Meet the Team
Meet Dr. Arthur House
Small Animal Surgery Specialist – BSc BVMS PhD Cert SAS Diploma ECVS
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Dr. Arthur House joined Peninsula Vet Emergency and Referral Hospital (ERH) in 2018 as a Small Animal Surgeon. He provides our Specialist Brachycephalic Dog Service.
Arthur is an internationally recognised specialist small animal surgeon in Australia and Europe. He has more than 25 years of experience in specialist small animal surgery.
After graduating from Murdoch University, Arthur achieved postgraduate qualifications in small animal surgery, initially in general practice, followed by advanced surgical training at the Royal Veterinary College, where he then lectured in Small Animal Surgery, before returning home to Australia.
Arthur has completed a Ph.D. in veterinary research and has been published in a broad range of publications and peer-reviewed journals. He contributes to undergraduate and new vet education worldwide by providing lectures for groups such as the WikiVet Educational Foundation and structured mentoring programs for new graduate vets. Valuing the welfare of animals across the world, he also provides teaching in less privileged countries, including Vietnam, Myanmar, and Thailand.
Arthur is Australia’s Chief Assessor for the Respiratory Functional Grading (RFG) Scheme and is currently training interested veterinarians Australia-wide to become approved RFG assessors for brachycephalic dogs.
His special interests include:
- Specific interest in brachycephalic surgery
- Vascular surgery (including massive liver mass resection/adrenalectomies)
- Laparoscopic surgery.
His pet family consists of three French bulldogs who love sleeping on the couch, plus a moggy rescue cat who loves sleeping on the couch with the dogs.
Meet Dr. Eleanor Woolley
Small Animal Surgery Registrar – BVM&S MRCVS MANZCVS (Small Animal Surgery)
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Dr. Eleanor (Elee) Woolley has been part of the Peninsula Vet Emergency and Referral Hospital team since 2017. She is now a surgical registrar and is completing the rigorous pathway toward specialist registration in small animal surgery.
Elee graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2005 and began her career as an emergency veterinarian in a busy small animal hospital in Derby, UK. It was here that she discovered her passion for surgery. After relocating to Australia, she worked as both a GP and on-call veterinarian in Townsville before moving to Melbourne in 2008, where her strong surgical interests eventually led her to ERH.
Her professional achievements include completing a distance education surgery certificate, a surgical internship, membership with the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists in small animal surgery, and completing a three-year surgical residency. Elee has published research on medial shoulder instability in poodles, as well as interesting soft tissue case reports, and is currently involved in cutting-edge research exploring the use of synchrotron radiation in treating a range of canine cancers.
She presented her research at ANZCVS Science Week in 2023 and has served as a lead educator for VetPrac’s Wound Management Course in 2024.
Elee’s clinical interests include:
- Spinal surgery
- Soft tissue surgery
- Oncologic surgery
- Skin & Reconstructive Surgery
Outside of the hospital, Elee enjoys life with a lively menagerie: two cats, Nina the rescued Bloodhound, Wookie the wolfhound–bullmastiff cross, seven chickens, and an ever-growing collection of tropical fish.
Meet Dr. Alasdair Renwick
Small Animal Orthopaedic Surgery Specialist – BVMS DSAS (Orth)
Read more about Alasdair
Dr. Alasdair Renwick joined Peninsula Vet Emergency and Referral Hospital (ERH) in 2021. He provides our Specialist Orthopaedic Service.
Alasdair is an internationally recognised specialist in small animal orthopaedic surgery in Australia and the United Kingdom. He is one of two specific orthopaedic specialists in Australia and the only one in Victoria.
Graduating from Glasgow Vet School in 1996, Alasdair spent 11 years as a general practitioner before specialising in orthopaedics and spinal surgery. He trained in surgery at Willows Referral Centre, gaining the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Diploma in Orthopaedics in 2011, then moved to East Neuk Veterinary Clinic, Scotland’s busiest orthopaedic referral clinic, before emigrating to Australia in 2018.
