About Us

Lauren graduated in Physiotherapy with honours from Melbourne University in 2001. She then completed her master's in Animal Studies through Queensland University in 2007, a 2-year concentrated program focusing on learning animal anatomy and movement patterns. She then launched Melbourne Animal Physiotherapy because of her love for Animals and for giving them a better quality of life. Laurens’ goal is to provide the best quality of care available to all small animals in Melbourne and the Geelong region, by growing an inspired team of highly skilled and caring animal therapists.

Outside of work, Lauren enjoys keeping fit with running, mountain biking, and adventure racing & pilates, and has represented Australia at the World Triathlon in 2010 and 2012. More recently, Lauren enjoys travelling and hiking with her husband, 4 kids, and Golden Retriever Butterscotch. Her favourite place is the Beach, and luckily Butterscotch loves to swim also.

Who says it isn’t a good idea to work with children or animals? Not Shelley! She does both! During the week she works at Monash Health as a cardiorespiratory physio looking after kids and adults with cystic fibrosis. On weekends she is here with us looking after your furbabies. Shelley graduated with a Bachelor of Physiotherapy from La Trobe University in 2011. Most recently, she completed her Post Graduate Diploma of Veterinary Physiotherapy via the University of Liverpool and hopes to go on to do her masters in the next few years.

Shelley has always loved animals and has 3 of her own; 2 Birman cats Oscar and Matrix and a cheeky Australian Shepherd called Gemma.

Gabby completed her Bachelor of Health Science and Master of Physiotherapy at La Trobe University in 2016 and is currently working in private practice treating musculoskeletal conditions. Gabby is now completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Veterinary Physiotherapy at the University of Liverpool. Gabby has a passion for helping small animals and has one very energetic Maltese Shih Tzu, Oscar, a very cuddly Cavalier, Harry, and her first cat, Alfie.

Outside of work, Gabby loves adventure, and her favourite activities are hiking, road biking, and skiing.

Albert (aka Alby) completed his Bachelor of Physiotherapy from the University of Melbourne in 2012. He has since worked in the community setting, but after volunteering for Wildlife Victoria, found his calling in caring for animals, great and small, and went on to complete a Postgraduate Diploma in Veterinary Physiotherapy with distinction at the University of Liverpool in 2023.

Alby has continued on to study the Master of Veterinary Physiotherapy program with the dream of conducting research into the rehabilitation of IVDD patients, his particular area of interest.

Outside of work, Alby enjoys art and barracking for the Essendon Bombers. Alby grew up with a Maltese x Shih-tzu x Jack Russell Terrier called Coco, whom he misses very much. He has also fostered a couple of dogs who have since found their forever homes.

Vasari completed her Bachelor of Applied Science and Master of Physiotherapy Practice from La Trobe University in 2022. Vasari has a love for all animals big and small, growing up with everything from dogs to bearded dragon lizards to parrots. Her passion for working with animals started when attending a work experience at the Werribee Zoo and grew with her volunteer work at the Port Philip Eco Centre.

In her free time Vasari loves being outdoors, camping, hiking, and cheering on the Western Bulldogs.

Emily graduated as a human physiotherapist at Brunel University London in 2018. She has worked as a human physiotherapist ever since in hospitals and private clinics and currently works in the community. Her love for animals has encouraged her to start animal physiotherapy and she will start her Veterinary physiotherapy postgraduate diploma with the University of Liverpool in September.

Since moving to Australia from the UK, Emily misses her family dog, Maya, a toy poodle, so she enjoys spending time with and looking after friends' dogs on the weekends. She also enjoys cycling, running, and going to the gym.

Andrew graduated as a physio in South Africa in 1986 and worked in the human Physiotherapy field both in South Africa, the USA and now Australia for past 30 yrs

Andrew has a wealth of experience gained in neuro-musculo-skeletal therapy, post surgical rehab and sports conditioning with humans. He is now eager to apply these skills to the canine world to achieve the best possible function & pain free outcomes for the patient.

