WELCOME TO OUR NEW LEAD VET, DR RAFAEL!✨

From a young age, Rafael has been passionate about animals, ranging from horses and cows to dogs and cats. This lifelong interest was nurtured by two uncles who are large animal veterinarians, with whom he spent holidays on farms, learning about animal care and veterinary practices.

Rafael embarked on a veterinary career in 2000, graduating from the Central University of Venezuela in 2008. He began working in small animal practice in 2006 as an emergency nurse, where he developed essential skills in emergency care and gained valuable experience.

In 2008, Rafael became a veterinarian in an emergency clinic with a general practice department, where his strong interest in surgery flourished. In 2016, he relocated to Melbourne, initially working as a vet nurse until graduating from the NVE program in 2019. Since then, he has focused on orthopaedic cases and trauma, spending five years in emergency and general practice in the eastern suburbs, including Lilydale, Ringwood, and Mitcham, until September 2024.

After making the change from emergency to GP to have a more work life balance he is looking at getting a puppy very soon. Rafael is committed to providing exceptional care to all animals he encounters.

If you see him around, say hi & make him feel welcome. 😄