The veterinary centre was opened in beautiful Olinda, in the heart of the Dandenong Ranges on 26th July 1999 by owners Moss and Christine Siddle. At the time of opening there was one vet - Moss Siddle and one veterinary nurse - Elissa Taylor (now Roberts).
The original site was at 2 Basin-Olinda Rd, Olinda and was chosen for its exact central location in the Dandenong Ranges. Previously, the building was used as a hardware and lawn mower shop. There was a fire causing the hardware shop to close and it never re-opened. This site was perfect for the first few years but ultimately more room was needed and hence the surgery has now moved into the main street. The old site is now the LeafBusters distribution centre.
The new Veterinary Centre is located in spacious surroundings at 1449 Mt Dandenong Tourist Rd, Olinda (beside the Mt Dandenong Hotel). Moss and Christine decided to settle in the Dandenong Ranges with their family after years of travel around the world. Originally from Mackay in Queensland, Moss has worked in over 15 different veterinary clinics in Australia and overseas but loves the people and idyllic surroundings of the Dandenongs.
Moss opened the Centre in 1999 after moving to Melbourne in 1997 and has since worked hard to grow the business into the wonderful veterinary practice that it is today. His pet family includes a cat named Herod (the King!) and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel dog named Nala. Moss is on the executive committee of the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) Victorian division & is an active member of the Veterinary Business Group.
Mick has worked locally for around 20 years. He is the proud owner of a 3 legged cat named Patrick. Mick loves surgery. In his spare time Mick likes to go hang gliding and speed roller blading!
Jim has been a vet for over 40 years, having worked in Geelong, England and the last 30 years in the Yarra Valley. These days his main interests are in dog and cat medicine. At home he is surrounded by 2 border collies, 1 Toy poodle, 4 Birman Cats and 4 Horses and delights in the ongoing success of the Geelong Football Club.
Tian graduated as a veterinarian from The University of Melbourne in 2017. In addition to companion animals, he also has a special interest in wildlife medicine and conservation. Outside the hospital, he keeps himself busy by volunteering at our local wildlife shelter as well as being a rescuer for Wildlife Victoria. At home, he shares his dwelling with Lily the border collie and Haru the Ragdoll.
Sheridan joined our team in October 2022 as the DRVC Practice Manager. She has completed her Diploma in Practice Management as well as her Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing. Sheridan joins us with over 16 years experience in the Veterinary industry. Her pet family includes a Ginger Cat named Yoda and a Koolie X named Lucy. In her spare time Sheridan is a busy mum of two teenage boys and enjoys going camping and exploring new places with her family.
Kim joined the DRVC team in November 2013 and has had over 10 years experience as a vet nurse. Kim is a part time surgical nurse but occasionally covers reception. She lives with her dogs and enjoys travelling, the beach, reading & cryptic crosswords.
Mel started work at DRVC in October 2014. As well being a full time vet nurse at DRVC she is also a dental nurse (for people). Mel has a dog named Tilly (Staffi). Mel has worked voluntarily in the NT in indigenous communities to help improve the health of domestic dogs. Mel is our resident nutritional advisor.
Reanna joined the DRVC team in September 2021. Not only does she spend time looking after many of her own pets, she opens her home to many foster animals including cats, kittens, rabbits and Guinea pigs to name a few! Reanna also has a passion for music, enjoying musical theatre shows and performing in theatre shows in her spare time.
Olivia joined the DRVC team in 2017. She is currently studying a Bachelor of Biomedical Science at Monash University, heading towards human medicine. She is a cat lover with 3 of her own adorable ragdolls. In her down time, she enjoys reading classic literature and going for hikes.
Lori joined the DRVC team in 2022. After completing a Bachelor in Environmental Science (Wildlife and Conservation Biology), she worked for Parks Victoria and volunteered with the Victorian Peregrine Project and the Sherbrooke Lyrebird Study Group. Lori is currently studying Veterinary Nursing, and in her spare time enjoys animal and landscape photography, walking her dog Floki, and spending time with her family.
Britt joined the team in March 2022. She is our receptionist nurse, with over 8 years of nursing experience, she took a break to raise two beautiful children with her husband in Monbulk. She also has a Customer Service Background and a Certificate II in Animal Studies. In her spare time she loves spending time with her family and "Special" Boxer named Lilo.
Phoebe joined the DRVC team in November 2022. She is currently Studying a bachelor of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, in a hope to move into a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine afterwards. She is a dog lover, with 6 family dogs at home. Phoebe also enjoys playing sports in her spare time and being outside on her farm.
Brooke joined the DRVC team in 2023. She is currently studying a Bachelor of Science at Melbourne University and hopefully moving into veterinary medicine in the future. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering at Healesville Sanctuary helping native animals and spending time with her family dogs Maiya and Daisy.
Brooke is a Trainee Veterinary Nurse at DRVC after joining the team in 2023. She has recently graduated from a Bachelor of Animal and Veterinary Bioscience degree and is about to start her certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing at Box Hill Institute. She absolutely loves spending time with her 2 dogs (Bella and Wilma), her cat (Ariel) and her turtle (Franklin) in her spare time at home. Brooke looks forward to learning and developing into a competent/ eager veterinary nurse within the animal care industry.
The kookaburra logo was chosen for its distinctly Australian image and association with nature and the Dandenong Ranges. Also the ridges on the top of the logo are intended to represent the hills of the Dandenong Ranges.
The colours & kookaburra also reflect the natural environment of the Dandenong Ranges.
The overall appearance of the logo is that of a key hence our original slogan "The Key to Animal Health". Our slogan has become "We Care" because that's what we do (about pets & their owners)! We have a lot of veterinary experience & knowledge but operate under the belief that "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care!" (John C Maxwell).
VetCheck is the easy-to-use app that allows you to keep all of their pet’s information, appointments and treatment plans in one place. Developed by Dr Moss Siddle, it is a complete pet care management app and it's FREE!
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