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About Us

Helping pets and their families live their best life

SASH is one of Australia's leading veterinary hospital networks, providing a broad range of specialist and emergency veterinary care for dogs, cats, and other companion animals.

At SASH, we believe that the highest standards in veterinary care are achieved when clinical expertise is delivered by compassionate, motivated people in a caring and supportive environment. This is embodied by the dedicated teams providing around the clock emergency care and a wide range of specialist referral services at our four hospitals, SASH North Ryde, SASH Western Sydney, SASH Central Coast, and SASH Adelaide.

Inspired by the special bond between pets and their families, we constantly strive to best serve the needs of our patients and the people who love and care for them.

At the heart of our approach is teamwork. Since many of the pets that come to us have complex needs, it often takes a whole team of highly qualified veterinarians working together across multiple disciplines to achieve the best outcome for an individual patient.

This in turn relies on the expert supportive care provided by our committed nursing and rehabilitation teams.

SASH stands for
Small Animal Specialist Hospital.

Our hospital is home to specialists who have had years of extra training and have passed additional exams to become highly skilled in their area of choice.

Working closely with their clinical colleagues, our experienced client care teams ensure that everyone who visits us feels welcome and well-informed. This focus on collaborative, integrated care of patients and their families is the hallmark of the SASH experience.

Continuing education, training and mentoring of our team members is integral to this philosophy. We place great value on nurturing our exceptional people and believe this enhances our capacity to care for others.

Fostering partnerships with referring veterinarians is another fundamental aspect of our collaborative team approach

When a pet comes to us for specialist care, communication with referring veterinarians takes place before, during and after the treatment provided at our hospitals. We serve as an extension of local veterinary clinics, with everyone working together in the shared care of pets and their families.

Since first opening our doors in 2007, we have pursued the vision of our founding partners to offer a multi-disciplinary service providing expertise across the spectrum of veterinary specialties.

Guided by a commitment to innovation and excellence, we have developed a comprehensive suite of services ranging from internal medicine to dermatology to surgery; state of the art diagnostics, including CT and MRI; pioneering rehabilitation facilities, such as underwater treadmills; and highly specialised therapeutics, including on-site radiation oncology and dialysis.

CT Scanner

Fluroscopy

Medical Linear Accelerator (LINAC)

MRI for Animals

Surgery

Therapeutic Laser

Underwater Treadmill

To meet the increasingly sophisticated needs of our patients, we have also enhanced our critical in-house support services, including specialist anaesthesia, critical care, diagnostic imaging, and pathology.

With further advances in technology and understanding, the depth and breadth of the services and facilities available at SASH will continue to evolve, in fulfilment of our purpose to help pets and their families live their best life.

While we are proud of our history of growth and development, this is only part of the story.

In striving to improve our clinical services, we have consistently maintained our focus on care and compassion. The experience that pets and families have when they visit SASH should be nothing shortof what we would hope for ourselves or our loved ones when seeking medical care. People from all over Australia bring their pets to SASH, and many veterinarians and nurses entrust their own pets to our care. We look forward to serving you too.

Can I take my large dog to SASH even though you are a small animal hospital?

Yes! In veterinary medicine, the term “small animal” actually refers to dogs and cats, irrespective of the actual size of the breed. Conversely “large animals” refers to species such as cattle and sheep. At SASH we are the largest and most comprehensive specialist hospital network for dogs and cats, so you can rest assured that a 80 kg great Dane and a 1 kg Chihuahua are in equally good hands at SASH.

Does SASH treat animals other than dogs and cats?

Yes! SASH North Ryde has a dedicated Avian and Exotics department. Typical patients include birds, reptiles, rabbits, guinea pigs, and fish. The department is led by Dr Melinda Cowan, the only clinical veterinarian in NSW who holds a specialist qualification specifically in avian species. Outside of North Ryde, SASH Emergency regularly see exotic patients for urgent conditions.

Do I need a referral from my regular veterinarian before coming to SASH?

Generally no. Although a referral is very helpful, it is not essential to have one prior to booking a specialist department appointment or presenting to Emergency. With your permission, the SASH Client Service team will contact your regular veterinarian for history and other relevant information. Your regular veterinarian will then be kept up to date with your pet as they are treated at SASH.

Can I get my pet vaccinated at SASH?

For dogs and cats, vaccinations, general health checks, and other preventative health treatments such as parasiticides are best provided by your local general practice veterinarian. SASH also does not retail pet supplies nor does SASH do routine desexing. However, SASH does offer laproscopic (keyhole surgery) desexing and desexing for patients with special requirements (e.g. those with anaesthesia risk). An exception is for avian and exotic species, where SASH does provide general and preventative health care.

Who owns SASH Vets?

SASH is the largest vet-owned and operated specialist and emergency veterinary hospital network in Australia. The founding partners Dr Justin Wimpole (CEO), Dr Andrew Marchevsky, and Dr Mark Billson were soon joined by Dr Stephen Fearnside. In addition to practicing, these four referral veterinarians are actively part of the SASH Board of Directors.

Over time, as SASH grew, so did its team of referral veterinarian partners, which now include:

Together, this team of veterinarians hold 70% share of ownership of SASH. Most of the remainder is held by a strategic investment partner, Armitage Associates. This long-standing relationship has been beneficial for SASH, as Armitage has provided support through best practice growth strategies and structural guidance. Day to day veterinary operations and clinical standards of care are determined and overseen by the clinical members of the Board of Directors and the other veterinarian partners, who all have senior clinical roles within SASH.

As SASH is owned and operated by veterinarians, all of whom still practice, the care of patients, clients, and referring vets remain our top priority. Our view is that we will always continue to grow and expand to anywhere we can make a positive difference, to help more pets and their families live their best life.

What do I do if I find a stray animal?

Generally, SASH or other vet hospitals do not accept stray animals. For more helpful information, please visit our strays page.

Does SASH do boarding?

Unfortunately, boarding is not one of the services SASH offers. For pet boarding, please look for a pet boarding facility or ask your local veterinarian.

The Latest News at Sash

PET ADVICE

Grass Seeds in Dogs

Published 2 March, 2023

What damage can grass seeds and grass awns cause in pets? This article talks about the different types of grass seeds and awns in dogs and the risks of foreign body if not removed.

PET ADVICE

Dog dermatologist

Published 19 April, 2022

What is a dog dermatologist and when to see one? Read this article to learn more about a dog dermatologist, problems they treat, and services that SASH offer.