Dr. Deborah Monks

BVSc (Hons), Cert Zoo Med (RCVS)

ECZM Diplomate (Avian Medicine), FANZCVS (Avian Medicine and Surgery)

Recognised Avian Specialist

After graduating from the University of Queensland in 1995, Deborah started her journey in avian and exotic animal medicine. In the following years, she worked in a variety of practices (general, emergency, avian, and small animal practice), before moving to the United Kingdom to start an avian residency. While there, she obtained her Certificate of Zoological Medicine (CertZooMed). This qualification encompasses zoo animals, birds and exotic pets and wildlife. There are only 3 people in Australia with this qualification.

DipECZM (Avian) signifies that Deborah is a Diplomate (Specialist) of the European College of Zoological Medicine and Surgery, in the Avian Section, which is the European organisation responsible for training and assessing veterinarians who wish to become avian specialists. Deborah was given Diplomate status in 2006 and is the only Australian veterinarian with this qualification having undertaken the necessary training and study required between 2003 and 2006.

In addition to her Zoological Medicine Certificate and European Diplomate qualification Deborah achieved Membership of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists in Avian Health in 1999 (MACVSc [Avian Health]) and improved on this initial qualification by achieving her Fellowship (Specialist) status in July 2006 (FANCVS [Avian Medicine]). Deborah was the only the fifth person to have attained this qualification.

Dr. Kimberley Tozer

BVSc (Hons), MANZCVS (Medicine and Surgery of Unusual Pets)

Kimberley has been at BBEVS since she graduated from the University of Queensland’s Bachelor of Veterinary Science with honours in 2015. Since graduating, Kimberley has furthered her study and qualifications in the avian and exotics field. She holds her Membership of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists in two chapters: Medicine and Surgery of Unusual Pets; and Avian Medicine and Surgery. Kimberley now works on mentoring and examining for these chapters to help increase the training of Veterinarians who see these special critters.

Kimberley loves seeing the huge variety of creatures at BBEVS, but she has a particular interest in guinea pig medicine. She’s currently working on a contribution to a textbook, and regularly presents at conferences.

Outside of work, Kimberley enjoys gardening, watercolour painting, Irish dancing, and spending time with her extended family which includes a variety of furred, scaled and feathered friends!

Dr. Emma Sciacca (McMillan)

BVSc (Hons), MANZCVS (Avian Health, Medicine and Surgery of Unusual Pets)

Emma joined the team as a veterinarian in 2014 after working with us as a veterinary nurse for 4 years during her veterinary training. Obtaining her first pet snake when she was just 11 years old, Emma has always wanted to be a reptile veterinarian. Emma graduated from the University of Queensland’s Bachelor of Veterinary Science in 2014 with honours and as class valedictorian. During her studies she completed externships at Auckland Zoo, Melbourne Zoo and Adelaide Zoo.

Emma has a very keen interest in reptiles but also loves all of the feathered and furred animals we see. At home she has a 24-year-old galah called Toby, a cinnamon green cheek conure, Rica and many chickens – all of which are regular blood donors for the clinic! She also has a Darwin Carpet Python called Eve, a Ridge tailed monitor called Patch and (she had to have some furred creatures!) two dogs – Lola and Tia. Over the years she has had snakes, various lizards, frogs, guinea pigs and mice. Emma achieved her Avian Memberships with the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists in 2018, and her Unusual Pet Medicine and Surgery Memberships in 2019. Outside of work Emma spends most of her time with her kids and husband caring for their menagerie!

Dr. Rebecca Taylor

BSc (Vet Biol) BVMS MANZCVS (Avian Health)

Rebecca knew she was going to be a vet from the age of four, spending holidays helping on her family’s farm, and using spare time to role-play being a vet, reading books on aviculture and bird identification and listening to Don Spencer’s “Feathers, Fur or Fins” cassette on repeat.

Her love of animals only grew when she was given her first pet, Aussie the talking budgie at age 9, and since that time Rebecca has kept numerous parrots, and even bred a few species of native frogs.

Rebecca joined the veterinary industry in 2006, working as a Veterinary Nurse in small animal practice in Brisbane, and in 2008, she moved to Perth, Western Australia, where she completed her Bachelor of Science (BSc) and Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVMS) at Murdoch University.

After returning to Queensland in 2013, Rebecca worked as a Veterinarian in a mixed animal practice in a rural town, where she gained experience in many companion and hobby farm animals from dogs and cats, to goats, sheep, alpacas, pigs, horses and cows. Rebecca trained at Brisbane Bird and Exotics Veterinary Service through a 12 month internship program in 2014, and there her love for strange and unusual pets grew and grew.

Since then, Rebecca spent 4 years working with birds, exotics, dogs and cats in Brighton Queensland, before her return to BBEVS in 2019.
Rebecca studied to attain Memberships from the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Science in the Avian Health chapter for caged and aviary birds in 2018.

Rebecca loves practicing yoga, mindfulness, gardening, weekend markets, antiquing and travelling. She spends her spare time with her friends and family, and her favourite companions – Mick the human, and during the week shares her nest with Rosebud the naughty galah.

Dr. Teena Goh

BVSc (Hons)

Teena is a 2022 graduate of the Bachelor of Veterinary Science (Honours) from the University of Queensland. Shortly after graduation, Teena moved down south to Melbourne to kickstart her career in an exotics only veterinary clinic.

After realising she missed her family, friends and the warm weather too much, she turned around and headed back up to Brisbane to join the BBEVS family.

Teena loves to work with all exotics however finds that guinea pigs and small parrots have a special place in her heart. When not at work, she loves to spend her free time with her beloved dog children, Bean and Gemma, and taking care of her chunky piggies, Boots and Possum. She loves to get out and about in nature, at the beach or on dog friendly hikes, and horse riding when she gets the chance.