I graduated from the University of Queensland in 1991 and worked in Victoria, England and Saudi Arabia before returning to SE Queensland.

I have been working at Park Ridge Animal Hospital since the year 2000 and purchased the business from Dr Mike Gascoigne in 2004. Owning the business is a great challenge. We are always working to update our equipment and treatment protocols to make sure we can do a great job for your pets. 2013 was a big year because I had the honour of being the President of the Queensland Division of the Australian Veterinary Association. It was a terrific year full of new opportunities such as meeting government ministers, working with government on the development of animal health related policies and meeting many great vets and vet nurses throughout Queensland.

My real passion for veterinary science is helping clients celebrate the human-animal bond. I enjoy seeing clients with new puppies and kittens and continuing that relationship as the animals grow and mature. Helping both the client and pet through the good times and the bad times and taking time to discuss treatment options that are best for both pet and person. It is never a dull job and is truly much more than a job.

Home life is never dull with teenage kids, a lovely (and neurotic) dachshund and an endless “hobby list” supplied by my lovely wife!

Dr Sheena has been part of the Park Ridge Family since 2009. Through her hard work and passion for small animal medicine, Sheena has been awarded Membership to the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists, in the specific field of Companion Animal Medicine.

Sheena is renowned for her ever present smile and dedication to her patients.

Outside of work Sheena enjoys spending time with her husband, young daughter and adorable little dog Lucky, an adopted miniature poodle who is also a diabetic – Lucky certainly is lucky to be part of this great family!

Dr Kei joined the team at Park Ridge Animal Hospital in mid 2016. He graduated from the University of Qld in 2007 and has worked in and around Brisbane in small animal practice since then.

He brings with him a wealth of knowledge, particularly in the field of small animal orthopaedics, soft tissue surgery and critical care.

In a predominantly female work place Kei prides himself on being tidy – not wanting to cause any angst! He is also the go-to vet with any male reproductive pet issues and feels he can assimilate with clients well in this area. He also has a special interest in Guinea pigs, reptiles and rats.

In recent years, Kei had to sadly farewell his beloved geriatric cat Qoo. He has since adopted two more lucky kittens, Boo and Moo, who were left at PRAH without owners. Kei planned to just take these cats home for a few days so that they wouldn’t be alone over the weekend… but we all knew that they would find their forever home with Kei and not return to the clinic. Kei also shares his home with a number of native Australian mammals and marsupials which his wife of 5 years Saori brings home to care for as a zookeeper at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.

When not at work Kei enjoys going to the gym, catching up with friends and making Sushi (all the staff agree he is a great sushi maker).

Dr Jess became a valued member of our Park Ridge Animal Hospital team in 2017. She enjoys so much about being a vet; consulting, surgery and meeting new people and their pets. At the moment, her number one passion is ultrasound. To improve her skills in this area, Jess is currently undertaking a Graduate Diploma in Small Animal Abdominal Ultrasound through Melbourne University. Jess’s skills are invaluable to the PRAH team, as is her efficiency, hard work and terrific attitude and commitment to her work!

Jess has one beautiful cat called Chicken. In the past she has had many actual chickens but unfortunately apartment living means that she can only have Chicken the cat for now. Outside of work Jess enjoys travel, cooking and bush walking.

Dr Nicole has been part of the PRAH team since she was a new graduate out of vet school in 2004. She spent 2 of these years working at our Browns Plains Vet Surgery, and has visited many local schools as part of AVA PetP (Australian Veterinary Association – Pets and People Education Program), educating our next generation of pet owners.

In recent years, Nicole has developed an interest in palliative medicine, through her affiliation with Sunset Vets. She is passionate about maintaining the quality of life of her patients, and also supporting her clients through the difficult journey of pet loss.

Her four-legged family consists of two cats – ‘Ginny’ the geriatric old lady, and ‘Ed’ the young ginger ninja; and a Jack Russell X ‘Chilli’ who is still under probation. At Nicole’s home, life is full and fun, with a husband and three growing girls. If time permits, some painting with acrylics, or time in the garden is good for her soul.

Nicole is proud to come to work each day, and be part of the PRAH team of compassionate, dedicated and talented staff.

Lauren has been a long-standing employee at Park Ridge Animal Hospital, starting work with us when she was teenager. She has been an integral part of the team for many years, but has recently returned to her second home overseas with husband Matty.

Lauren has always been an animal lover. She had a particularly beautiful relationship with our first clinic cat ‘George’.

Lauren is a passionate volunteer, teaching people about The Bible. She loves helping people to discover answers to questions about life, contained within The Bible. Lauren has mastered the Burmese language while abroad. She also enjoys Pilates and making polymer clay jewellery.

Lauren’s organisational skills are second to none. She is a hard-worker and can be guaranteed to get any job done with a smile on her face! While her heart lies abroad, we are so happy that Lauren is continuing to do administration work for us, from afar.

Started in January 2021 and new to the industry. Background in finance and small business before embarking on a new journey.

I started my career with Park Ridge Animal Hospital as a part time customer care officer. After realising that I loved the industry and wanted to grow within the PRAH family, I progressed to Team Leader before taking on the role of Hospital Coordinator and HR.

Outside of work, I am a mum to a teenage boy and fur babies, Roxi & Tiger-Lilly. I love camping, the beach and being active.

I have travelled all around Australia whilst taking a Gap year in 2017.

I feel fortunate to work with such a talented and caring team.

