Meet our team
Our Veterinary Team
Adam Marques
Hospital Director – Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Member of the Australian and New Zealand
College of Veterinary Surgeons (Surgery)
Adam completed a Bachelor degree in biology, and later graduated as a Doctor in Veterinary Medicine
in 2007. He started his career working in both mixed and rural practice before moving to the UK to pursue his passion for surgery. During Adam’s time in England he completed rotating internships at
Animal Health Trust in Cambridge, followed by a surgical internship at Fitzpatrick Referrals with Supervet Noel Fitzpatrick.
Adam runs our Orthopaedic Surgery Service – Knee Reconstructions and TPLO surgery.
Outside of work he is a proud father, husband, and member of the beautiful Sandringham Community.
Laura Cuesta
Leanne Little
Practising Veterinarian
Leanne has been one of the vets at SVH since May 2022.
She was raised in Wollongong NSW and graduated from Sydney University in 2011. Since then she has worked entirely in companion animal medicine, mostly in Sydney, with a few periods in Wollongong and London. Her husband is a Melbourne local so after a few twists and turns they finally
settled in the Bayside area in 2021.
Leanne has always been a very hands-on kind of person and was known for pulling things to pieces from a very young age! Which then resulted in a love of all things surgical. Over the years she’s also
come to really enjoy the medicine side and solving the diagnostic riddle. Her favourite part of general
practice is the nice variety to keep the days interesting, as well as every now and then when a perfectly healthy patient pops in to say hello!
At home Leanne has Rolly, her senior British Shorthair rescue and two young daughters. Outside of work she once was an enthusiastic traveller and loved to cook, but these days she is most often at a
park with her kids. She has loved settling into bayside life, and is looking forward to getting to know
our clients and patients at Sandringham.
Eva Aschman
Practising Veterinarian
Since 2015, Eva has been part of the clinic team. Her dream of becoming a veterinarian started in primary school, leading her to Melbourne University where she earned a Bachelor of Science
majoring in Biochemistry, followed by a Bachelor of Veterinary Science which she completed in 2004. Her love of knowledge and animals led her to complete a Master of Science in Veterinary
Epidemiology and Public Health from The Royal Veterinary College of London.
Eva thrives on the complexities of internal medicine, enjoying the diagnostic puzzles it presents. She is deeply committed to nurturing strong relationships with both clients and their pets.
A lifelong horse enthusiast, Eva dedicates her time to the Riding for Disabled Association. Her home is a lively mix of personalities including Orca, a black-and-white rescue cat and Ziggy, a Giant Schnauzer who joins Eva in the Lort Smith Pet Therapy program.
When she’s not at the clinic, Eva loves reading, baking and exploring the beauty of Bayside and the Peninsula with her partner and son.
Our Veterinary Nurse Team
Claire Dunkley
Head Veterinary Nurse
Claire is a Veterinary Nurse who has been working in small animal general practice since 2010. When she was very young, she loved helping take her family pets to the vet and has never lived without multiple animals at home, so caring for them for a living was an obvious calling.
The part of this job that she finds she is most passionate about is ensuring our patients have a positive experience each time they visit. It isn’t always easy, but she thinks a little TLC can go a long way.
Claire treats every furry friend as though they are her own pet, that way they are getting the very best from her.
Outside of work, she is very passionate about conservation, regarding both wildlife and our environment and really enjoys travelling overseas to volunteer with wildlife conservation programs.
Daisie Cooper
Veterinary Nurse
Daisie’s earliest memories of visiting the vet clinic come from taking her pets for check ups, dropping off lost dogs found on the streets in the hope of them being reunited with their owners, or taking in
injured wildlife to be treated by the vet.
She grew up in an animal-filled home with her extended family consisting of stick insects, budgies, a cockatoo, turtles, rabbits, cats and dogs!
Daisie’s passion for animal care guided her into a career in veterinary nursing, and in late 2020 she started working at Sandringham Veterinary Hospital as a volunteer. She completed her Certificate III in Animal Studies and officially joined the Sandy Vet team in 2021. Daisie is currently studying Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing at Box Hill TAFE.
Daisie has been vegetarian for 8 years and is now a vegan. She is happiest when around animals and in nature, and when she’s not at work, you will either find her listening to music, watching movies with her family, or going for drives to the country to visit friends.
Sam Marques
Veterinary Nurse
Sam grew up in Melbourne with a family obsessed with animals. Her parents always pushed her brother and her to share a passion for caring for their furry friends, and so she grew up with dogs, cats,
bunnies, fish…. and whatever else we could find to add to our gang.
Throughout her nursing career, she has been lucky enough to work in a number of amazing veterinary hospitals, both in Melbourne and Sydney. Sam has always had a strong interest in emergency and critical care. She takes so much pride in taking care of your pets and treating them like her own, making sure they are as comfortable as possible while in our care.
At home she has two beautiful twin girls, and a fairly round and overfed kelpie. Sam loves to be outdoors and I’m sure you will see her down at the beach chasing the girls around when she’s not at work and she has recently found a new hobby in growing indoor plants.
