Dr. Gareth Stephensen

BVSc (Hons) - Veterinarian

University of Tasmania – Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Hons)

University of Sydney – Bachelor of Veterinary Science (Hons)

Gareth has been working at Tasmanian Veterinary Hospitals since 2007. Since starting his focus has been on improving surgical procedures at Tasmanian Veterinary Hospitals. He has attended countless surgical seminars and workshops over the years and is continuously updating the surgical possibilities for all our Tasmanian patients. He is also currently undertaking his surgical memberships with the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists.

Gareth has also been pioneering in the introduction of minimally invasive surgery for animals in Tasmania. In 2014 he traveled to Colorado to undertake further training in laparoscopy (keyhole surgery). On his return to Tasmania the hospital upgraded their facilities to accommodate minimally invasive surgery. In August of 2014 Gareth then performed Tasmania’s first ever small animal laparoscopic procedure on George the Great Dane. There have now been thousands of laparoscopic and arthroscopic procedures performed at Tasmanian Veterinary hospitals.

Most of all Gareth enjoys the everyday challenges that Veterinary Science has to offer and is happy to be working in an environment that strives to offer the best possible care and treatment to all its patients.

Dr. Jim Connah

BVSc MANZCVS - Veterinarian

Jim has been with us since 2013. He was brought up on a sheep farm in Northern NSW and graduated from Sydney University as a vet in 1992. He started in mixed practice and since then has worked in over 30 practices, including locums in England and Papua New Guinea and most states of Australia. He has spent a year with his family on a remote Aboriginal community in the Kimberley, WA and has performed volunteer veterinary work there, as well as in India and Samoa. Most recently he spent 2 years in Yass NSW, and prior to that, 5 years in Kingston. Jim has returned to Tasmania, knowing this is the place where he and Sarah can best bring up their two boys, Gryff and Jack.

Jim became a member of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists in Small Animal Medicine in 2007. His special interests include eye diseases, endocrine diseases and cancer therapy. Outside of work he enjoys bushwalking, running and playing with the kids. He has three sheep, three alpacas, three chooks and a catfish called Malcolm.

Dr. Jo Stumm

BVSc (hons), MANZCVS (small animal surgery) - Veterinarian

Jo graduated from the University of Queensland in 2002. Jo joined the TVH team in December 2022.

Jo initially worked in mixed practice in a rural clinic in Queensland for 10 years before heading south to New South Wales and then eventually to Tasmania in 2014.  While Jo enjoys all aspects of being a vet, she has a strong interest in small animal surgery and sat for her Memberships through the ANZCVS in June 2022.

While Jo loves Tassie she likes to complain a lot about the cold, and relishes in the warm sunny days we (sometimes) get in summer!  Jo mostly spends her free time with her husband and Kelpie either mountain biking or trail running.

Dr. Hannah Ling

Veterinarian

Originally from Tasmania, Hannah grew up on a hobby farm where she developed a passion for animals and animal health.  She knew from an early age that becoming a vet was the career path she wanted to pursue. Hannah moved to Townsville to study a Bachelor of veterinary Science at James Cook University.  She graduated in 2017 and started in a mixed practice she then joined the team at TVH in 2019.

Hannah’s favourite part of her job is reuniting owners with their beloved pets after a surgical procedure or hospital stay.  She loves being part of a community of people who are so passionate and dedicated their patients’ health.

In Hannah’s spare time she loves being out on the water and enjoying outdoor activities, she also enjoys spending time catch up with family and friends.

Hannah has a dog named Trilby a very clever Border Collie who enjoys fishing, barking at birds and loves attention!

Dr. Raffy Eisiana

DVM - Veterinarian

Dr Raffy grew up in Tasmania on a small vineyard that also hosted an array of wildlife, some of which needed a helping hand from time to time. Raffy always enjoyed these interactions with wildlife as well as her own family pets, however it wasn’t until after she finished high school and volunteered overseas at animal recuse centres that she absolutely knew she wanted to be a veterinarian.

After returning from her holiday and volunteer work Raffy moved to Adelaide to become a vet. After graduating with her veterinary degree from the University of Adelaide she moved back to her favourite city (Hobart) to continue her journey of caring for and helping animals in need.

