A planning application has been submitted to the Baw Baw Shire for a new purpose built veterinary clinic at 38 Kitchener Street, Trafalgar.
This location is just around the corner from the current Trafalgar Veterinary Centre located on 7 Contingent Street. The Clinic began operating in various forms in 1949. The new location will allow for a larger premises to ensure the highest quality service and veterinary care to the local community while remaining conveniently located in the heart of the Trafalgar township. The team believes that as the local community continues to grow, upgrades are needed to meet the changing and increasing need for vet care.
Dr Jared Waddell-Smith and Dr Jackson Chuo purchased the practice in 2021 and are now planning this construction together. Dr Waddell-Smith has been with the practice since 2009, and Dr Chuo since 2018. In total, there are 6 veterinarians, 8 veterinary nurses and 2 receptionists employed.
There is currently a single dwelling house located on 38 Kitchener Street. If the plan goes ahead, this will be demolished to make room for the new commercial space.
The planned building will include separate dog and cat waiting areas, a reception area, bathrooms, five consulting rooms, two surgeries and scrub areas, a CT imaging room, a dentistry room, a laboratory and a pharmacy dispensary among other additions. An external outdoor dog yard will also be included.
The building will have entrances on McCrorey Street and Kitchener Street. A 15-space car park will also be developed.
The history of the clinic
A veterinary clinic was first established in Trafalgar in 1949. The first vet, Dr Wes Southgate provided services mostly to the local abattoir and nearby farmers. Only a small amount of time was dedicated to caring for pets.
Sometime later, the clinic moved from its original site where the Princes Highway now runs through the town, to its current location on Contingent Street. As pets began to play a more important role in people’s lives, the need for pet care increased. Therefore, the Traf vets spent more time caring for the town’s furry friends.
The original clinic was taken over by Dr Peter McCourt in 1985, and in the ‘90s underwent a significant renovation and expansion under the ownership of Dr McCourt and Dr. Gee Tawfik, who co-owned the practice for over 25 years. This doubled the size of the once very small practice.
A minor renovation in 2019 allowed better use of the space, but the size and layout of the practice has again become limiting in providing everything that a modern veterinary clinic needs to offer.
