Vet surgery reaches 20th year

Information stalls, face painting, and a reptile show will be just part of the fun when The University of Queensland’s Dayboro Veterinary Surgery celebrates its 20th anniversary next month.

To mark the occasion the Surgery is throwing open its doors to the public with an official Open Day on Saturday, December 1, stretching from 11am to 2.30pm.

As well as clinic tours, there will be plenty of displays and activities to entertain the kids, with barnyard babies, a colouring competition, a “Gallery of Freaks”, a sausage sizzle and much more.

Information stalls will also be set up on the day to provide advice and guidance on everything from dog obedience, small animal health and equine influenza, to tick paralysis and tick fever.

Dayboro Vet Surgery Area Supervisor Dr Malcolm Heath said members of the public were encouraged to come along for “what promises to be a great day”.

“For the past 20 years the Vet Surgery been a steady fixture of the Dayboro community, cultivating a group of loyal and wonderfully supportive clients and a great learning environment for our veterinary science students,” Dr Heath said.

“We are really proud of our history and would love to see members of the local community out in force to enjoy the celebrations.

“The event will be a great opportunity for them to not only enjoy some of the many special activities we will be providing, but also to gain an insight into our everyday activities and to find out about some of the extensive research we conduct here.”

The celebrations will cap off a rewarding year for the Surgery, recently honoured with the Dayboro District Business Recognition Award for 2007.

While initially purchased back in 1987 specifically as a teaching clinic for fifth year veterinary students on a dairy cattle medicine rotation, today it educates students in all areas of veterinary science, as one of few truly mixed rural veterinary practices.

Students continue to be provided with vital “hands on” tuition in handling, treatment and disease investigation on the local dairy farms, and clinic staff also frequently carry out important research into practical aspects of dairy production.

Today, the Surgery is still housed in its original building – a 90-year-old structure from the Dayboro township that was moved up to the hill where it now stands. Made of local timbers, it operated at times as a police station and the slaughter-man’s house before taking on its current location and purpose.

For more information about the Open Day, please contact the UQ Dayboro Vet Surgery on (07) 3425 1181. The Surgery is located at 125 McKenzie St, Dayboro.

Media: For more information contact Dianne Joyner (07 3425 1181 or d.joyner@uq.edu.au), Carmen Barrett (3425 1544 or c.barrett3@uq.edu.au) or Lucy Manderson at UQ Communications (07 2265 2339 of l.manderson@uq.edu.au).