Alasdair has lectured in the UK and Australia and provided the first-ever veterinary orthopaedic conference in Vietnam. He is a faculty member of the AO Foundation, the world’s leading education, innovation, and research organisation specialising in the surgical treatment of trauma and musculoskeletal disorders in people and animals.
His special interests include:
- Cranial cruciate ligament rupture (TPLO)
- Lameness cases
- Complex fractures
- Hip replacements and micro/nano hip replacements
- Complex growth deformities
- Spinal stabilisations
- Working dogs expertise, getting back to full performance
His pet family consists of a four-year-old scruffy border terrier. Growing up, Alasdair had greyhounds and cats.
Meet Dr. Luke Ellis
Small Animal Surgery Resident – BVBiol, BVSc, MANZCVS (Small Animal Surgery)
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Dr. Luke Ellis joined Peninsula Vet Emergency and Referral Hospital (ERH) in 2020 as a Surgical Intern.
Luke graduated from Charles Sturt University in 2013. He developed a passion for surgery while working in general practice for seven years. Luke completed his internship with ERH in 2021, and he went on to complete a research fellowship that focused on canine elbow dysplasia and elbow CT. Luke commenced his surgical residency program in February 2023. He enjoys all aspects of small animal surgery.
Luke has presented his research in Canine Elbow Dysplasia and Canine Elbow CT at ANZCVS Science Week 2022, and again in 2023.
His pet family consists of a Golden Retriever and Miniature Black Panther.
Meet Dr. Bonnie Purcell
Small Animal Medicine Specialist – DVM MANZCVS DipACVIM
Read more about Bonnie
pDr. Bonnie Purcell joined Peninsula Vet Emergency and Referral Hospital (ERH) in 2022.
After graduating from the University of Melbourne in 2015 with distinction, Bonnie completed an internship at Queensland Veterinary Specialists. Bonnie worked in the emergency and critical care department at the University of Melbourne teaching hospital. During this time, she achieved MANZCVS in Small Animal Internal Medicine. Bonnie completed her residency through the University of Melbourne and Small Animal Specialist Hospital (Sydney) in 2022. She became a Diplomate of the American College of Small Animal Internal Medicine in 2023.
Bonnie published a paper on the prednisolone prescribing practices for dogs in Australia, also presented as an abstract at the ACVIM in 2022. She spoke at the ANZCVS Science Week in 2017, focusing on clotting times in cats and the correlation with spontaneous haemorrhage.
Her special interests include:
- All aspects of internal medicine, especially acute medicine
- Immune-mediated disease
- Kidney disease and gastrointestinal disorders.
Her pet family consists of two beautiful cats, one of which is like a Labrador in a cat’s body.
Meet Dr. Kathryn Hogan
Small Animal Medicine Registrar – BVSc MVS MANZCVS (Small Animal Medicine)
Read more about Kathryn
Dr. Kathryn Hogan joined Peninsula Vet Emergency and Referral Hospital (ERH) in 2021.
After graduating from the University of Melbourne in 2009, she started in mixed practice before following her passion for internal medicine. She completed her first Master’s degree and achieved a Small Animal Medicine membership with the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists. She commenced a residency at the University of Melbourne in 2018, completed her second Master’s degree in 2020, and passed her American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine examinations in 2022.
Her special interests include:
- All aspects of small animal internal medicine
- Endocrinology
- Gastroenterology
- Immune mediated diseases
- Feline diseases.
She is preparing two papers for publication on the use of antacids in dogs and has received an “Up and coming Vet” Award for research into mental health in veterinary residents (2019).
Her pet family consists of four very cheeky cats and a Newfoundland dog. All of whom are very much spoilt rotten.
Meet Dr. Christine Lovatt
Emergency & Critical Care Specialist – Head of Department – BSc, BVMS, MANZCVS, MVS, MVSc, DACVECC
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Dr. Christine Lovatt joined Peninsula Vet Emergency and Referral Hospital (ERH) in 2025 as Head of our Emergency & Critical Care department.
