We arrived in Toowoomba in 1979 from the Gold Coast – purchased Peter Kirkenzov’s practice which was a storefront in High St Plaza. We worked out of one room with no back door - beside a butcher shop – our after hours surgery was held in our garage. Hugh’s first nurse was his sister, his second was his 8 months pregnant wife – neither received the basic wage! It was an innocent time – on one cold night Libby took new born litter of puppies to bed to keep them warm as Hugh was out on a calving. Being a vet is more than a job it is a way of life – our children were as much a part of the job as some staff. Often before school they were called on to act as midwives cuddling new born puppies to keep them warm while their mother recovered from her caesarean. On one memorable occasion my 4 year old seemed to be getting ready to ask about the “birds and the bees” – but it was merely to comment that the bitch must have been pleased to “get out that lot” – referring to the delivery of 8 large healthy pups and 1 tiny mother that morning!
We respect and admire our clients for their commitment to and love for their animals – we recognise that a pet is a member of the family with as many quirks and idiosyncrasies. Pet owning is a responsibility but also a privilege. New research indicates that pet ownership adds 2 years to your life expectancy – happiness adds 9 years.
We feel a great sense of responsibility to alleviate pain and to educate clients into better animal husbandry – to promote prevention rather than curative measures. Often we feel overwhelmed and overtired by the needs of our clients and patients – for emergency care out of hours, for reassurance and advice often also out of hours and the desire to provide optimal outcomes. Sometimes we have to make hard decisions for the welfare of client and patient.
We believe in creating partnerships – relationships based on common goals and values.
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