Andrew enjoys his time running and discipline training his 2 highly energetic Kelpie X puppies Bella and Tilly (a’la the Bronte` sisters), gravel cycling, bike packing and swimming.

Danielle's love for animals started at a young age, always rescuing stray animals in need. As an adult, she has had the opportunity to work with dogs for 20 years, ranging from dog walking, puppy training, kennel nursing, managing kennels, doggy massage, and canine hydrotherapy.

Danielle holds qualifications in canine myofunctional therapy, acupressure, hydrotherapy, and has a keen interest in canine nutrition, complementary therapies, and animal welfare.

Her rehabilitation journey began when one of her chocolate labs started seeing Lauren Elliott, a physiotherapist, for treatment when she was only three months old, and now she is 15 years old. Danielle is passionate about all animals, but has a particular soft spot for senior pets and strives to make their later years as comfortable as possible. She believes that animals are some of our greatest teachers, and the love and loyalty they show towards their human guardians is the best gift of all. Danielle feels most fulfilled when surrounded by her furry and feathered friends and is blessed to make a positive difference to them and the humans they share their lives with.

Alicia has been working as a vet nurse for 8 years in a general veterinary clinic, where she has gained experience in various areas of nursing, including both general and surgical practices. Despite having dogs at home, she has a soft spot for feline and avian creatures, and has actively volunteered to work with wildlife. Alicia's interest in pet hydrotherapy sparked after she completed a canine remedial massage course at the Canine Health and Wellbeing Academy. Witnessing the significant benefits these therapies offer to patients motivated her to explore this field further.

In addition to her professional endeavors, Alicia is kept busy with her two dogs, Leela and Sparky, an unusual combination of a whippet and a husky, each possessing their own unique personalities.

Rebecca has been working with animals since 2013, starting her career at a busy kennel and cattery facility while studying Animal and Veterinary Bioscience at La Trobe University. On completion of her degree, Rebecca started in the veterinary industry as a reception nurse and shortly moved into a specialized area of Canine Rehabilitation where she stayed for over 5 years. Rebecca has a Bachelor of Animal and Veterinary Bioscience, is a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner, and has a Level 3 Certificate in Canine Hydrotherapy.

Rebecca is originally from Adelaide and moved to Melbourne at the start of 2013. She has always had a love of animals and grew up surrounded by pets and is still that person who finds the pet at a party. She is a fur-mum to a Koolie named Bosco and a foster fail cat named Benny.

Zoe returned to Australia after studying and working in the UK for the past 6 years. She obtained her bachelor's degree in veterinary physiotherapy from Harper Adams University in 2021 and worked in veterinary clinics specializing in animal rehabilitation in the UK. Upon her return to Australia, she completed her level 3 certification in Canine Hydrotherapy. Zoe has a keen interest in orthopedic and neurological cases, but the ones that always steal her heart are the ‘golden oldies.’

Outside of work, you can find her crocheting — and doing her best to keep the dogs from stealing all of the wool! She also enjoys hiking, running, or settling down with a good book and a nice cup of tea.

Luke Vocale, a recent Master of Physiotherapy Practice graduate from La Trobe University, specialises in hydrotherapy and physiotherapy for dogs. Having completed a placement at the clinic, he’s ready to team up with you to create a personalised treatment plan for your furry friends. With a passion for enhancing your pets’ well-being, Luke is dedicated to ensuring their optimal health and happiness.

Josephine works as a canine and equine myofunctional therapist, a role she pursued after completing her studies at the Animal Naturopathic Medicine Educatum. Growing up around sporting horses and dogs, she developed a passion for enhancing her team's body maintenance, preventing injuries, and managing workload and recovery effectively. Her interest in hydrotherapy blossomed as she witnessed its benefits in maintaining and conditioning animals of all sizes.

Outside of work, she stays active by participating in dog sports with her Bull Arab mix and enjoys spending leisure time with her horses..