Meet the Team
Dr Jane Rickard
Owner / Veterinary Director
Dr Jane, better known as 'Aunty Jane', is the founder and owner of Hills District Veterinary Hospital. She has a strong interest in orthopedic surgery, sports rehabilitation, physiotherapy and chiropractic services. In her free time she is heavily involved in dressage and also loves to ski when on holidays. She lives with her husband, her two sons who come and go, her horse (Lorenzo), Labrador (Louie), cat (Patrick) and an assortment of chickens.
Dr Cassandra O'Callaghan
Senior Veterinarian
Dr Cassie has been with us for almost a decade, after working at a practice in the Upper Hunter. She enjoys consulting and has completed post-graduate study in Feline Medicine and Anaesthesia through the University of Sydney. She is also certified as a Low Stress Handler™. In her spare time she enjoys pampering her ragdoll Luna, scuba diving and serving with Marine Rescue NSW.
Olivia Gillett
Practice Manager
Olivia is a qualified Cert IV Veterinary Nurse who has worked in specialist hospitals. She has a cat called Danni who is a sassy-pants and loves bringing in leaves and bugs as gestures of her love. Olivia is a very friendly and compassionate person who will always greet you with a smile and makes sure your pet gets lots of love and attention whilst staying with us.
Hayley Newman
Head Veterinary Nurse
Hayley has her Cert IV in Veterinary Nursing and loves all animals; but her favourite would have to be dogs. She has a goofy Groodle called Benson who is a regular at the local dog park and often runs into patients. Hayley loves to help others around her and is always willing to learn and pick up new skills to expand her knowledge about animal care.
Eeman Faisal
Junior Veterinary Nurse
Eeman is currently studying Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing after completing her Cert II with us. She loves all animals but definitely has a soft spot for cats. At home she has Evie - a rescue cat, Simba - a Labrador, and also fosters kittens. In her spare time Eeman enjoys travelling as well as trying to teach her cat tricks.
Emily Cornish
Junior Veterinary Nurse
Emily is currently studying her Cert IV in Veterinary Nursing after completing her Cert III in Captive Animals at Taronga Zoo. Emily does not have a favourite animal but does have a special interest in exotics. She currently shares her home with a silly sausage (dog) called Honey.
Hannah Mowen
Animal Attendant
Hannah works part-time at our hospital as an animal attendant. She has no pets at home (yet!) but enjoys feeding cockatoos and other wild birds on her balcony. In her spare time she enjoys studying wildlife, horse-riding, drawing, taekwondo and wildlife photography. A fun fact about Hannah is that she is a published children's book author. She is also a huge Disney fan!
Dorothy ('Dotty')
Clinic Cat / Boss Lady
Found behind the shops in Oakville at the end of 2014, Dorothy/Dotty came to us at just a few weeks old. She was underweight, covered in fleas, riddled with worms and full of cat influenza. The rest is history as she immediately made herself at home, and has since climbed the ranks to become the unofficial boss and overseer of the day-to-day upstairs clinic activities - especially those involving food or head rubs.
Patrick ('Fatty')
Head of Security
Another stray that found himself in our care, Patrick - previously 'Francis' and now just 'Fatty' most days - did initially find a temporary home at Dr Jane's house but has since made himself back to the clinic because he couldn't get enough of us. What Patrick lacks in brains, he makes up for in heart (girth). You will often see him hanging around downstairs when he isn't supposed to, causing clients concern that he is an escaped patient.