Dr Bryn Lynar - Bryn holds degrees in both Agricultural and Veterinary Science. After graduating in 1979, he worked in Double Bay, Canberra, Young, Bathurst (10 years) and now Warriewood. His 12 years in rural practive gave Bryn experience in diverse orthopaedic, surgical and medical problems involving a wide range of pet and farm animals. His work with WIRES (he was president of the Central West Branch 1990-92) also helped develop his interest in wildlife, reptiles and birds. Since becoming the principal veterinarian at PAH, Bryn has continued to improve treatments for tick paralysis, refined his techniques in orthopaedic surgery and studied bird medicine. Naturally enough, these have become important aspects of his current practice. The sustained growth of Pittwater Animal Hospital is a reflection of his commitment to providing the highest quality care to pets of the Northern Beaches. Bryn is married with three grown-up sons. He and his wife Kathy enjoy trekking, not just in remote areas of Australia but in the rest of the world as well. Bryn also likes to go canyoning, mountain bike riding, sailing and golfing.

Dr Eamon Grattan-Smith - Eamon graduated from the University of Sydney and started practice in 1991 at Randwick Veterinary Hospital. After a few 'new graduate' years the wanderlust set in, and he embarked on a five-year world veterinary tour. On the exotic front, he helped tag and release rhinos in Africa and joined a volunteer program dedicated to looking after the street dogs of Bali. More formal experience was gained at the University of Georgia in the USA and Cambridge in the UK. After three British winters Eamon was ready to return home. In 1997 he completed the first internship at the Veterinary Specialist Centre, North Ryde. Coming from a large medical family, it was a natural progression toward the medical side of veterinary science, and Eamon became a member of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists in internal medicine. After four years at Balmain Vet Hospital and more time in the United Kingdom, he settled on a full-time position at PAH, becoming a partner with Bryn in 2009. On the personal side, Eamon is married and has two children, Oliver and Joss. While admitting that most sport has become an activity of the past, he has started 'old man' marathons. He also claims to produce some of the finest veggie garden compost on the Northern Beaches. And because Basil, Manuel, Polly, O'Reilly and finally Sybil (aged 19 years) are no longer with the family, Eamon is researching more current sitcoms for the next addition(s).

Dr Jillian King - Jill has always wanted to be a vet. She graduated from Sydney University in 1988 and went to work in the country to learn about cows and horses. After a year up in the North Coast (near the beach of course) Jill travelled to England, gaining a variety of skills working in the English countryside. After three years away it was time to come back to her home town to look for the perfect job. Jill found it at Pittwater Animal Hospital. Jill has worked here since 1994. Jill is an excellent general practitioner with interests in problem solving medicine, soft tissue surgery and dentistry. Jill and Heidi have become our rabbit, ferret and small, furry animal practitioners, getting some excellent results with new treatments. After teaching Puppy Preschool at PAH in the early '90s Jill is passionate about the need for good early puppy advice, training and guidance to raise a really happy dog. In 2009 Jill embarked upon extra studies in behaviour medicine and uses these new skills to give guide guidance in how to have a happier, calmer and more settled pet. Jill loves being part of the Pittwater community. Her three children have gone to Newport Public and belong to a huge variety of local sporting clubs. When not at home, Jill is busy playing soccer, surfing (not so well but enthusiastically) or painting the house. The rest of the time she spends socialising in the community.

Dr Heidi Furber - As a child Heidi spent a lot of time with an animal-loving aunty. This experience led to an epiphany at the age of seven: She wanted to become a vet. However, five years would pass before she acquired the first pet she could call her own, a black West Highland terrier cross called Willow. Later on when studying Veterinary Medicine and Surgery at Cambridge University, Heidi shared her room with a rabbit named Snuggles, who would satisfy its need to chew by munching on the stereo wires. After qualifying from Cambridge in 1993, Heidi worked for three years in mixed practice in England, developing an interest in cardiology and internal medicine. Deciding it was time for a break, she embarked on travels to Africa. There she met "an English girl's ultimate dream" - a handsome Aussie named Richard. He brought her to Australia in 1997, and Heidi began working long hours in a small but very busy animal practice. Following the birth of daughter Zoe in 2000, they moved to the Northern Beaches. In 2003 Heidi was, in her words, "incredibly fortunate" to start work at Pittwater Animal Hospital. Son Max arrived in 2004. Over the past few years Heidi has developed a particular interest in dematology, undertaking a postgraduate course in Veterinary Dermatology in 2009. She enjoys all aspects of treating pets with itchy skin and ears, as well as offering advice about preventing such problems from recurring. Away from PAH, Heidi balances her time between her passions for skiing, reading, long walks along our beautiful coastine and, of course, ferrying kids around to their various activites.