She has worked across WA, QLD, ACT, and Victoria in both academic and private practice settings.
After completing her Emergency and Critical Care residency through the University of Melbourne and Murdoch University in 2021, Christine become a Diplomate of the American College of Emergency and Critical Care in 2023.
In addition to her clinical work, Christine has lectured at the University of Melbourne on topics including toxicities, trauma, communication, and urinary tract disease. She has published research on anaphylaxis and completed a Master of Veterinary Studies by thesis on coagulation factor testing in dogs. Christine’s expertise combines advanced clinical skills with a passion for teaching, and ensuring every patient in her care receives expert attention when it matters most.
Her special interests include:
- Complex trauma management, sepsis, transfusion medicine, respiratory physiology and emergencies, including mechanical ventilation
- Coagulation assessment and testing
- Optimising ECC care clinical delivery.
Her pet family consists of a cross-eyed domestic shorthair called Joseph, though she dreams about one day owning a small army of teacup pomeranians.
Meet Dr. Merrin Hicks
Emergency & Critical Care Specialist – BVSc (hons) MVSc FANZCVS (ECC)
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Dr. Merrin Hicks joined Peninsula Vet Emergency and Referral Hospital (ERH) in 2023.
A graduate of the University of Sydney, Merrin has completed residency training at the University of Melbourne and Murdoch University, passing Fellowship examinations in emergency and critical care in 2012 to become a registered specialist in the same year. Merrin has also undergone two years of advanced surgical training in the USA, taught undergraduates at various Universities in Australia and overseas, conducted research, and has completed a Masters degree. Merrin has been a founding director of two multi-disciplinary specialist and emergency hospitals in Melbourne. She is undertaking a graduate veterinary education certificate.
Her special interests include:
- Emergency soft-tissue surgery
- Mechanical Ventilation
- Communication, leadership theory and mentoring.
Merrin has published papers on various topics including acid-base theory, non-steriodal anti-inflammatories, local anaesthesia protocols, joint disease and septic peritonitis.
Her pet family consists of sheep, horses, chickens, two dogs (Trac and Ernie, both Kelpie-crosses) and a couple of mini-pigs.
Meet Dr. Clara Lauinger
Emergency & Critical Care Registrar – MVB (Hons), MRCVS, MANZCVS (ECC)
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Dr. Clara Lauinger joined Peninsula Vet Emergency and Referral Hospital (ERH) as an Emergency and Critical Care Registrar in 2021.
Clara graduated with honours in 2014 from the University College Dublin, the only veterinary medicine course in Ireland, and decided to move to Australia that same year. In Melbourne, Clara undertook a rotating internship in a specialist referral clinic before a 3-year emergency and critical care residency, which she finished in 2021.
Clara is a keen advocate for gold-standard patient care, especially analgesia and novel therapies, such as cannabinoids (CBD), to treat pain. She is also a trained Reassessment Campaign on Veterinary Resuscitation (RECOVER) instructor and is working with our team to improve CPR outcomes on our patients.
Clara has published in the Australian veterinary journal and presented at the Australian veterinary science week. She aims to sit her specialist exams in the coming years.
Her special interests include:
- Mechanical ventilation
- Blood transfusion
- Component therapy and nephrology.
Her pet family consists of two rescue French bulldogs, Cu Chulainn and Bruce.
Meet Dr. Wey Yen Loh
Emergency & Critical Care Clinical Supervisor – BSc BVMS MVM MANZCVS (ECC)
Read more about Wey Yen
Dr. Wey Yen Loh joined Peninsula Vet Emergency and Referral Hospital (ERH) in 2018.
Wey Yen graduated from Murdoch University in 2010. He worked in general practice before moving into emergency and critical care and has been in the field for over ten years.
Wey Yen supports the training and mentoring of new graduates and interns. His special interests are in emergency and critical care and diagnostic imaging.
His pet family includes a dog, cat, and rabbit who have a love-hate relationship and constantly chase each other around the house.
