Dr Jane Rickard

Director / Veterinarian

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

Veterinarian

Dr Cassie has been with us for nearly half a decade after working at a practice in the Upper Hunter. She enjoys consulting and has completed post-graduate study in Feline Medicine 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 exploring the national parks and beaches of New South Wales.

Alana Willemsen

Practice Manager / Veterinary Nurse

Alana joined our team in early 2017 as a trainee. She has since completed her Cert IV Veterinary Nursing and is now studying her Diploma of Veterinary Nursing (General Practice). Alana is very bubbly and enthusiastic and will always greet you with her big smile. Alana has a Beagle x Basset Hound named Lou who loves cuddles (and treats of course). In her spare time Alana enjoys listening to music, playing video games and eating good food!

Olivia Gillett

Head Veterinary Nurse

Olivia has completed her Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing and is continuing her studies in surgical and medical nursing. Olivia has a cat called Danni who is a sassy-pants. She spends her free time cleaning up after her cat, who 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

Junior Veterinary Nurse

Hayley is currently studying her Cert IV in Veterinary Nursing. She loves all animals but her favourite would have to be dogs. 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.

She has recently joined our team and we look forward to helping her grow as a vet nurse.

Jessica Wilkinson

Veterinary Nurse

Jess joined our team in late November 2018. She has completed her Cert IV in veterinary nursing and has a particular interest in exotics and wildlife. Jess is always willing to try anything new and has a great attitude. She has two rescues - a Mini Dachshund (Cali) and a DSH (Fury). When she's not working or studying you will find her either camping, 4WDriving or rescuing and caring for wildlife. She absolutely loves vet nursing and hopes to keep expanding her knowledge and experience.

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. She is also a huge Disney fan!

Keegan Robertson

Cert IV Veterinary Nursing Trainee

Keegan is currently studying his Cert IV Veterinary Nursing. He loves all kinds animals and owns three dogs called Fluffy, Ella and Shadow. Keegan has an interest in exotic animals and has even completed his Cert II in Captive Animals. Keegan is looking forward to learning as much as he can about animals and learning new skills along the way.

Zakia Sahib

Cert IV Veterinary Nursing Trainee

Zakia is studying Certficate IV in Veterinary Nursing full time. She has a Cavoodle named Zoey and spoils her with love everyday. In her spare time she loves exploring new beaches and eating out at cafes. Zakia would love to specialise in surgical nursing and is looking forward to further her career in this industry over the next couple of years.

Julia Jablonski

Cert IV Veterinary Nursing Trainee

Julia is currently doing her Cert IV in Veterinary Nursing. She has a 2 year old Labrador named Toby who still thinks he is a puppy. In her spare time Julia loves training her dog new tricks and expanding her knowledge of all things Vet Nursing. 

Dorothy ('Dotty')

Clinic Cat / Self-Appointed Boss

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!

She lived in our hospital recovering for two months until she was well enough to be moved into the waiting room to look for a furever home.

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Another month went by, she was desexed, vaccinated, wormed and flea treated. Dotty was the hit of the hospital, but still no home.

It took another few months before we understood why such a gorgeous girl hadn’t found a new family… we were all too in love with her! We suspect everyone but us knew that she would become a permanent resident!

As of today, she is clearly the boss of the clinic. Super sweet and a big hit with all of our clients and patients – canine and feline alike – Dotty is definitely one of the highlights of our hospital.

She’s now has her very own room upstairs with a big couch, scratching posts galore, a sun hammock, drinking fountain and piles of toys! Everything a kitty could need.

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