Shop 20-21 Coombabah Plaza

21 Hansford Rd Coombabah Q 4216

Speak To Our Team

(07) 5577 5084

Meet the Team

Gold Coast Veterinary Clinic, Coombabah

Gold Coast's purpose built, full service Veterinary Clinic and Surgery.
Hello from the Happy Paws Vet Clinic team at Coombabah

Vanessa

Dr Vanessa has dreamt of being a vet for as far back as she can remember!

After she realized this dream in 1999 she developed a new dream – to own her own veterinary practice – a dream which became a reality with the opening of Happy Paws in October 2017!

She loves all aspects of general practice, so much so that even after 20 years in small animal practice she still loves talking about fleas! Her special interests include dentistry, soft tissue surgery and fostering the human-animal bond.

She lives in heaven (on the Gold Coast!) with her three non-furry children (Sebastian, Oscar and Darcy) and her furry children (Chicken and Noodle, the cats).

In her free time (ha, what’s that?!) she enjoys reading, watching The Block, pub lunches, and family time. She is looking forward to welcoming you and your fur babies to Happy Paws and getting to know you!

Dr Tiana

Meet Dr Tiana, our newest team member to the Happy Paws family!

Dr Tiana graduated Bachelor of Veterinary Science in 2017 from James Cook University in Townsville.

Originally growing up on a farm in North QLD, she moved down to Victoria and worked as a mixed/dairy vet for 4 years before locuming around various parts of Australia for the last couple of years!

Tiana has gained many different and varied experiences throughout her locuming career but decided it was time to settle down in a permanent location and relocated back to the sunny Gold Coast.

She enjoys consulting and takes pride in nurturing special relationships with the clients and their fur babies. She also loves to create a positive and fear free environment for all pets (and owners!).

Tiana recently completed an online course in Emergency Medicine which she has a special interest in.

Tiana is very bubbly and loves a good laugh! In her down time you will find her at the gym or soaking up the sunshine. She also loves to hike and go for long beach walks and you can’t forget about the coffee in her hand.

She has two furry rascals named Bean and Floss.

We are absolutely thrilled to have her join our team and we cannot wait for you all to meet her!

Ayana

Meet Ayana our Practice Manager! She joined the Happy Paws team in 2020.

With over 9 years experience as a Veterinary Nurse, she will also be taking care of your furry loved ones when she is not busy in the office. She is the clinics go to nurse for difficult blood collection and IV catheter placements!

Born in Japan and grew up on the Gold Coast from 6 years old, in her spare time she is always at the beach soaking up the sun with her Greyhound ‘Beanie’ or cuddling up with her “favourite” fur child ‘Moose’ the Siamese X. As she is an early bird, you will also find her at the gym from 5am!

When you are in the clinic she is hard to miss with her loud and cheerful laugh! She is also about to complete her 3 year leadership mastery course through the Lincoln Institute to guide the team in reaching their full potential in achieving a healthy and happy working environment.

Ashleigh

Meet Ashleigh, our talented superstar taking on the role of Head Nurse here at Happy Paws!

Ashleigh has been in the industry for 7 years with experiences in GP, Emergency and Specialist.

She has been nicknamed ‘the cat whisperer’ as she is very skilled in handling the more spicy mittens. She has a passion for surgery and making sure our patients have a stress-free approach from the moment they are dropped off until the moment they are reunited with you.

She isn’t just the ‘cat whisperer’ in the clinic but at home as well! She shares her household with 5 cats! Frankenstein, Tabitha, Manson, Salem and Daphne. When she’s not in the clinic, you’ll find Ashleigh enjoying some live music or relaxing with a good book. She is also currently working on her green thumb, spending a lot of time in the garden and learning new tips and tricks.

We are certain Ashleigh’s gentle and kind personality will help make sure fur babies feel calm and safe. We are so excited to have her on our team and she’s also very excited to meet you and your fur kids!

Chloe

Meet Chloe, one of our fabulous Veterinary Nurses.

Chloe has been with us since November 2021. Happy Paws was Chloe’s first stop after graduating Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing in August 2021.

She doesn’t shy away from the gross, dirty or smelly parts of this industry! With a super social personality she loves chatting away and building a relationship with our clients.

In her free time, Chloe loves going camping and taking her two Schmoodles ‘Wookie’ and ‘Lacey’ to the beach. A true lover of music concerts and going out for dinners and drinks with her friends. She recently gained a new addition to her fur family, a Siamese x Ragdoll named ‘Goose’!

We are always grateful for Chloe’s positive attitude, incredible work ethic, bubbly personality and truly contagious laughter.

Teagan

Meet Teagan, our newest member to the Happy Paws family!!

Teagan joined our nursing team in 2023. She has been working full time for 2 years prior to starting her Certificate IV in Veterinary Nurse and graduated in June 2023.

Although Teagan is relatively new to the industry, don’t be fooled by her skills! She is an absolute superstar with her devoted attitude, kind people skills and as a sucker for cuddles she makes all our furry babies feel nice and calm. She shares her household with ‘Neville’ a Domestic Shorthair, ‘Nevaeh’ a Pug and her 2 legged hoooman ‘Indi’.

Her kindness and compassion don’t just stop at work. She is a coach for the Gold Coast Titans Junior disability team! She also enjoys spending time with her family, going to the beach and going out for breakfast/coffee catch ups.

Teagan has been a fantastic addition to our team and we cannot wait for you and your fur babies to meet her, we know you’ll all love her just as much as we do!

Taylor

Meet Tay our incredible Receptionist, the friendly voice on the other side the phone!

Tay is a Gold Coast local who has spent the past 13 years working within the office of the State’s oldest and largest not-for-profit animal welfare charity, the RSPCA QLD before joining our team in 2021.

There isn’t a moment in Tay’s life where she hasn’t been surrounded by animals and she was so excited to join a team of caring, compassionate and like-minded hoomans.

When Tay’s not at work falling head over paws in love with your fur babies, you might find her heading out into the rainforest, beach or curled up on the couch with her giant floof, ‘Luna’ a German Shepherd x Alaskan Malamute.

Tay looks forward to welcoming you to the clinic with a warm smile and positive energy ready to serve you and your fur babies ensuring the best experience possible.

Dr Jess

Meet Dr Jess, one of our superstar senior Vets who has been with Happy Paws since it opened in 2017.

She graduated with honours degree in Bachelor of Veterinary Science from the University of Queensland in 2014. Dr Jess has a special interest in feline medicine, dentistry and ultrasound. She is also exceptional with making anxious or fearful pets feel comfortable.

Our New Zealand born Vet is very musically talented and is in the Gold Coast City Wind Orchestra where she plays the clarinet. If she is not at the gym or looking after tiny foster kittens from Cat Rescue Gold Coast and nursing them back to health, she is busy spoiling her two Domestic Shorthairs – the golden child ‘Toothless’ (named after the dragon from How To Train Your Dragon!) and the ruler of the house and foster fail from Cat Rescue Gold Coast ‘Flash’. She also has a non-furry pet ‘Homer’ a Stimpson Python.

Her brilliant skills and years of knowledge make her a fabulous member of our team!

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