Our Team

Dr Brendan Carmel

BVSc MVS MANZCVSC (Unusual Pets) GDipComp

  • Brendan is the owner of Warranwood Veterinary Centre and Senior Veterinarian. Brendan has extensive experience as a veterinarian, graduating from the University of Melbourne.

    • Zoo Veterinarian for several years at Healesville Sanctuary, Victoria where he completed a Masters of Veterinary Studies in Australian Native Wildlife

    • Honorary Senior Fellow, University of Melbourne

    • Consultant and lecturer (ongoing) in Wildlife and Exotic Pet Medicine at Melbourne Polytechnic for the Bachelor of Veterinary Nursing degree

    • Executive Committee member and 3 time past president of the Unusual Pet and Avian Veterinarians (UPAV) special interest group of the Australian Veterinary Association. Brendan was one of the co-founders of the UPAV group.

    • Founding member of the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians (AEMV) www.aemv.org

    • Founding member of the Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians www.arav.org

    • Member of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists in Unusual Pet Medicine and Surgery. Founding President of the Unusual Pet Chapter

    • Associate Editor, Australian Veterinary Journal for over 25 years

    • Frequent speaker at National and International Veterinary Conferences

    • Winner of the 2015 Oxbow Exotic Mammal Health Award for excellence in exotic mammal health and care. Brendan is the first person from the Southern Hemisphere to win this award

    • Awarded Meritorious Service Award from the Australian Veterinary Association. This award recognises special or long term service.

Dr John Choi

BVSc

  • John is a 1995 graduate of Melbourne University Veterinary School. He had always had an interest to work with wildlife and exotic pets since an early age, when he owned his first terrapin.

  • He has owned frogs, guinea pigs, rabbits, chickens, ducks, budgies, canaries, lizards, chinchillas, ornamental fish and the odd cat and dog.

    As an undergraduate, he gained valuable experience at a variety of clinics and Zoos. After graduation, he worked a few years in small animal practice in Melbourne, before deciding to take up a position in Hong Kong where he spent the next 20 years there. He subsequently established his own clinic which catered for the myriad of small exotic pocket pets of Hong Kong. He enjoys all aspects of exotic pet medicine & surgery.

    In 2017, he returned to Australia to continue the next chapter of life's journey and has been fortunate to continue with his passion of exotic pets at Warranwood Vet Centre.

    John enjoys hiking, travelling and fine dining and is currently growing his young family and pets.

Nurses

    • Sam is our Practice Manager. Sam joined the team at Warranwood in July 2016, with 15 years of nursing behind her in general practice and emergency.

    • Having kept a wide range of pets- furry, feathered, aquatic and scaled, Sam appreciates how hard it is to get accurate advice on their health and husbandry.

    • She values being part of a team who are all passionate about the amazing diversity of their patients and focus on being up to date with knowledge to enable offering the best of care.

    • When not at the clinic, Sam works at the Lort Smith Animal Hospital in both emergency and exotics and wildlife. Her role includes teaching staff on the care for the different species, educating the public on wildlife and being part of the disease surveillance program for Wildlife Health Australia, a government department involved in monitoring diseases and health of native and non- native species.

    • Timea has come from Aotearoa (New Zealand) to join our team. After completing her Diploma of Animal Technology she has now moved on to continue her studies into Veterinary Nursing.

    • She has a passion for Native Wildlife and exotic pet species which started when she was 5 and met her first pet snake.

    • It’s lucky the Winterwood craft shop is next to the clinic because in her downtime she enjoys crochet. Her other hobbies include gardening, reading, and hanging out with whichever one of her three cats will let her.

    • Emma-Jane - ‘EJ’ - is a very experienced nurse, having worked at several practices in both the UK and Australia before joining our team several years ago

    • Most of you will see Emma-Jane on Saturdays - her preferred shift, though she also covers during the week when other staff are on holiday or off sick

    • Emma-Jane also works part time at Melbourne Polytechnic, providing teaching for the upcoming generation of veterinary nurses

    • In her ‘free time’ she also provides care for injured and orphaned wildlife, enjoys various craft/art hobbies

    • Raveena completed her Bachelor of Veterinary Nursing at La Trobe university in 2021.

    • She has a passion for working with exotics and wildlife; which shows through her love for all the patients that come to Warranwood. Raveena’s bubbly attitude and helpful manner brightens the day of all patients and clients she encounters at our clinic

    • When Raveena is not working you can catch her reading by the beach or spending time with her adorable American Staffy dog.

For exotic and unusual pets, including the common but often not vet-treated guinea pigs, this clinic is hands-down the most qualified and experienced.

— Chuffnut Cavies Rescue

“Fantastic Vet who genuinely cares about animals and gives sound advice”

— Ben