A Locally Owned Clinic Providing a High Standard of Care With a Sensitive Family Feel

Dr Max has been a Vet at Hammett Street since 2004 and is now the sole owner of the clinic. He completed his Veterinary qualification in 1994 at the University of Queensland before moving to Townsville in 2000.

Dr Max enjoys doing soft tissue surgery and has a special interest in reptiles but is also known around town for his work with birds. Max is passionate about his relationships with his long-term, regular clients and their beloved pets and is well known around Townsville.

Max has a passion for travel and adventure and in his spare time, can often be found in the great outdoors hiking, kayaking or on his mountain bike. He has been on adventures in Australia, New Zealand, The Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, PNG and Europe. But don’t ask him about it or he’ll talk your ear off.

Max has a property in the Atherton Tablelands where he enjoys spending his free time, in nature with his partner and their abundance of wildlife. 

Dr Rachel joined the Hammett Street team at the start of 2018. She graduated from Massey University in New Zealand in 2010. She has worked in general practice and as an emergency vet in Queensland. She enjoys working with all different types of dogs and cats but particularly cats and brachycephalics.

Rachel is our head vet and is an absolute rock star when it comes to complex small animal medicine cases. She also has a special interest in complex skin cases and eye medicine. Rachel is constantly studying and practicing, developing her skills in these areas and supporting our vet team to become the best they can be.

When she is not crazy busy at work, she will probably be crazy busy at home with her three little boys and all of her pets! In her down time Rach enjoys going away on camping trips with her boys. Rachel has five dogs 

Emma joined the team in June of 2025. Emma is a James cook university graduate of 2020 and born and bred in Queensland, spending most of her life growing up in Townsville.

Emma enjoys developing a strong rapport with her patients and their families and is a kind and compassionate vet. Although she has only been with us for a short time, Emma already has a loyal following of clients and their beautiful pets. While Emma most commonly sees dogs and cats, she has always had an extra interest in exotic pets and hopes to grow her skills in exotic medicine. She also brings experience in BOAS surgery (Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome) and is keen to keep expanding on her surgical experience in this area too.

Emma is married and is mum to a beautiful baby boy. At home she has two dogs, two cats, two cockatiels and a bearded dragon. In her spare time Emma enjoys camping and exploring the great outdoors.

Dr Paris graduated from JCU in 2024. Paris completed a placement here with us during her studies and she loved us so much that she chose to begin her veterinary career with us. Paris has spent most of her life in Cairns but moved to Townsville to study Veterinary science.

Previously, Paris has worked as a teacher, pharmacy assistant, Ninjutsu instructor and also in hospitality but her passion for animals was too strong and she decided to go back to school for a complete change of career and lifestyle.

Paris feels very passionate about providing fear free experiences for animals that visit the vet and is an advocate for fear free handling. She has a long-term goal to gain experience and knowledge in exotic medicine, including reptiles, birds and wildlife. She is also one of few local vets who are vaccinated to handle and treat bats.

Paris is a friendly, bubbly and optimistic person who is always smiling, and her patients love her as much as we do. In her free time, Paris loves reading, gaming and hiking to waterfalls. Her pets at home are a staffy x named Okami (pictured), a wolfhound x named Kona and two blue-tongued lizards named Krillen & Orani.

Dr Ingrid joined our team in February 2025. With her extensive background in avian and exotic medicine, we thought she would have to be a perfect fit for our team.

Ingrid graduated in 2009 and she obtained her membership from the Australian/New Zealand college of Veterinary science in Avian Health. She is an active member of the Association of Avian Veterinarians, Australasian Committee. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife biology.

Ingrid has taken our exotic medicine and surgery to the next level. Not only does she treat birds and reptiles, she also has extensive experience in guinea pigs, rat and native wildlife medicine.

Ingrid is a local to Townsville, but she was born and raised in Canada. She once represented Canada in the National women’s ice hockey league and inline hockey. Her team for inline hockey won two world championships! Ingrid’s passion for bird medicine and surgery and love for our native parrots is what drove her to move to Australia.

In her spare time, Ingrid enjoys the outdoors and sports, especially golf. She lives with her partner and her African grey parrot named Meg (after Meg from “The Family Guy”) Shut up Meg!

Dr Dhash started with our team in November of 2024. We were very excited to have him as he brings a wealth of experience, especially in small animal, wildlife and exotic medicine. Dhash is passionate about the human/animal bond and has a keen interest in One Health, conservation medicine and sharing his knowledge by teaching other vets, vet nurses and vet students. Dhash also works as a lecturer at James Cook Uni in the vet school and is also studying for his memberships in wildlife medicine.

Dhash was born in Australia but grew up in Sri Lanka. He is multilingual, fluent in English and Sinhalese. Dhash also knows basic Tamil and Spanish and has worked in vet clinics all around Australia.

In his spare time Dhash is a keen gardener who also enjoys painting and drawing. Dhash lives with his two dogs, both Townsville specials named Archie and Effie, and his cat named Kiri.

