6 March 2024
by Sabrina Phillips
A new chapter begins at the popular Milsons Point veterinary clinic Pet Medical Milsons Point this week with Dr Cate Plummer retiring and handing over the reins to married couple, and North Sydney locals, Dr Jo-Ann Chan and Dr Eugene Ong.
Dr Plummer founded the clinic with long-time friend and colleague Dr Peta Gay Railton in 2018. In March 2023, Dr Plummer passed the ownership to Drs Chan and Ong and following that, stayed on for another year to ensure a smooth transition for the team and the pet owners of the area. Over the past 12 months, the team have focused on seeing through the clinic handover to ensure continuity of care for their clients once Dr Plummer retires.
Dr Plummer worked to establish the business, then focused on growing the practice and contributing to the local community. Living locally, Cate likens the neighbourhood to a village and says it has been a privilege to be part of the community.
The independently owned vet practice has grown considerably over the past six years and continues to do so as the pet ownership continues to increase in the area. The clinic sees a range of dogs and cats with the most popular breed of dog seen in recent years being Cavoodles. The popularity of cats also continues to rise with a variety of breeds being represented.
Regardless of species or breed, the clinic’s commitment to every pet and owner that enters their doors remain the same: Top-quality veterinary care that is personalised, holistic, and focused on preventative health.
Speaking with the Sun, the team of veterinarians said that the best approach to ensuring a healthy pet involves a combination of feeding high-quality foods, keeping all vaccinations and parasite treatments up to date, and maintaining regular health checks at the vets. In addition to meeting the physical needs of pets, Dr Chan also added that enrichment to keep pets mentally active is also a very important aspect of pet care.
After completing their training in Melbourne more than a decade ago, Dr Ong and Dr Chan both practiced in Melbourne and overseas in Singapore, with Dr Ong also spending time practising in the US. With a fully equipped hospital, the team at Pet Medical Milsons Point offers a wide range of services in-house and ensure that the pets in the area always have convenient access to the care that they need.
“We always encourage our pet owners to ask questions”, said Dr Ong. “Everyone has different lifestyle considerations so it is important that treatment plans can be feasibly implemented. [We focus on] tailoring treatment for their family’s needs and their objective. We respect it with no judgement on our part. Our priority will always be the pets’ welfare.”
Beyond the medical aspects of veterinary care, the clinic also supports families in providing the best training and care for their pets in other areas.
Firstly, Pet Medical Milsons Point in partnership with The Successful Hound provides puppy training classes on Saturdays. The clinic feels this is important for clients to get their new family members familiar with veterinary staff and the practice premises from a young age so that they are “establishing positive relations with vets”, said Dr Ong. This helps lay the foundation for a lifetime of low-stress vet visits.
Enjoyable vet visits aside, behaviour training is also important for dogs locally given the high-density population with frequent interactions taking place with other people, pets and roads.
Another service soon to be available is grooming, expected to be up and running in mid-March. “Look good on the outside, feel good on the inside,” observed Dr Ong, a maxim that appears to apply to pets as much as humans.
As for the handover, Dr Plummer said: “What a wonderful experience it’s been for me establishing the practice, growing it and passing it on, knowing it’s in safe hands and the same set of values will be upheld. How thankful I am to have Jo and Eugene stepping into that role after the work that it took to get us to this stage.”
“I would like to thank Cate for all her hard work over the last six years,” Dr Chan said. Dr Ong added “We are very grateful to Cate for entrusting the practice to us.”