Raffy loves helping and watching people’s connections grow with their furry companions. She loves working in a field with great diversity and being able to both consult and perform surgery in the same day. Raffy is passionate about providing the best care possible to animals and their owners, ensuring communication is clear and everyone feels positive at the end of a consult.

When she is away from work she likes to spend her time chasing her kelpie Pippin around the beach and dabbles in rock climbing and pottery.

Dr. Samantha Beeby

Veterinarian

Originating in central Victoria, Sam has always had a love for animals, medicine and science. Sam completed a Bachelor of Equine Science and worked in a number of animal roles before attending Vet School at James Cook University in Townsville, where she graduated in 2018. Following Graduation she worked in mixed and small animal practice in North Queensland before relocating to Hobart in early 2021.

She loves working up medical cases with the team and finding positive outcomes for pets and their owners. Sam has an interest in behaviour, pain management, medicine and surgery.

When she is not at work you might find her hiking, horse riding or looking after her animals on her small farm.

DR. TEGAN ZURBO

BVSc - Veterinarian

Dr Tegan is a JCU graduate from the sunny tropics of North Queensland. She has been an animal fanatic for as long as she can remember, growing up with almost every pet imaginable (an ex-racehorse called Thomas, a chicken called Vegemite, and a wild cat named Rascal, just to name a few!).

Before pursuing veterinary medicine, Tegan worked as a librarian and studied a creative writing degree, which took her across three universities internationally. Eventually, her love of animals led her back to veterinary school.

As a vet, Dr Tegan has a passion for behaviour, dentistry, and palliative care—she loves supporting both pets and their people with compassion and clarity through all stages of life. When Dr Tegan is not at work, she is often found surfing, hiking, or camping with her bouncy little kelpie, soaking up the outdoors and making the most of Tasmania’s wild beauty.

Dr. Lucy Davies

BSc (Hons) DVM (Hons) - Veterinarian

Lucy joined the TVH family in March 2022.

Lucy grew up in far north New South Wales with a menagerie of animals including chickens, quails, rabbits, dogs, a ferret and a goat called Milly Molly Mandy.  She completed an arts degree and spent a year travelling through India before going back to university to study veterinary medicine.

Lucy has worked at a few clinics in Hobart since graduating and absolutely loves being a vet!  She has special interests in internal medicine, dermatology and ultrasound.

Outside of working Lucy likes hiking and trail running. Lucy is pictured with her dog Bowie.

Claire Bannister

Practice Coordinator

Claire is in the exciting role of Practice Coordinator at the Bellerive Practice, where she is still able to  put her valuable years of nursing experience to good use. Claire has been a Veterinary Nurse since 2006 and still enjoying nursing.  She has a certificate II in Animal Studies and Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing.

Claire has a beautiful daughter Sienna who loves animals just as much as her mother does, and they enjoy going to the movies and the beach together in their spare time.  Claire also has two fur children, a mischievous husky named Zelda and a cheeky Russian blue named Lucius.

Ashley Clark

Assistant Practice Coordinator

Ashley has been working at TVH since 2009. She started as a work experience student in grade 10 and has worked her way to Assistant Practice Coordinator.  She has her Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing and Veterinary Nutrition Technology.

Ashley and her partner Matt love going on adventures on weekends and have recently built their first house.  Ashley has two huskies named Lucy and Yogi and two rescue cats Squirt and Charlie.

Ashleigh Stuht

Nurse

Ashleigh is a Cert IV qualified Veterinary Nurse who has over 10 years’ experience in both specialist and general practice clinics.  Ashleigh joined TVH in 2015 after moving from Western Australia.  Radiography is Ashleigh’s number one passion, followed closely by providing the best patient care she can.

Ashleigh has a dog named Mackaroy a cat named Puss and a mini lop rabbit named Bradley.

Kassia Michajlow

Nurse

Kassia has been working at TVH since 2017 and has a Cert IV in Veterinary Nursing.  Kassia started in client services role at our Kingston practice and quickly found her passion for Vet Nursing, moving to our Bellerive practice to pursue her dream career.  Caring for our patients and loving them as if they were her own, is Kassia’s best attribute.  Her interest lies in animal behaviour and rehabilitation.

She has two beloved miniature dachshunds, Douglas and Daphne, who are her world.