We first met Bek when she was a student doing placement with us. When we heard she was graduating at the end of 2019, we knew we had to snatch her up before someone else did.

Now we know she may seem young and sweet, but we can assure you that Bek is more than just a pretty face. Since starting with us in December 2019, Dr Bek has proven time and again that she can handle even the toughest medicine cases and long, difficult and complicated surgeries, without losing her cool. She quickly established herself as a crucial member of the Hammett Street Team and already has a loyal client base. Bek has now moved to emergency medicine at NQ Care but still works with us as a locum vet, filling in when she can around her busy schedule.

Bek has two doggo’s named Korra and Koda (pictured) and two snakes, a water python and a spotted python. Bek is happy to see pets of all breeds and species.  While the majority of our patients at Hammett Street are dogs and cats, Bek is also very knowledgeable when it comes to bird, reptile and pocket pet medicine and has developed a reputation as one of the more skilled exotic vets in Townsville.

Amber joined the Hammett Street Vets team in 2014. She started vet nursing in 2009 and completed her Certificate IV in 2012. After completing her studies in Townsville, she worked in Darwin for a year before returning to Townsville. She has three cross breed dogs, two “brownies” named Sora and Jacky Bobby and a brindle staffy x named Peach Potato Pupperino Pupperchino who was a clinic surrender. She also has an old cat named Victor, five chookies and a large carpet python.

Amber has a strong interest in birds and snakes, and her favourite part of nursing is creating bonds with dogs that have previously been fearful and aggressive in clinic environments. She finds it most rewarding working gently with them to gain their trust and make them less anxious when visiting the vet. Amber enjoys the challenges that come with looking after the clinic and the people that she loves. She is very passionate about staff wellbeing and empowering staff to become the best they can be through training and hands on experience.

In her downtime, Amber enjoys gardening, camping and relaxing at home with her husband, daughter, pets and friends.

Rhiannan is our Head Nurse at Hammett Street Vets and has been working here since 2014. She has always wanted to work with animals and before starting here has previously volunteered at the RSPCA and worked at Beaches Pet Resort.

Rhiannan’s nursing style can be described as very “hands on”. She is always super keen to jump in and get her hands dirty, the grosser the procedure the better. If there’s pus or maggots, she will elbow you out of the way to get in there. She loves surgical and dental nursing and is also very skilled at pathology. Rhiannan is often doing continued education and has a strong drive to improve her skills and knowledge.

At home Rhi has a Bull terrier/Shih tzu/American staffy cross called Crumpet, a bull arab called Archie, a French bulldog named Bugs, a staffy x called Caesar, two cats called Walter and Clyde. A blue tongue lizard called Tiny and two rescue childrens pythons named Skettie & Lettie. Her main hobby would have to be adopting abandoned animals, can you tell?

In her spare time Rhiannan likes to relax with friends and enjoys being in the great outdoors. Rhiannan is a constant source of laughter in the clinic with her crazy antics and terrible dancing and singing skills that are often on display. While she will probably never be our most “professional” nurse, she’s one of the most skilled and definitely has the biggest heart.

Emma started at Hammett Street Vets in early 2019. She grew up in Mount Isa and before vet nursing, she was working in the underground gold mining industry for about five years. This significant change in career came from her lifelong passion for animals and their welfare.

On first impression Emma is one tough cookie, but we can assure you, when it comes to animals, she is soft and gooey on the inside. She is definitely a joker in the clinic and is always good for a laugh and for keeping everyone in good spirits. Even though she likes a joke at times, Emma takes animal welfare very seriously. She has a keen interest in hospital and intensive care patient management and is in her element when charged with the care of critically ill patients.

Emma enjoys outdoor activities such as camping and fishing with her friends, partner and daughter. At home Emma has two dog a King Charles cavalier x corgi named Odie, a bull arab x named Jack, and two cats called Jasper and Luna that are failed fosters.

We first met Bec when she completed a placement with us in 2021. She fit in so smoothly with our team that we had to hire her before someone else did.

In the clinic you’ll often find Bec working hard but somehow still looking cool and calm, even under pressure. Although she can seem quiet and sweet, she definitely has a cheeky side and is always good for a laugh. Bec is a fast learner and a careful and compassionate nurse. She has the ability to make the most frightened or anxious patient her best friend. Bec has developed a strong passion for mental health and is the clinic’s Mental health champion. She is always finding ways to bring us closer together and make us a more compassionate, understanding and resilient team.

At home Bec has five beautiful fur babies. She loves them so much she has them immortalised in ink on her arm. She has a German shepherd x named Lexi, a staffy x named Beef, Mika who is the most nonchalant Husky you’ll ever meet, Eve, a munchkin x ragdoll cat and Bean, a crazy rescue kitty. They all spend most of their time lounging in the air-con, living their best life. Bec loves gaming and is also very crafty and talented at crochet.

