Jessica Gruchy

Senior Veterinarian (BVSc.)

Dr Jess studied Veterinary Science at the University of Melbourne, graduating in 2001.  She started work in the veterinary clinic at Animal Aid in Coldstream, working with both welfare and private patients.  She became Practice Manager of the Animal Aid Veterinary Clinic in 2007 and worked there until January of 2009 when she started here at Croydon Pet Hospital.

Jessica grew up on a farm in the Yarra Valley with a huge variety of pets, including budgies, parrots, chooks, ducks, geese, pheasants, peacocks, guinea pigs, rabbits, sheep, cows, horses, dogs and cats (and probably a few more species too).

Jess always dreamt of becoming a vet.  Being brought up with so many animals meant it was a natural progression to become passionate about animal health and wellbeing.  

Jess shares her home with her husband, two sons, 2 dogs (Zephyr, a Golden Retriever and Sylvie, a Labrador), birds and some tropical fish.

Jess loves all aspects of general practice, and has a special interest in surgery, but gets the most satisfaction from forming great relationships with clients and their pets and providing them with quality health care they can trust. 


Joanna Paul

Senior Veterinarian (BVSc. (hons))

Dr Jo joined Croydon Pet Hospital in 2016 after working in other small animal practices around Melbourne.  In 2006 she graduating from the University of Melbourne with honours. In recent years she has completed further university studies in Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care and in Clinical Pathology.

Jo loves all aspects of general veterinary practice, but particularly enjoys getting to know clients and their furry family members and helping with their health and happiness long-term.  

Jo's family includes her husband Darren, three young boys, and an ever expanding gang of animal family members - Baxter (big boofy Maremma Sheepdog), Brodie and Darth (the big and little horses), Alice (smooshy Burmese cat) and a flock of fabulous chooks with weird and wonderful names thanks to the kids. In her spare time Jo loves getting creative with music and art, and enjoying nature with long walks and gardening.


Apple Kwong

Veterinarian (BVSc.)

Dr Apple ‘originated’ from Hong Kong, leaving home at 17 to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a vet. Animals have always been part of her life because she had an animal-loving family. 
After graduating from The University of Melbourne, she spent some years working in multiple practices before settling down in this beautiful area with her family.
Apple loves all animals but particularly loves working with cats. She has three cats of her own (Passionfruit, Starfruit and Peach).
Outside of work, Apple enjoys cooking, crafting and gaming. She also enjoys making costumes.
Apple is fluent in English, Mandarin and Cantonese and can therefore be of great assistance to our non-English speaking clients.
需要國語或廣東話的朋友歡迎來預約!
需要国语或广东话的朋友欢迎来预约!


Alice Phan

Veterinarian (BVSc.)

Alice has always loved animals and grew up with pet chickens and rabbits.  She became a proud cat and dog owner during her uni days studying Veterinary Science at the University of Melbourne.  Alice graduated in 2008 and since then she has worked both in Melbourne and the UK in small animal general practice.  She has also worked for several years in a rabbit and guinea pig only clinic and loves working with these exotic species.  Alice joined Croydon Pet Hospital in April 2019 and is very excited to meet your pet dogs, cats, rabbits and guinea pigs. She has a keen interest in behavioural medicine and loves to help clients foster strong bonds with their pets and improve their quality of life.

Alice's family is taking a hiatus from having pets sadly, after her brood of geriatric pets passed away recently.  They are looking forward to adopting some new pets when the time is right.  In the meantime, her two young daughters keep her busy at home.  Outside of work, Alice likes to craft, read, bake and go for walks. 


Belinda Oppenheimer

Veterinarian (BVSc (hons) MANZCVS (Medicine and Surgery of Unusual Pets))

Dr. Belinda joined the Croydon Pet Hospital team in 2021. She graduated from the University of Melbourne with honours in 2013, and given her preference for the unusual, has been working in animal shelter/welfare medicine and exotic pet practice since graduation.  She attained her membership qualification with the Australia and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists in the field of Medicine and surgery of Unusual Pets in 2019, making her one of only a handful of veterinarians in Australia with postgraduate qualifications in our more unusual pet friends.