Keeley Rolph

Cert IV - Nurse

Keeley joined Tasmanian Veterinary Hospitals back in 2011, starting out as a Nurse Assistant. Keeley has since completed her Certificate 4 in Veterinary Nursing and is now one of our Senior Nurses. After being based at the Bellerive clinic full time, Keeley has recently made the decision to work between our Bellerive and Kingston clinics. She also has the responsibility of the Theatre Nurse role within our Bellerive clinic which she has been undertaking for approximately 4 years.

Keeley has always had an interest in animal welfare. She loves what she does because every day is different, exciting and challenging and she wouldn’t want it any other way. She loves the fact that Veterinary Nursing is always going to be a forever learning career. Keeley is particularly interested and enjoys patient care, anesthesia and surgery. She loves being in a career where she can help animals and their humans and sharing with owners the wonderful human, animal bond. She also enjoys training and assisting nurses who are new to the veterinary industry. Keeley enjoys working between both Bellerive and Kingston clinics, being involved in greats teams in both practices.

In her spare time Keeley enjoys live music, travel and spending time with her friends and family.

Alice Eade

Nurse

Alice has been working at TVH since 2012 after gaining employment from her year 12 work experience.  Alice went on to complete her Cert IV in Veterinary Nursing and has also completed her Diploma of Veterinary Nursing (Surgical). She loves being able to provide care for both patients and their owners.

When Alice is not at work she enjoys baking, spending time with her friends and taking her dog Mikey for a walk, she is pictured here with her cat Meme.

Hannah Ryan

Head Theatre Nurse

Hannah has been at Tasmanian Veterinary Hospitals since 2015 and has completed her Certificate 4 in Veterinary Nursing. She loves assisting in complex surgeries and recently became head theatre nurse. When not in surgery, she enjoys helping hospitalised patients that require a lot of nursing care, and seeing them improve each day makes her love for the job grow. Hannah is pictured with her best mate Charlie.

Sophie McKay

Nurse

Sophie started nursing at our hospital in 2009, with over 10 years nursing experience. In 2011, she completed her certificate 2 in veterinary nursing then endeavoured into further studies at UTAS. In 2016, she graduated with a bachelor of science, majoring in Zoology. Sophie loves many aspects of nursing, particularly senior pet health, surgery and seeing patients go home happy and healthy.

At home Sophie has a fur baby Kelpie cross named Peggy. Peggy loves water and will make it her mission in life to find any drip of water to roll in when going for a walk.

In Sophie’s spare time, she loves to cook, be with family and explore beautiful Tasmania.

Imogen Howell

Nurse

Growing up Imogen was very lucky to be surrounded by animals and animal lovers which drove her passion to work towards a career in animal care. Before working at TVH, Imogen had a history in customer service, she has completed her Cert II in animal studies and is studying her Cert IV in Veterinary Nursing.

Imogen loves coming into work each day and being surprised by the cases that are presented, learning new skills, expanding her knowledge and experiencing the incredible bond between pets and their owners. She appreciates being surrounded by a team who are passionate, supportive, and dedicated to not only animals but each other.

Zoe Booth

Nurse

Zoe joined the team at Bellerive TVH in 2018, working as a nurse and taking a special interest in theatre.  Zoe has a son Kip who she adores. She has three dogs and two cats. Loui pictured with Zoe, Millie who loves to join her on runs and little Emmy who helps her in her art studio.  Zoe is a wonderful addition to the TVH team.

Olivia Bignold

Nurse

Olivia joined the Tasmanian Veterinary Hospitals team August 2020 as a trainee nurse and has since completed her certificate II and progressed to junior veterinary nurse.

From a very young age Olivia adored animals and had always known that helping them was something she wanted to peruse. Olivia feels extremely lucky to have been given the opportunity to turn this love into a career in the veterinary industry.

Olivia is thankful leaving work every day knowing she has added to her knowledge base, from nutrition, to cytology or orthopaedic surgeries – no two days are the same. It’s an incredible feeling to be able to make a difference in not only the patient’s life, but our clients’ too!

At home Olivia has her two black and white Border Collie’s Maggie and Zahli, and a ginger cat named Jimmy.

Ellen Campbell

Nurse

Ellen commenced working at TVH in June 2020 and is currently undertaking study to become a fully qualified veterinary nurse.   Ellen feels privileged to be able to care for our clients beloved family members, she tries not to show favouritism although is an avid cat lover.

