Goonellabah Veterinary Hospital

In 1994 James and Mary started the first A-grade accredited vet hospital in the area. Since that time they have gone from strength to strength with great service being their biggest asset.

: Tell us how your business started?

Mary: James had worked in the area as an assistant, then as a locum, before establishing the home visit service. Business grew to the point where he had to build this hospital to service all our clients. We’ve been practising here in Goonellabah since the hospital opened in October 1994 and were the first A-grade accredited animal hospital in the area.

: So a vet hospital is different to a vet clinic?

Hospitals are different from clinics, as we have on site accommodation so the veterinarian can attend to animals that require 24 hour monitoring and treatment.

: What goes on in an animal hospital?

Mary: The day starts with ward rounds to check hospitalised patients, before the veterinarian has consultations by appointment. We then set up the operating theatre for the days surgical cases and monitor their recovery afterwards in the special recovery suit. James enjoys surgery and has accumulated an impressive array of specialised equipment both to monitor patient’s blood pressure, respiration rates, pulse, oxygenation and temperatures during surgery and to assist him in his work.

: Can you do all medical proceedures here ?

Most surgical operations are carried out at the hospital in our fully equipped surgical unit, though some specialised procedures are referred to a specialist unit near Brisbane. A lot of patient monitoring and health tests are performed here; some blood tests are performed at a local laboratory which provides rapid results.

goonellabah veterinary clinic

: Sounds like you try to keep things local where possible?

Yes we do. We also offer a full farm visit service for larger domestic animals and home visits in the immediate area. Micro-chipping, dental procedures, vaccinating and de-sexing are all done here.

: What other products and services do you offer?

Mary: We supply pet food, grooming accessories, pet coats, toys and flea control products. Tick control is very important in this neck of the woods, so we have a variety of products that suit different animals. With Jeanie’s help, we also run puppy pre-school and obedience classes at the hospital. We also rehouse healthy, de-sexed, vaccinated and micro-chipped cats and kittens through the pet adoption scheme, and have grooming services.

: How many people work here at the hospital?

Mary: James does most of the call outs and surgery, but we also have Angela, who is a fully trained veterianrian, who assists and is great with the animals. We also have 3 veterinary nurses, Alisonne, Raelene and Carla. I work as the office manager, so I can keep an eye on everyone. It is a relly great place to work and very rewarding.

: Why do so many locals support your business?

Mary: It all comes down to the service. We are on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Occasionally, James does come home, so the phones are transferred either to his mobile or to our home phone. As most after hours calls are emergencies, it is important that the calls are answered by a human voice, our answering machine is only ever used as a back up.

: People like a personal touch?

And their pets love James, he has a way with animals, they seem to crave his attention; it is almost genetic. His father is also a veterinarian (now retired) and his mother has also worked with farm and domestic animals all her life. She was our groomer until she retired about 4 years ago. You can be assured that at our hospital, your pets will be getting the best of care. Caring for animals is not just a profession at Goonellabah Veterinary Hospital, it is our way of life.