Kaitlin joined the PRAH family in 2018 and has grown with the business, and in turn, helped the team grow their skills and knowledge. Kaitlin is currently the hospital’s vet nursing team leader. She has a love for training and mentoring her fellow colleagues which is handy as she has a Master’s Degree in teaching.

Vet nursing since 2016, Kaitlin has discovered her passion lies in chatting with clients about their pets and bringing solutions to owners to make life easier. Kaitlin also enjoys nursing patients through their surgeries and watching the joy clients experience when they come to take their fur babies home. Alongside this she has a soft spot for our native wildlife and delights in educating her fellow teammates about the wonders of Australian natives. This knowledge she takes from her Bachelor of Wildlife Science and Captive Animal’s Certificate IV.

Kaitlin encourages overall wellbeing into life. She has completed her Mental Health first aid certificate and appreciates the importance of selfcare. Kaitlin has a strong desire and passion for further education and enjoys reading, which she partakes of frequently. Outside work she also spends her time with family, friends and pets.

In 2020, Tash achieved a lifetime dream to work in the animal industry. We are so lucky to have her as part of our PRAH team.

Prior to working at PRAH, Tash spent 25 years working as a hairdresser in salons in South East Queensland, becoming Area Manager during this time. We can see that Tash would have shone in this role, as she is such a people-person. She is warm and generous with her time, which makes her such a valued asset to our Customer Care team, greeting our clients with her infectious smile and positive attitude!

Tash originates from the Northern Territory and did a fair bit of travelling around Australia in her late teens and early 20s. Homelife is now her husband and 2 young adult kids who are the centre of her world. Her son is a fire-fighter in the Air Force and has been posted to Katherine in the Northern Territory, and her daughter has currently completed her Certificate II in Animal Studies and is about to embark on her Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing. Tash is very proud of her kids!

Tash loves all animals, but she has two very privileged 6 yr old Staffy Xs named Samson and Oreo who she loves very much. These two are polar opposites – Samson is such a character and is always on the go, while Oreo is a professional sleeper who enjoys snuggling and enjoying the easy life.

In 2022, Nic clocked up 10 years of working at Park Ridge Animal Hospital, and she feels it is truly where she belongs. The PRAH culture, our focus on teamwork and the great standards of care that we set for our fury friends and their owners, is what Nic loves the most about working at PRAH. She also loves the relationships she has formed with colleagues, supporting her teammates, and the great work-life balance that she is able to achieve.

After saying goodbye to her beloved dog Axle at the age of 12, she didn’t think she could love another dog as much – but then along came Roxy, a Jack Russell full of personality.
Nic is a super busy Mum of three boys. And… she loves cars! Especially V8s. If she ever gets any free time she would love to watch car racing all day.

Nic is a valued member of our front-of-house Customer Care Team. She loves a chat, and has a genuine interest in people and their lives. She really takes the time to get to know everyone!

Kaitlin joined the PRAH family in 2018 and has grown with the business, and in turn, helped the team grow their skills and knowledge. Kaitlin is currently the hospital’s vet nursing team leader. She has a love for training and mentoring her fellow colleagues which is handy as she has a Master’s Degree in teaching.

Vet nursing since 2016, Kaitlin has discovered her passion lies in chatting with clients about their pets and bringing solutions to owners to make life easier. Kaitlin also enjoys nursing patients through their surgeries and watching the joy clients experience when they come to take their fur babies home. Alongside this she has a soft spot for our native wildlife and delights in educating her fellow teammates about the wonders of Australian natives. This knowledge she takes from her Bachelor of Wildlife Science and Captive Animal’s Certificate IV.

Kaitlin encourages overall wellbeing into life. She has completed her Mental Health first aid certificate and appreciates the importance of selfcare. Kaitlin has a strong desire and passion for further education and enjoys reading, which she partakes of frequently. Outside work she also spends her time with family, friends and pets.

Shannon has been a member of the PRAH team since 2016, when she worked as a nurse assistant throughout high school. Shannon realised her passion for veterinary nursing and began studying her Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing in 2021. She loves the opportunities she gets each day to advance her skills, all of which she uses to care for her patients, alongside the passionate and skilled team she works with. Shannon loves how varied veterinary nursing is, the hands-on care she can provide to patients needing surgery and hospitalisation, and the direct impact she can make to the patients and clients lives.

Outside of work, Shannon loves anything outdoors. She is a beach lover, a netball lover and a new found camping addict. Shannon has travelled to Cambodia twice on volunteer trips and has big dreams to see the rest of the world too.

At home, Shannon has a 5 year old rescue cat called Macie, who she thinks is the neediest (but cutest) cat in the world. The love Shannon has for Macie is what drives her to nurse her patients until they feel better, so they can go home to their loving families.

Clare has been a member of our Park Ridge Animal Hospital nursing team since 2018. Clare loves working in the Veterinary industry and is currently studying a Bachelor of Veterinary Technology at the University of Queensland Gatton campus.

Molly is Clare’s beautiful 9 year old red Cattle Dog. ‘Riddle’ is her new puppy, who she loves like a son. She also has 5 chickens, many fish and bee hives. Clare loves spending time with her pets and her family in general. She is a competitive swimmer and has a penchant for true-crime documentaries and podcasts.

Our clients and staff love Clare! She is vibrant, kind-hearted and caring. We are so pleased for her to be part of our PRAH team as she continues her Nursing and Vet Tech studies.