Meet our team

Meet the people behind the care.

Our team is made up of passionate animal lovers who are committed to providing exceptional veterinary care with kindness, experience, and understanding. Get to know the friendly faces who are here to support you and your pets every step of the way.

Interested in joining our team? Visit our Careers page to see current opportunities.

View Careers

Lisa

Veterinarian (B.V.Sc)

Emily

Veterinary Nurse (Cert 4)

Fabio

Veterinary Nurse (Cert 4)

Layla

Trainee Veterinary Nurse (Cert 4)

Brit

Trainee Veterinary Nurse (Cert 4)

Rachel

Receptionist

Lisa

Veterinarian (B.V.Sc)

Dr Lisa brought the clinic and moved to Iluka in 2016. She graduated from UQ in 2006 and spent her first few years working in rural NSW before heading overseas for a couple of years. On moving back to Australia Lisa worked on the Gold Coast before deciding a quieter life was more her style and moved to Iluka. She loves getting to know the people and animals of this town, and spends her free time with her partner and their pets, enjoying the beautiful beaches and the odd caravanning adventure. Lisa has also been expanding her professional skills and now practices acupuncture as well as surgery on brachy breeds and some orthopaedic procedures too.

Emily

Veterinary Nurse (Cert 4)

Born and raised in the Clarence Valley, Emily has always been surrounded by a menagerie of animals. Her passion for caring for them began as soon as she could talk, and it has shaped the course of her life ever since.

Emily has been a dedicated nurse for 14 years, combining compassion with resilience in every role she takes on. Her career has taken her across New South Wales, Queensland, and the Northern Territory, locumming in remote communities and experiencing places many could only imagine.

Whether she’s working in healthcare or caring for her animals at home, Emily lives life to the fullest — embracing adventure, connection, and the joy of giving back.

Layla

Trainee Veterinary Nurse (Cert 4)

Layla is a local, born and bred in Iluka! An animal lover all her life she completed her Certificate 2 in Animal Handling with us in 2024 and is continuing with her Certificate 4 in Veterinary Nursing. She has two dogs of her own, Kaylee and Stella, a rabbit called Benjamin and four parrots. Layla enjoys caring for wildlife and in her spare time can often be seen at the beach or doing various craft activities including crochet.

Brit

Trainee Veterinary Nurse (Cert 4)

Brit is currently completing her Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing, following her lifelong passion for working with animals. Growing up in the country, Brit fell in love with all creatures great and small, and since a young child, dreamed of becoming a veterinary nurse.

Known for her bright and bubbly personality, Brit loves bringing a smile to those around her and creating a welcoming environment for both clients and their pets.

Outside of her studies and work, Brit enjoys spending time with her family and caring for their newest addition — a pet snake named Nilla.

Rachel

Receptionist

Rachel is proud to call Ashby home. From early childhood, she has always had a deep passion for animals, and her lifelong dream has been to work with them — especially in the veterinary field.

For over 20 years, Rachel has dedicated herself to rescuing and rehoming animals, giving countless cats and dogs the chance to live healthy, happy lives. She also owned and ran a horse-riding school, where she worked closely with veterinarians and gained trusted experience in animal care.

Today, Rachel lives in Ashby with her husband and their beloved dog, Molly. Her commitment to animals and her community continues to shine through everything she does.

Fabio

Veterinary Nurse (Cert 4)

Fabio is a qualified vet from Brazil and a Senior Veterinary Nurse with over 16 years of experience in animal care across Brazil, New Zealand and Australia. He has a passion for surgery, emergency care and helping pets live happy, healthy lives. Outside of work, Fabio is kept busy by his two young boys, enjoying their sports, and also loves surfing and kayak fishing.

      EXCELLENT  
   Based on 50 reviews 
    
 
 
 
   
 
 
       Posted on Google  
   
   Colin James 
 07/03/2026
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Very professional and compassionate
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Will Webber 
 01/09/2025
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. A MASSIVE thanks from Captain Pickles for removing the fishing hook from my stomach two weeks ago! Im all healed up and chasing the ball again! Thank you team!!!!
Although, sometimes, I'm called Captain HOOK now!!!!
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Katie Connolly 
 03/06/2025
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Very caring & supportive. Thank u 😊
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   J Mac 
 05/12/2023
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I haven't had that much to do with them over the years but I will say they have been very understanding and comforting I guess when they have um unfortunately had to visit my home to help a couple of my old fury friends leave when their time was up without pain. Ha I get sad writing this. But no honestly I couldn't have asked for better treatment for my mates.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Jenny Liebenberg 
 22/08/2023
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Such lovely people and great service. We are travelling and our Shihtzu needed grooming, we were battling to find a groomer so I asked at Sandy Paws, they fitted her in. They told me she had bad tartar on her teeth and I was able to book her in for cleaning, she ended up having 7 teeth out, luckily the price was far better than our regular vet in QLD. Ally, the vet nurse is the first point of contact and is so incredibly kind and the rest of the team are lovely. Definitely a five star experience.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Greg Carman 
 20/08/2023
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Been to Sandy Paws twice whilst camping with our greyhound.
Wonderful service on both occasions with the owner, locus and vet nurse, Allie.

42 Charles Street, Iluka

02 6646 5676

Routine & Preventative Care

Surgery

Diagnostics

Emergency Care

Meet our team

Meet the people behind the care.

Lisa

Emily

Fabio

Layla

Brit

Rachel

Popular Services

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02 6646 5676

42 Charles Street, Iluka