Staff
West Gippsland Vet Care has been servicing the Gippsland area for over 20 years.
Opened in Warragul in 1989 by local vets Bruce Robertson and Joe Brady many locals will fondly remember the clinic as Robertson & Brady Veterinary Clinic.
In 2005 we undertook a major extension and renovation and changed our name to West Gippsland Veterinary Centre, to reflect its commitment to the wider Gippsland area, and to recognise Dr Joe Brady, Dr Grant Nielsen and Dr Benton Smith joining together as owners.
In 2008 we took over from the retiring Mike Traumanis in Drouin and in 2010 we renovated and relocated our Drouin practice to the lovely building it now occupies.
Joe Brady retired in 2014 and Simon Ronalds joined the partnership. We took this opportunity to tweak our name to West Gippsland Vet Care to better embrace our dual locations.
West Gippsland Vet Care has 12 experienced Veterinary Surgeons, which ensures that all animals can be seen and all types of services can be offered to our clients. The Vets are supported by 12 support staff of Veterinary Nurses, Receptionists and Administration Staff to ensure that the clinic runs smoothly.
We hope that the following photos and short biography's will help you recognise our staff next time you visit.
Meet Our Skilled Team
Pics and Bios Coming Soon!
-
Dr.Grant NielsenVeterinarian BVSc(Hons) MACVSc(Nutrition)Read More
Grant grew up on a beef and sheep property near Guyra in northern New South Wales. After graduating with honours in Veterinary Science from Sydney University in 1994 he commenced working at West Gippsland Vet Care. Since then Grant has gained extensive experience in all aspects of mixed practice.
-
Dr.Benton SmithVeterinarian BVSc MACVSc(Surgery)Read More
Ben graduated from the University of Queensland in 1996. After 2 years of practice in sunny Queensland, he ventured south to 'Mexico'. After stints at Leongatha and Moe, along with three working holidays to the United Kingdom, he joined West Gippsland Vet Care.
-
Dr.Simon RonaldsVeterinarian BVScSimon has grown up in the local area, with his family heavily involved within the beef industry. After graduating at Melbourne University in 2000, he has worked in multiple mixed animal veterinary practices within Victoria, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Simon started here at West Gippsland Vet Care at the start of 2010.Read More
-
Dr.Christine VanschyndelVeterinarian BVSc(Hons)Chris grew up in Mirboo North and graduated from the University of Melbourne in 1996. She initially worked in small animal and equine practice for 4 years. She then spent 8 years doing shift work in 24 hour animal emergency clinics in Melbourne. During this time she developed a passion for small animal emergency and critical care medicine. She completed a distance education course in small animal anaesthesia and emergency medicine in 2000.Read More
-
Dr.Sophie NielsenVeterinarian BVSc MANZCVS (Animal Behaviour)Read More
Sophie graduated from Sydney University in 1994 and has worked in mixed and small animal practice in Australia and England.
-
Dr.Megan ThomasVeterinarian BVSc(Hons) MACVSc(Medicine)Meg graduated from the University of Melbourne in 2000 and first joined the practice in January 2001. She worked for the clinic as a large and small animal vet for three years before heading off to travel.Read More
-
Dr.Christopher ThorneVeterinarian BVSc(Hons)Read More
Dr Chris Thorne graduated from Melbourne University in 2000 and spent time working in Frankston before heading overseas. He spent five years working in the UK, in Essex and Cambridgeshire. After returning to West Gippsland with his family in 2009 he worked for 5 years in a small animal practice in Berwick. Chris joined West Gippsland Vet Care in 2014.
-
Dr.Stuart CockingVeterinarian BVScRead More
Stu grew up on a dairy and beef farm on the northern fringe of Melbourne. He graduated from The University of Melbourne in 2007 and headed straight into dairy/mixed practice in South Gippsland. After two and a half years it was time to head off travelling. He headed to the UK and worked many locum stints in a variety of dairy and small animal vet roles, in between his travels.
-
Dr.Becky Dickinson
Bio Coming Soon!
-
Dr.Loreena Butcher
Bio Coming Soon!
Location
Find us on the map
Office Hours
24/7 Emergency Service!
Monday:
8:30 am-5:30 pm
Tuesday:
8:30 am-5:30 pm
Wednesday:
8:30 am-5:30 pm
Thursday:
8:30 am-5:30 pm
Friday:
8:30 am-5:30 pm
Saturday:
8:30 am-12:00 pm
Sunday:
Closed