Seeing rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, rats, reptiles and birds makes Belinda's day!  However, she still loves our canine and feline friends (especially rescues!) and has a particular soft spot for greyhounds.

When she is not working, Belinda enjoys devoting her downtime to animal welfare and advocacy (and occasional amateur palaeontology study), usually while listening to 80s metal music. 

Belinda lives in the Dandenong Ranges with her "flock": her partner Adam, Pinball the cockatiel, Acarath the blue tongue lizard, Zenith the greyhound, Snowy the cat, and her two goats Choppa and Kuma - all rescues of course!


Stephanie Winter

Veterinarian (DVM)

Stephanie studied Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in Brazil, graduating in 2017. 

She decided to move to Australia and has been living Down Under for nearly 6 years now. Steph likes being a general practitioner and has a special interest in ophthalmology and surgery.

When she is not diagnosing furry patients or administering vaccines, you can usually find her out in the Aussie outdoors, camping under the stars and soaking in nature. She is also a self-proclaimed TV show addict, always down for a binge-watching session. Got any recommendations? She is all ears!

Steph is undeniably a dog person - there is just something about those wagging tails that melts her heart, but she's also got a soft spot for cuddling cats too. 


Sebastian Willitts

Veterinarian (DVM)

Dr Sebastian is a Melbourne University graduate with background degrees in biochemistry and languages. He has a strong interest in surgery and making sure all patients receive the best care possible. He keeps up to date with new advances and attends professional development courses to learn the latest and best techniques. When not at work he can be seen running laps of the Dorset golf coures with his goofy groodle, Ted.


Kirsty

Senior Vet Nurse (Qualified Veterinary Nurse)

Kirsty is a Qualified Veterinary Nurse and joined the team at Croydon Pet Hospital in February 2015 when she started her nursing course. Kirsty has loved every aspect of her job ever since; surgical nursing in particular, and has many years of experience looking after patients and helping pet owners care for their furry family members.

Kirsty is usually found greeting clients and their fur babies at reception!

Away from CPH, Kirsty loves heading away camping whenever she gets spare time and has her Golden Retriever "Murphy" follow closely behind! 


Liz

Senior Vet Nurse (Qualified Veterinary Nurse)

Liz started veterinary nursing in 2004 but joined the Croydon Pet Hospital team in 2012.  Her nursing passions include anything surgical, nursing animals back to recovery, and client interaction and education.

Liz completed a course in wildlife first aid and nursing and got to put her skills into action becoming a wildlife volunteer rescuer/vet nurse during the Black Saturday fires.  She also volunteers for Pets of the Homeless, an amazing organisation that provides food, veterinary care and emergency boarding assistance to pet owners in need.

Liz and her husband Adam have two daughters, Ella and Olivia and also share the home with their spoodle, Indi and cat, Milly.


Tiffany

Veterinary Nurse (Qualified Veterinary Nurse)

Tiffany has been vet nursing for over 7 years, achieving her Certificate IV in veterinary nursing in 2013.  She joined Croydon Pet Hospital in 2014 and has enjoyed being part of the team every since.  

Tiffany really enjoys being able to help make patient visits as comfortable and stress-free as possible.  Extra love and cuddles go a long way and Tiff prefers to use the “less is more” approach as much as possible.

The most rewarding aspect of Tiffany’s work is nursing our patients back to good health so they can continue their recovery back home with their families where they are loved and missed.  She loves nothing more than to hear that pets are back to their usual selves after illness or surgery. 

Tiffany, her husband and their two young children share their home with a handsome cat, Flinders, who is a 12 year old black DSH full of attitude and food.

 


Paris

Veterinary Nurse (Qualified Veterinary Nurse)

Paris started working with the wonderful team at Croydon Pet Hospital in 2018. She has always loved caring for animals and therefore has found her passion in veterinary nursing. 