Ellen has a wonderful daughter, who keeps her busy in her spare time.  She also has two dogs, Bailey & Callie, as well as her cat Lucy. They share their backyard with 7 noisy chickens.  Ellen’s life truly revolves around animals, both work and at home which she adores.

Jayd Lockley

Nurse

Jayd joined the Tasmanian Veterinary Hospitals team in late 2021.

Jayd has known she wanted to work with animals since a very young age so it was very easy for her to know which career path she wanted to travel. Not only does she love working with animals daily but finds it very rewarding to be able to help and care for them.

In her spare time Jayd likes to play sports like football, soccer and touch football. Although most of the time she is kept busy with her 3 dogs Jasper, Willow and Teddy.

Emma Hodge

Nurse

Emma has both her certificate II in animal studies and her Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing.

Emma has been volunteering in the veterinary industry since she was 14 years of age.  Emma always knew she wanted to pursue a career working with animals as she was constantly bringing home sick birds and chasing bugs. Emma has worked in both single species clinics and emergency settings and is also a registered wildlife carer.

Emma and her partner have two cheeky rescue greyhounds (Luna and Fay – Fay is pictured) and two cats (Dina and Nuggets) who they delight in spending time with. In her spare time Emma likes gardening and going to music gigs.

Georgia Kennedy

Nurse

Georgia has been working as a veterinary nurse for the past 5+ years, primarily in general practice and joined the TVH team in December 2022.

Georgia’s lifelong love of caring for animals was the foundation of her pursuit in a vet nursing career, this was quickly coupled by a love for working in a medical field. Georgia loves the challenge of being involved in providing care to complex cases, and getting to know the individual personalities of the patients. She feels nothing is more rewarding than seeing peoples pets return home happy and healthy again! Georgia’s primary passion lies within theatre nursing and anaesthesia.

Outside of work, you’ll usually find Georgia getting upside down at yoga, or unwinding by the beach with her dogs Riley and Jess.

Hannah McHenry

Nurse

Hannah joined Tasmanian veterinary hospitals in 2021 as a trainee veterinary nurse at our Bellerive practice. Having completed her certificate 2 and 3 in animal studies, she is currently studying a certificate 4 in veterinary nursing.

Starting her career with animals 4 years ago, working with wildlife, she is now expanding her knowledge further into the veterinary nursing field and learning more about our companion animals.

Hannah enjoys many aspects of nursing, particularly anaesthesia, rehabilitation and getting one of one time with our clients and their fur babies.

You’ll come to find that Hannah greatly enjoys her passion and workplace, as they are one of the same. There’s always something new to learn and achieve, and to find further fulfilment – which makes each day unique for Hannah.

At home, Hannah owns 2 gorgeous black greyhounds; Gemma (pictured) and Harry. In her spare time she likes to take them on trips around Tassie with her partner and to spend time with her family and close friends.

Louise Martin

Nurse

Louise joined the TVH team in November 2021. She has completed her Cert III in Animal Studies and has experience working with both companion animals and wildlife.

Louise cannot remember a time when she was not obsessing about animals, so she knew from an early age she would make a career working with them.

She loves being outdoors and spending her weekends adventuring around Tassie! She has a 7 month old kitten named Bobbie who she absolutely adores and is pictured with.

Tayla Elliss

Nurse

Tayla joined the TVH team in October 2021

Tayla grew up with all kinds of animals, and always wished for a career working with them.  After recently completing her certificate II in animal studies and being able to experience work within a clinic, she knew she wanted to pursue a career in veterinary nursing. Tayla is very interested in the biology and behaviour of animals and the different diagnostics that go into treating our furry friends and is excited for her future nursing career.

Tayla loves to spend her spare time adventuring Tasmania and fussing over her beloved animal companions, including her ponies Bella, Jasper and Marty, her cat Joseph and her dog Mia.

Amelia Mangan

Nurse

Amelia joined the Tasmanian Veterinary Hospitals team in October 2021.

Amelia completed a Certificate II in Animal Studies in 2020, during her course she had the opportunity to watch some surgeries at the Bonorong Wildlife Hospital and was immediately drawn to the profession.  Amelia is currently undertaking a Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing, and through this she has found that she enjoys learning about techniques to provide an environment that reduces stress and supports the patient from the moment they come into care through to recovery. Amelia is also interested in learning more about nursing geriatric/senior patients and assisting them in aging well by providing evidence based care and treatment options.