Sophia Keast
Veterinary Nurse
Sophia is a studying Veterinary Nurse who was brought up in Black Rock and soon moved to
Gardenvale through her school years where she currently lives.
Growing up she spent most of her time surrounded by animals! Being the youngest child of three and having a large age gap, pets tended to be her companions while at home. Due to this, animals have incredibly impacted her life and influenced her towards learning more about this field! Sophia has been enjoying working as a Student Veterinary Nurse for over a year now in a small animal practice, inspiring her to further my skills and abilities.
While studying and recently joining the Sandringham Veterinary Team, they have allowed her to learn and adapt to this professional setting where she hopes to grow as a Nurse.
Outside of work, Sophia spends her time with friends, family, pet sitting, pilates and away at Lake Eildon enjoying the lake and wildlife. At home she is busy with her own furry bunch including 3 cats, Mitzie, Charlie and Lola as well as Daisy and Jett Boy, her lovely dogs!
Olivia Maley
Veterinary Nurse
Olivia is a Veterinary Assistant here at Sandringham Veterinary Hospital, and currently training up to become a vet nurse. She is originally from a small country town on the Murray river, but moved down to Melbourne to attend university, where she studied zoology and ecology, and loved it here so much
she decided to stay.
She has always loved animals and knew she wanted a career with them. Growing up she always had lots of pets, from dogs and cats, to rabbits and turtles. Taking care of them was a major part of her
childhood, and she loves being able to continue caring for animals as a career.
In her spare time she enjoys going for hikes, exploring Melbourne, and a bit of drawing here and there.
Eliza McLeod
Kennel Hand
Eliza is one of the Veterinary Assistants at the Sandringham Veterinary Hospital, she started working with the team mid-2022. She is responsible for making sure your pets receive the affection and care
they deserve during their time in the hospital. Your furry friend’s comfort during their stay is her priority. She’s often seen feeding, exercising, and cuddling our patients.
As a young girl, her family would always joke around that she was like Eliza Thornberry from the Wild Thornberrys cartoon because she believed she could “speak” to animals. Similar to the characters in the show, Eliza has always had a passion to learn about animals and the ways in which they contribute to our amazing environment.
In her free time, she always has a book in her hands and loves adding to her already overflowing bookshelf.
Lucie Dellazzeri
Kennel Hand
Lucie is currently in her final year studying science at Monash University and joined the team in 2024. Her journey with the clinic began at the age of 4, accompanying her pets for treatment and rescuing injured wildlife with her mother. The compassionate care she witnessed from veterinarians inspired Lucie to pursue a career in the veterinary industry.
At home, Lucie shares her life with two affectionate golden retrievers, Gus and Winston. When not immersed in her studies or working, Lucie enjoys taking Gus and Winston for walks along the beach, stays active at the gym, and delights in the company of every pet she encounters during her strolls.
Our Reception & Support Team
Adrienne Bizzarri
Jenny McCallum
Receptionist
Jenny is one of the friendly receptionists here at SVH. She grew up in Melbourne, constantly surrounded by animals, and now owns two cats; Pumpkin and Spy. She’s always been passionate about animals and as soon as she was of age to volunteer she started at the RSPCA.
Her love for animals and the environment has pushed her to pursue a degree in Wildlife and
Conservation Biology, which she is currently studying at Deakin. Working at a veterinary clinic has been a childhood dream come true for Jenny, she gets to work with animals everyday and get paid for it!
Outside of work, she loves watching movies, reading, baking, knitting her own clothes, spending time with friends and enjoying all that nature has to offer. She looks forward to meeting you and your four-legged friends!
Kalmia Astbury
Receptionist
Kalmia has grown up in Bayside and Phillip Island, where she visits most weekends to spend time with her family. Kalmia has had years of experience in customer service and administration and has always had a love for animals which is why her decision to move to SVH was so easy!
Her love for animals started at a very young age, where her family would often listen to her
babbling away to her beloved Labrador Cleo and Cat Chewy, before she could say her first words. At work she
loves to take care of your animals as if they were her own and maybe even spoil them with
a few extra cuddles and treats.
When Kalmia isn’t working, she enjoys going to the gym, spending time with family and
friends, and exploring the outdoors on hikes
Keanii Boxall
Receptionist
Keanii grew up on the Mornington peninsula on acreage as well as the black rock area. Her family has always adopted rescue animals and their home has welcomed many beautiful cats and dogs over the years. There is never a full moment on the farm, and Keanii is always busy throwing the ball for their 3 legged kelpie Lenny, or giving their donkey Honeysuckle, Albert the goat and their many other fur babies lots of attention.
For the last 20 months Keanii has been travelling Australia and spending her time exploring the amazing landscapes our county has to offer. A lot of her time was spent over west on the
Nyinggulu reef on the family tinny, spending every day diving and making friends with wild dolphins, whales, manta rays and reef sharks.
In her spare time you’ll likely find Keanii down on the beach, cooking delicious food for her family and friends or spending time with the animals on the farm