Our Dedicated Team
TVH has a dedicated, professional and friendly team of Veterinarians, Nurses, Receptionists, Kennel Hands and Administrators. At TVH all team members have a love of animals and are deeply committed to making a difference to the health outcomes for every patient.
Our team works together to serve our community to provide caring and compassionate veterinary care while working within our client’s scope.
Our Partners
Tuggeranong Veterinary Hospital continues to be led by Dr Ben Black, Dr Karen Van Roy and Practice Manager, Colleen Black. Tuggeranong Veterinary Hospital has served our community in various forms for over 30 years. It is one of the busiest and trusted Veterinary practices in Canberra providing a high standard of patient care in partnership with our clients.
Dr Karen Van Ray
Lead Veterinarian
Dr Karen is Tuggeranong Veterinary Hospital’s longest-serving Veterinarian starting with TVH in 1994. Karen graduated with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science with Honours from Melbourne University in 1988.
Karen’s special interests include canine and feline dentistry, dental radiology, diabetes management and wildlife care. Karen enjoys working with TVH’s wonderful team members, welcoming new clients and caring for her long-term clients and patients.
Karen has extensive veterinary knowledge having been awarded a Masters in Veterinary Studies (Murdoch University) and is always keen to impart her knowledge at rounds to support her veterinary peers with cases.
Karen continues to keep up her veterinary knowledge and expertise to remain on top of her game with continued education and training. At times, Karen has been known to conduct training sessions in dental radiography and extraction techniques, leading staff meetings and continuing education discussions.
Karen has travelled extensively, lived in Japan for a time to complete a degree in Asian Studies / Archaeology and visited every continent on the planet as a wildlife photographer (check out Karen’s wildlife photos hanging up around the practice).
When Karen is not travelling, she loves to cook, garden and paint and can be found around the Canberra area photographing all the local wildlife.
Qualifications
Bachelor Veterinary Science (Hons)
Masters Veterinary Studies
Dr Ben Black
Lead Veterinarian
Ben is a long-time veterinarian at TVH where he accepted a position in 2005 to head up the surgery and ultrasound wing of TVH. Ben graduated with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science with Honours from Queensland University in 1995 where he first worked in Brisbane before coming to Canberra in 1999.
Ben keeps busy with difficult soft tissue surgery, orthopaedics, diagnostic imaging, and small animal medicine to name a few.
Ben provides mentoring and career development to up-and-coming vets in a supportive and safe learning environment and at the same time fosters a sense of achieving purpose and a high level of self-satisfaction. Ben is the go-to vet with cases who is genuine with imparting his knowledge and skills to guide our team to achieve a high standard of care for our patients.
Ben enjoys everything about being a veterinarian and understands that animals are an important source of joy in the lives of our clients. Ben utilises his professional knowledge and skills to partner with clients and the TVH team to help animals in their time of need.
Ben is of the opinion that people who like animals are the best people, so he considers it an honour to serve the clients of Tuggeranong Veterinary Hospital.
Ben with his wife Colleen and two sons has had many pets over the years including fish, lizards, turtles, birds, rabbits, rats, guinea pigs, stick insects, chickens, horses, dogs and cats.
Ben enjoys spending his time bushwalking, caving, gardening, bike riding, reading, music and travelling.
Qualifications
Bachelor of Veterinary Science (Hons IIA) (University of Queensland)
Graduate Certificate Small Animal Ultrasound Abdominal (University of Melbourne)
Certificate of Small Animal Surgery (University of Sydney Distance Education)
Certificate of Internal Medicine: A Deeper Understanding (University of Sydney Distance Education)
Colleen Black
Practice Manager
Since 2006, Colleen has served in various roles at TVH. As a professional member of the Australian Human Resources Institute, Colleen ensures that the practice aligns with progressive HR strategies to support all team members to make a difference in the lives of our patients and clients and to achieve a sense of purpose and belonging within the workplace.
Colleen contributes a broad range of skills and experience to oversee, facilitate, lead and develop our team to deliver customer service and patient care to a high standard. Colleen has a particular focus on industry best practices, mental health support, employer of choice, capacity building, staff development and maintaining an inclusive and healthy workplace culture. Colleen has been instrumental in developing and implementing structures to set up team members for success in their roles.
Colleen is married to Veterinarian Ben Black and together they have two sons. Colleen enjoys riding horses and has two of her own, an off-the-track thoroughbred racehorse named Ulysses, standing at 17 hands high. Also, Colleen has an Australian Whaler Mare, a historical war horse breed.
Qualifications
Bachelor of Arts (Sociology)
Diploma Human Resource Management
Professional Member of Australian Human Resources Institute
Our Values
Expertise
Our team has extensive experience with many having 10 plus years of service while some have 20 plus years of service with TVH. We continue to undertake training and development to keep up to date with the many industry advances so that Tuggeranong Veterinary Hospital can lead the way in delivering best practices in veterinary healthcare.
Outcomes
Our team have a love of animals and are deeply committed to making a difference to the health outcomes for every patient. We work with the shared understanding to serve our community. We provide caring and compassionate veterinary services attentive to the needs of our patients while at the same time work within our client’s scope.
Community
Tuggeranong Veterinary Hospital continues to promote the joy of pet ownership and has fostered a sense of community within the practice amongst our staff, clients, and patients. Over the years we are proud to have partnered with generations of clients on their journey with their pet family. We wish to thank our clients for their enduring support and trust in us. It is with gratitude that we continue to enjoy growth and serve our community.
