Our Team

John graduated from the University of Queensland in 1996 and worked at 3 small animal clinics before establishing Birkdale Veterinary Clinic in September 2003. John enjoys applying his many years of experience to find the right treatment for his patients, and has a keen interest in surgery. John is a member of the Australian Veterinary Association and is AQIS accredited, so he can assist with the export of dogs and cats overseas. He has a Border Collie x Kelpie (Rigby), a cat (Bonnie), and takes particular pride in his outdoor aquarium. With his two sons now in their 20's, John is hoping to see more of Australia with his 4WD and caravan.

Claire Micklethwaite had been a vet for over 25 years before moving to the Bayside to be near the water and joining our Clinic as a part-time vet in November 2022. She loves all aspects of her job - both medicine and surgery and enjoys working with pets (and their owners). Away from work, Claire has 3 children and a dog called Wombat. In her spare time, Claire loves travelling and sailing.

Clare graduated from the University of Bristol in the UK in 2003. She worked as a mixed animal vet for a few years before focusing on small animals. In 2008, she moved to Australia for a year and has not left yet! Clare moved from Sydney to Brisbane in 2022 and started work at Birkdale Veterinary Clinic in November 2022. She has a special interest in small animal medicine and gained membership of the ANZCVS in 2010. Outside of work, Clare has two young sons and so hobbies are currently distant memories.

Nicola graduated from Glasgow Vet School in Scotland in 1998. She worked as a mixed vet, treating farm and companion animals, for 6 years before travelling around Australia doing locum work for 1 year. After returning to the UK she continued veterinary work as a small animal vet on the south coast of England. Nicola was persuaded to come and live in Australia in 2009, originally living in Perth, before she discovered that Brisbane was a much nicer place to live. Nicola has been working at Birkdale Veterinary Clinic since September 2013. Along with enjoying treating cats and dogs, Nicola has a keen interest in wildlife and exotics.  Nicola returned to the UK in late 2022 to spend time with family and we hope to see her back in our clinic in early 2024.

Alison graduated with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science from the University of Queensland in 2001 and has worked for many years with the Animal Welfare League Qld and other small animal clinics.  Alison currently undertakes locum veterinary work and we have been fortunate to have her assist us on a casual basis since July 2020. In her spare time, Alison enjoys travel, nature, hiking and tennis.

Our practice manager, Kerri, does her best to keep the day to day operations of the clinic running smoothly, ensuring that all of the legislative requirements are met, and that the Tax Office, our suppliers and of course all of our wonderful staff, are paid correctly and on time! In her spare time, Kerri enjoys camping, socialising with her friends, spending time with her animals and tending to her garden.

Jill is our longest standing employee and has been with us since May 2008. Jill completed her nursing studies in the UK before moving to Australia with her husband, son and daughter in 2007. Jill loves meeting new people and enjoys a good chat at the reception desk. Away from work, Jill loves socialising and has an interest in classic cars. Jill and her family welcomed their Labrador cross fur baby, Edison, in 2017.

Lucinda started at Birkdale Veterinary Clinic in 2009 as a casual clinic assistant before commencing full-time work in 2011. She completed her Certificate 4 in Veterinary Nursing with the Animal Industries Resource Centre in August 2017 and has a keen interest in emergency medicine and surgery. With 3 young children (Henry, Ella and Charlie), Lucinda is now working part-time. Away from work, Lucinda and her partner Liam, have two rescue cats, Millie and Ivy, and a bearded dragon.

Tori joined the clinic as a full-time veterinary nurse in July 2019.  She started working in the industry after graduating from school in 2013 and completed her Certificate 4 in Veterinary Nursing in July 2017. She has a passion for animal health and loves seeing sick animals return home happy and healthy. In her spare time, Tori enjoys spending time with friends and family, loves going to the beach and hanging out with her two border collies, Koda and Freddie.

Our qualified nurse Melissa has been with us since April 2020.  Melissa has a special interest in the many different surgeries performed at our clinic and loves seeing animals happy and providing the love and care they need. Melissa lives with her partner (Jaime), baby daughter (Perrie), and their fur baby (Kobe), a King Charles Cavalier who she loves taking for walks by the beach.  In her spare time Melissa enjoys arts and crafts and exploring different places.

Nikita has been working in the veterinary industry since 2015 and completed her Certificate 4 in Veterinary Nursing in 2016.  She loves caring for hospital patients and getting to see them recover and go home happy. Nikita enjoys travelling the world and spending time with friends and family.  She currently has one English Staffordshire Terrier named Billy, who is a handful on his own, but she still can't wait to add another dog or two to her family.

Lisa had been vet nursing for 21 years before joining our clinic in August 2022. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking gourmet meals for her husband and two adult children, attending music festivals, dog sitting and camping. Lisa loves all types of animals and has a staffy (Laya) and a pug (Bear).

Before joining our team as a casual clinic assistant in January 2023, Tahlia worked as a dog groomer while completing her senior schooling.  Tahlia is currently studying part-time for her Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing with TAFE Queensland and is expecting to complete this course in mid-2025. Tahlia has always had a passion for helping animals and loves seeing them happy and healthy.  Tahlia enjoys spending time with family and friends, travelling and looking after her 2 cats, Lexie and Walter