChat call 1300 215 328 or Click here to proceed to VetChat.