Ingrid Nash BVSc(Hons) - Similarly to most of the staff at Pittwater Animal Hospital, Ingrid's love for animals began at an early age. Despite longing to live all her childhood days at her grandparents farm amongst their extensive menagerie, she was left to settle with growing up in her family's Northern Beaches home, finding ways to accumulate as many pets as possible into her family. As she grew older, Ingrid realised that when she grew up, not only did she wish to have many animals, but she also wished to help and heal them. In 2006, her dream of becoming a veterinarian was realised after graduating from The University of Sydney. Initially attracted to all creatures great and small (though remaining very attached to our coastal shores), she headed to the Central Coast where she worked in a busy mixed practice. After a brief (year-long) stint travelling the world in 2010, she returned to her home on the Northern Beaches to join our team at Pittwater Animal Hospital. She comes to us refreshed and keen to focus on all aspects of small animal veterinary care, with her particular interests lying in small animal internal medicine and emergency and critical care. Outside of work you may find Ingrid lapping up the sun and surf on many of our beautiful beaches, or endlessly trying to tire her beloved border collie, Fleki.
TOP

And now, Your Nurses:

Soula Varoutsos - Ever since she was a little girl, Soula has been an animal lover. Over the years her menagerie has included dogs, cats, fish and a bird aviary. Soula has been working at PAH since 2001 and has a Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing. After marrying her husband Bill in 2008, Soula moved to Bass Hill and has since rescued another stray cat named Jim Beam (JB for short). Soula's love of animals and dedication to PAH is her motivation when fighting the traffic each day. Soula assures us she won't be leaving PAH for some time to come.

Sarah Femia - Having owned horses since she was five years old, this newest member of the PAH family had always wanted a career involving animals. She started her formal training by earning a Certificate III in Horse Management. Feeling a need to widen her interests, Sarah decided to learn more about smaller animals, taking a job in a pet shop. This led to additional qualifications. After completing a Certificate II in Vet Nursing, she moved on to the RSPCA in Yagoona. Eventually, the Northern Beaches called her back to this area. At the moment Sarah has a horse named Lara, who is a retiree, an Australian shepherd called Sari, a three-foot marine aquarium and a very highly strung Siamese cat named Layla.

Louise Colombari - Louise grew up on the Northern Beaches and has had animals as part of the family her whole life. Currently she lives with her husband Neil, two dogs, two budgies, a cockatiel and a tank full of tropical fish. After leaving a teaching career in music, Louise developed an interest in animal behaviour, especially canine behaviour. This led to qualifications in veterinary nursing and canine behavioural training, accreditation with the Delta Society of Australia and membership in the Australian Pet Dog Trainers Association. Not susrprisingly, Louise runs our Puppy Preschool programme and helps with canine behavioural issues, including training house calls. With veterinary nursing, dog training classes, house calls, running the church choir and playing the church organ, Louise manages to keep herself busy.

Genevieve Uren - Gen was born and brought up on the Northern Beaches, where she began developing her love of animals at an early age; she was only one when the family got a poodle named Sally. Then came rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, peachfaces and numerous cockatiels. Currently, Gen has a ferret named Febee, a border collie-cross named Brodie, and two cockatiels named Tubby and Spike. Spike has a problem though: he's obsessed with Brodie. Whenever he's out of his cage, he'll follow the dog all over the house. If he can't find her, he'll squawk at the top of his lungs until Brodie is located. Brodie's forbearance lasted a couple of years, but she has now outgrown the attention. Gen has earned a certificate in Animal Studies and graduated from TAFE with a Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing.

Sheridan Mitchell - Even as a child, Sheridan's love of animals was so strong that knew she wanted to work in the industry. She recently completed her Certificate IV in Vet Nursing. Her menagerie consists of five birds: a Budgie (Acca), two cockatiels (Harvey and Bon), an Indian ringneck (Dufous) and last, but certainly not least, an eclectus parrot (Herbert). All are tame and have been taught to talk and whistle. Sheridan also owns quite a few fish including various types of goldfish and three Koi carp (Fanta, Spectre and Skeletor). Outside of work she likes to go camping, four-wheel driving, abseiling and canyoning with her partner Darren and friends.

Jennifer Burke - Soon after Jennifer was born, her parents bought the first of many cats. Over the years the family's natural affinity for somewhat more unusual animals led to their also acquiring mice, rats, pythons and blue-tongue lizards. Currently, Jennifer is, as she puts it, "owned by one fat cat called Senga." She has been vet nursing on the Northern Beaches for the past eight years, completing her Veterinary Nursing Certificate IV at TAFE in 2004. That same year she started to become heavily involved in breeding and showing rats and mice. As a teenager, her keen interest in exotic species saw her join Taronga Zoo's "Youth at the Zoo" program. Jen has also done volunteer work at the Australian Reptile Park and spent three weeks in 2009 at Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre in South Africa working with cheetahs and African wild dogs. In her spare time Jen plays soccer with Forest Killarney S.C.
TOP