Dakota starting her nursing journey with us as a student on placement in July of 2022 and is currently studying her Cert IV in Veterinary nursing. We are grateful that Dakota chose us for her placement because we could see the potential in her immediately.

Dakota grew up in Townsville and has always wanted to work in a job where she can help animals. She has found that she has a strong passion for caring for our hospital patients and making sure that they get plenty of love and attention when they are here, away from their loved ones. She also enjoys and excels in surgical nursing and has proven herself as a level-headed, calm and highly organised veterinary nurse.

In her down time, Dakota is very crafty and artistic. She also enjoys watching horror films and relaxing with her partner and two cats, a Russian blue x named Zabuza and a domestic long hair named Ripley and her crazy dog, a German shepherd x named Ghost.

Taylah joined our team in March of 2025 and is currently studying to complete her Cert IV.

Taylah was born in Victoria but doesn’t have anywhere in particular that she calls home as she has lived in so many different places throughout her life.

At home Taylah enjoys baking and gardening in her spare time. Taylah has a very spoiled female eclectus named Mel who she adopted from one of our long term clients.

Taylah is a quiet and calm presence in the clinic and is happiest when she gets to see a patient go home feeling better after she has nursed them back to health. She is in her element when nursing hospital patients and has quickly fit right into our team.

Peta is one of our senior veterinary nurses at Hammett Street. She joined the team in March of 2025 and now we feel like we couldn’t do without her.

Peta graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science, majoring in Veterinary technology in 2012 and has had experience in a number of different clinics around Australia.

Peta is a busy mum to 2 little boys and a little girl and also a fur-mum to two dogs named Dusty & Mildred, two spoiled cats named Bowser & Mittens and often any number of stray kittens that she is hand-raising or fostering.

Peta has a passion for developing strong client relationships and education whilst also providing compassion and empathy for pet owners. She also thoroughly enjoys hospital care of our patients and is a calm and attentive nurse.

Kirsty started with the team in March of 2025 and is currently studying her Bachelor of veterinary science at James Cook University.

Kirsty has a strong background in customer service and animal care and when she’s not working here or studying, she also works part-time at NQ Care. You will mostly see Kirsty’s friendly face at Hammett Street on Saturdays.

Kirsty is originally from the Gold Coast but has also lived in Tasmania and moved to Townsville in 2024.

She has two beautiful dogs named Maisy and Monte. In her spare time, Kirsty likes to bake and also loves to travel.

Kristyn started with Hammett Street Vets in November of 2021 as the other half of our ridiculously busy reception team.

Kristyn grew up in Brisbane’s North side working in the Insurance industry but later moved to Townsville in 2015.  Kristyn has a background in customer service which is obvious with her high level of care and attention to detail when helping our clients. She is an absolute force of nature with her bright and bubbly personality and is running on overdrive at all times. Kristyn is always good for making us laugh and has a knack for cheering us all up, even on the bad days. She is the first smiling face you see as soon as you enter our clinic, and we are proud to have her on our frontline. Your pet will also love her as she is always handing out treats to our patients, some have learned to make a beeline directly to her for their snacks.

When she’s not at the clinic, you’ll find Kristyn running around after her two beautiful children with her partner, planning awesome trips or fun activities. At home, Kristyn has two beautiful large breed dogs named Kalibre, an American Staffy, and Banjo, a staffy x and two guinea pigs named Paulie D and Vinnie. Kristyn has always had a great love for all the fur babies, especially the misunderstood bully breeds.

While Kristyn has not had a background in the veterinary industry before Hammett Street, she has quickly learned all the ins and outs of our clinic and developed so much experience and knowledge in the time that she’s been here. 

Bev became a member of the Hammett St Vets team in November 2020. Bev’s experience comes from a wide range of roles, including retail, administration, customer service, managerial and even electrical meter reading. This role, however, is her first in the veterinary industry.

Bev has always had a natural love of animals and after five years of reading electrical meters in the 90’s, has developed a confidence when interacting with dogs and an understanding of their behavior.

Bev is a mother of two grown children, a grandmother of two, and our most mature team member (we’re not sure about that though 😉). She is the official team grandma, and “serious Person”. Bev’s favourite pastimes are spending time with her grand-children, working in her garden and spending too much time and money at Bunnings. At home Bev has three Australian Cattle Dogs named Bunny-loveheart, Patsy and Reba. 

Apart from her maturity and easy-going nature, Bev also brings a wealth of experience and organization to her role as Receptionist.

Sandra started working at Hammett Street Vets in 1998 and is a well-known friend to some of our long term clients. She was a veterinary nurse for seven years before becoming the surgery's practice manager. Prior to working at Hammett Street Vets, Sandra worked at the Townsville Animal Refuge (formerly the RSPCA Animal Shelter).

Sandra used to be a clinic owner and the practice manager of Hammett Street Vets but has since sold her share and now works from home so she can spend more time with her family and grandkids. You may still catch Sandra around the clinic from time to time.