Julie Pocock

Julie has been part of the team at West Toowoomba since January 2000.  She is originally from the Lockyer Valley (Lowood) and has a very active part in the beef cattle industry breeding, showing and judging Stud & Prime beef cattle.  She breeds Australian Stockhorses and enjoys Campdrafting whenever she gets a spare minute from her busy schedule at West Toowoomba Veterinary Surgery. After joining the team at West Toowoomba she has become a big part of the clininc. She is the one looking after your pet whilst undergoing anaesthesia and surgical procedures, and while recovering from surgeries and illnesses in hospital. She runs the very popular Puppy Preschoool and gets a lot of enjoyment out of seeing her "pupils" evolve into well mannered and much adored parts of their families. She loves being able to provide the highest medical and surgical care available to the patients we see and gives nothing less then what she would expect for her own animals.              

Along with her many cattle and 6 Australian Stockhorses, Julie has Millie, her much loved 5 year old mini foxy, who was born at the surgery and now rules her life.  She also has a new addition to her household - Katie, another mini foxy, who Julie reared from less than a week old after her parents were killed by a snake.  


Natalie Hartshorn

Natalie joined the West Toowoomba Vet Surgery in September 2009. Born in Sydney, she moved to Toowoomba when she was 4 years old and now considers herself (almost) a local. She has nearly completed her external Applied Science degree in Veterinary Technology through the Gatton campus of the University of Queensland. 

Venetta Lilley-Brown

Venetta also joined the practice in September 2009. She recently moved to Toowoomba from Burpengary and has bought a house with her partner, James. Together they have a Border Collie (Aurion), a Golden Retriever (Yogi), three galahs (Bruce, Jerry and Steve), a blue Quaker (Bella) and a cockatiel (Sammi).

Venetta comes from a background of dental nursing. In her spare time she enjoys playing hockey and taking her puppies to the park. She intends to start her Vet Nursing in 2010.

Muggles

Muggles is the Surgery cat - in fact she thinks she owns the Surgery, and we are her pets. We rescued her off 'death row' at the Pound in 2004 and she settled right in. Loving and affectionate to people, she hates dogs and has to be removed from the reception area at times if a dog is particularly persistent in wanting to get to know her!

As well as been our 'people greeter', Muggles plays a role as our resident feline blood donor. In this role she has saved the lives of several kittens over the years. She is also a poster child for food allergies and dietary intolerance, and has to be fed special diets unless the nursing staff want a real mess to be cleaned up each morning.

You will often find Muggles in the reception area or just lying in the sun somewhere, catching a few rays. Feel free to give her a cuddle (unless you are a dog!).