In her spare time Amelia loves playing with her mischievous 4 year old German Shepherd Max, who loves walks and finding muddy puddles to dive into.

Rachel Ramminger

Nurse

Rachel joined TVH in July 2024 she moved from Brisbane late 2023 with her family. Rachel was inspired to study vet nursing while volunteering at the Australia Zoo wildlife hospital and has a passion for wildlife. Rachel loves taking the family along for bush walks and doing a bit of bird watching.  She is excited to get back into nursing after moving and maternity leave and loves being part of the TVH family.

Milli Sherriff

Trainee Nurse

Milli joined the team at TVH in March 2022 . Milli was drawn to a position working with animals as they have been a lifetime obsession and has always been interested in all creatures and their welfare as long as she can remember.

Milli has two cats of her own which she adores,  here she is pictured with Bear, she loves that her role will help her to learn more about animals and the best ways to take care of them.

Milli’s interests outside of work are going to the beach, painting, netball and going out for dinner with her friends.

Indyah Langiu

Trainee Nurse

Indyah joined the TVH team in May 2023 and is currently studying her Cert II in animal care.

Indy has a dog named Coco, a Border collie who she made a home for in November 2023.  Coco loves the dog park and is always trying to make friends with her cat Birdy who only just tolerates her.

Indy has had a zoo worth of pets from a young age and always been interested in veterinary care, mainly from her endless vet visits for her senior Russian blue over the years.

Indy’s favourite areas of nursing are anaesthesia & theatre, she is looking forward to growing her skills in these areas.

Kayla Webb

Cert II animal studies - Trainee Nurse

Kayla joined the team in May 2023.

Kayla is pictured with her two dogs Riley on the left and Lucy on the right. There is no time in her life Kayla has not had a dog around.

Since Kayla was a young girl she has always been drawn to animals, and has found them to be a calming presence.   She loves seeing all of the different personalities and quirks that animals have while meeting them in her role.  Kayla has always know working with animals is the way forward for her.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family, friends and of course her fur babies. Kayla also loves camping, going on road trips and exploring all of the beautiful places Tasmania has to offer.

Leanne Healy

Client Services

Leanne joined TVH in 2007 after 12 years in the finance industry. Customer service is her passion and she loves looking after our clients and helping them to provide the best care for their pets.

Leanne has completed her Certificate II in Animal Studies.

Outside of work Leanne loves to dance and is a bit of a gym junkie, one of her goals is to travel and see the world.

Leanne has 2 cats, Luca and Bentley.

Lonnie Bevis

Client Services

Lonnie joined the TVH family in May 2021.

Previous to joining TVH, Lonnie spent 11 years in the Travel Industry, she realises how lucky she is to have travelled the world many times over.  Lonnie feels she has now ‘landed’ her perfect role in our client service team.

As well as Lonnie’s love for all animals, Lonnie loves speaking to people… some may say you can hear Lonnie from a mile away. She is always willing to go above and beyond for clients and their fur babies… and loves to give a cuddle to any dog who wants one.

Outside of work Lonnie is married with a beautiful baby girl and has two joyous dogs; Jonny (pictured) and Stevie. The family love venturing to their shack on the East Coast whenever they can, where they enjoy swimming at the beach and night time BBQs.

Don’t ever hesitate to strike up a conversation with Lonnie, she is always happy to chat about your pet.

Madi Archibald

Client Services

Madi joined the client services team at TVHB in November 2022, after time spent working in other veterinary reception roles.

Madi’s favourite part of the job is seeing patients being reunited with their family after hospital stays. She has plenty of love to give to the dogs that come through the door, especially if they’re a Staffy!

Madi moved to Hobart from Brisbane with her partner in 2019 when a 6 month van trip turned permanent. Any spare time she has is spent making stained glass, and she’s always looking forward to experiencing more of the Tassie landscape.

Isobel Austin-Andrews

Client Services

Isobel joined TVH in June 2023, she can’t remember a time in her life where she wasn’t fascinated with animals and the natural world, so it wasn’t surprising to anyone in her life when she chose to pursue a career working with animals.  At home she has a little white cat named Yuki in her spare time she enjoys hiking on a trail or watching old sitcoms.