In 2012, Dr Amber made the huge move to the USA, where she undertook a one-year rotating internship at VCA Advanced Veterinary Care Center in Indianapolis. Shen then stayed in the area to complete a residency in Avian Practice at the Avian & Exotic Animal Clinic of Indianapolis under the guidance of Dr Angela Lennox. After completing her residency, Amber moved to Boston to practice at VCA South Shore and later at VCA Wakefield Animal Hospital. 2017, she passed her Avian Practice examinations through the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP). This is a culmination of many years of hard work and study so that she can provide a higher standard of care for her patients. There are approximately 125 other specialists in Avian Practice worldwide, and Amber is the first Australian to achieve this qualification.
Dr Amber is comfortable treating all species, but her interests are avian reproduction, backyard poultry medicine, anaesthesia, and pain management. Dr Amber has published several articles and textbook chapters for the education of veterinarians and pet owners. She is an active member of the Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV) and the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians (AEMV).
At the end of 2020, Dr Amber moved back home to the Mornington Peninsula to be closer to family and friends, and she looks forward to meeting you and your feathered, furred, and scaled pets.
Dr Christina or you can call her Chris, grew up in Melbourne’s North, where all sorts of unusual pets and wildlife surrounded her. Having the opportunity to combine her love for animals and science, she soon found herself studying to be a Vet. Throughout vet school, Chris strived to be involved in all things exotic and wild. She joined many clubs, took up volunteer opportunities, and had exotic animal-focused clinical placements in her final year. Dr Chris even completed a placement at the Unusual Pet Vets, which has come full circle and is where she now works.
Dr Chris has previous experience working with birds, reptiles, amphibians, as well as lots of mammals. She loves learning and providing the best care possible to our furred, feathered, and scaled friends while keeping the planet’s health in mind. Dr Chris is so excited to have joined the UPV family!
Dr Hamish Baron is one of a small handful of specialist avian veterinarians in Australia. He moved from New Zealand to study veterinary science at the University of Queensland. After graduation, he took a position at UQ as a rotating intern in small animal and exotic pet medicine. Following the internship, Dr Hamish took over as Director of the Avian Reptile and Exotic Pet Hospital at the University of Sydney, where he was based for four years, also undertaking a residency training programme in Avian Medicine and Surgery.Hamish completed his specialist examinations in Avian Medicine and Surgery in 2019 and is currently one of five registered practising avian specialists in Australia. Hamish is currently supervising two residents who are undertaking their avian residencies.
Dr James is the founder of the Unusual Pet Vets and is one of only a handful of vets in Australia to have passed his exams and gained Membership level accreditation with the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists in the field of the Medicine and Surgery of Unusual Pets as well as Avian Health. He really loves working with all of the species and genuinely enjoys the challenge and variation of managing patients unique needs.
Dr James has also been involved in a range of fieldwork activities from micro-chipping Western Spiny-tailed skinks to filming with King Cobras in India. He has authored numerous scientific papers and contributed to a range of books. James has also presented at a number of veterinary conferences and has made a range of appearances on TV and radio, including as one of the main stars in the ‘The Bizarre Pet Vets’. Together with his dad Chris he helps to maintain a large collection of reptiles including a number of different dragons, geckos, monitors as well as some pythons and tree snakes.
In addition, to his reptile pets, Dr James has two Border Collies called Truffle and Willow, and a rescue cat called Mittens.
Outside of work, James really loves getting in the ocean so on his days off you’ll generally find him surfing or kitesurfing. Beyond that, James loves spending time at home with his wife, family and pets.
Since getting her cockatiel as a child, Kiara has dreamed of being an exotics vet. She focused her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine placements on exotic animals to gain as much experience as possible. During this time, she undertook placements which included a specialist exotic animal hospital in Hong Kong, a raptor rehabilitation center, Healesville Sanctuary and spent time learning reptile medicine and surgery from our own Dr Shane Simpson.
As the recipient of the Stephen Ross Memorial Scholarship in 2019, Dr Kiara presented her research project on satellite tracking of rehabilitated Australian raptors at the Unusual Pet and Avian Veterinarians Conference.
Kiara is now undertaking a residency in avian medicine and surgery which is part of a three-year training program to become a specialist in this field. During her training she has spent time at the Dubai Falcon Hospital which had a particular focus on endoscopy and endoscopic surgery, and has achieved membership in avian medicine and surgery, a pre-requisite for sitting her fellowship examinations.
Dr Michelle moved to Australia from the UK in 2012. She has completed a residency training programme in Avian Medicine and Surgery, during which she studied with bird specialists in Australia and the USA. Michelle achieved her specialist status in Avian Practice through the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in 2019 and became a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists in Avian Medicine and Surgery in 2023, joining only a handful of other vets within Australia as an avian specialist. Michelle is also one of only a few vets in Australia to hold a Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice (CertAVP) in Zoological Medicine, obtained through the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (UK), which included training in the medicine and surgery of birds, rabbits, rodents and ferrets, and reptiles.
Michelle enjoys working with all kinds of exotic pets, be they feathered, furry or scaly, but has a particular soft spot for birds and small mammals. Her experience working in the UK left her with a love of bunnies that will last for life!
Before becoming a vet, Michelle worked as a wildlife researcher in South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania and the UK. She has written a number of scientific papers and is a regular contributor at veterinary conferences.
When I was a kid, I loved watching National Geographic and I was very fascinated with all kinds of animals. Since then, I have decided to become a vet so that I can be surrounded by animals every day.
After having my very first pet, which is a rabbit, I have found out how affectionate and intelligent they are. I think it doesn’t matter the size or shape of the animals, they all deserve the best care and love. This is the reason I want to become an exotic vet, so I can help to treat all the unusual pets.
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