Paris owns a handsome Burmese cat named Fudge, a loving black Labradoodle named Boo, and a crazy Dwarf Lop named Nelson.  She has always had a special interest in rabbit care and loves having cuddles with bunny patients when they come to visit the clinic.

When Paris isn't hanging out with all the furry friends at CPH she enjoys dance classes and performing on stage whenever she gets the chance.

 


Bea

Veterinary Nurse (Qualified Veterinary Nurse)

Bea has been vet nursing for five years, gaining her cert IV in veterinary nursing in 2017.  She joined the Croydon Pet Hospital team in 2019 and has loved being a team member ever since.

Bea has always had a passion for animals and always wanted to work with them as a career. She finds the veterinary environment interesting and engaging every day.  Bea's interests lie in pocket pets and exotic animals, and she hopes in the future to further her education in this area so she can offer her patients the best possible care.  Bea also really enjoys being able to provide a positive experience for all her patients and their owners.

When she is not working, Bea enjoys devoting her downtime to her two whippets (Cooper and Cricket) and spending time with her family and friends.


Ashleigh

Veterinary Nurse (Qualified Veterinary Nurse)

I have been a part of the incredible team here since October 2023. Before joining this amazing crew,I spent time advocating for our furry friends at an animal welfare organisation.

I'm all about feline care, and you'll often find me showering love and attention on our whiskered patients. Gus and Todd, my two feline companions at home, keep me on my toes when I'm not at work, alongside my husband and daughter.

When I'm not donning my scrubs, I'm indulging in my passion for crafts, especially crochet, and diving into the fantastical realms of science fiction and fantasy books. Being a vet nurse is more than just a job to me; it's about being there for our beloved pets on their toughest days, just as they are for us.

Can't wait to meet you and your furry pals at the clinic! 


Jacqueline

Veterinary Nurse (Qualified Veterinary Nurse)

Jacquie has been a Vet Nurse for 8 years. She qualified in 2016, achieving her Associate Degree in Veterinary Nursing. She then went back school to complete a Bacherlors Degree in Veterinary Nursing in 2019 for further education. She joined Croydon Pet Hospital in September 2022 and loves being a part of the CPH team.

Jacquie, her husband Daniel and son Vincent live locally with their 2 beautiful cats Cub and Cindy. When Jacquie is not at work she loves spending quality time with her family and friends. She likes visiting the wineries of the yarra valley, going out to dinner, seeing a movie and going for walks.

Jacquie loves everything about being a vet nurse and taking care of all her patients. But she has a special interest in surgical and emergency nursing. She also loves caring for our injured and orphaned wildlife, exotic pets and you will often find her giving our patients and boarding cats a pat and cuddle.


Tracey Baker

Veterinary Nurse (Qualified Veterinary Nurse)

Tracey has always wanted to work with animals and grew up in England with a number of pets in a variety of sizes from pocket pets to dogs to horses. Her first veterinary job was as a live in trainee vet nurse at the age of 17 years old. She moved to Australia with her husband and 2 daughters in 2005.

Tracey joined Croydon Pet Hospital in 2011 and gained her Australian Veterinary Nurse qualification in 2015. Tracey mainly works on reception part time now following spinal surgery in 2023 where she loves to interact with our clients and their pets but does not have to worry about the ‘hands on’ nursing but can still enjoy them.

Outside of work she loves spending time with her dogs, gardening, staying at her holiday house on Phillip Island and has a passion for wildlife. For the last 15 years she has volunteered at Babbajin Wildlife Shelter in the Yarra Valley where she works with kangaroos, possums, wombats and reptiles together with many varieties of birds.


Maija

Veterinary Nurse Assist

Maija has been working at Croydon Pet Hospital since 2023. She is a veterinary student, and started her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Melbourne in 2024.

She has always had a love for animals, and has found that work at CPH has deeply affirmed her passion for veterinary medicine. She is interested in shelter medicine or surgery, however is excited for the experiences that she will gain throughout her career.

Although she doesn’t have any pets herself, she has a soft spot for greyhounds. In her spare time Maija loves to sing and spend time with her friends and family. During summer you’ll find her at the beach.


  
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