Training

• BSc Physiotherapy - UCD, Ireland

• MSc in Veterinary Physiotherapy – Liverpool University, UK

Hailing from Ireland, Eilís grew up in the countryside surrounded by animals, including her ever faithful Rough Collie, a multitude of feline companions, as well as Connemara ponies Max & Bobby and Dobbin the donkey. Much to the dismay of her folks, Eilís ‘caught the horse bug' at an early age, when a school friend introduced Eilís to her pony – and it was love at first sight! It wasn't long before Eilís was spending all her time with ponies, in her element grooming horses, mucking out stables and exploring the Irish hills and forestry by horseback with her Rough Collie Lassie by her side. She was fortunate enough to be able to spend her weekends surrounded by animals - at home, at pony clubs, hunter trials, out and about eventing and show jumping.

Summers were spent working with mares and foals in Coolmore stud, learning all about the Thoroughbred industry in Ireland, and shadowing as many Veterinary Surgeons as would tolerate her, as well as working with boars, sows and piglets on a variety of pig farms.

The animal physiotherapy journey

Eilís graduated as a physiotherapist in 2007 from the University College of Dublin, Ireland, before travelling to New Zealand where she worked in private practice for 12 months. She travelled to Melbourne in 2008, planning to gain a further 12 months experience abroad, and is still here today and now calls Melbourne ‘home from home’.

After many wonderful years of working with people in both the acute and sub-acute public health sector as well as in private practice, Eilís decided to take the plunge and pursue her dream of studying Veterinary Physiotherapy.

Masters in Veterinary Physiotherapy

In 2013, Eilís commenced her Master’s Degree in Veterinary Physiotherapy at the University of Liverpool, UK, with a mixture of online correspondence and working with Australia’s most established physiotherapists to complete the practical tasks. Eilís completed her postgraduate diploma in Veterinary Physiotherapy in 2015, and has since completed her Master’s Degree, evaluating long term outcomes for dogs post-cranial cruciate ligament surgery. Her initial physiotherapy practice Jockey, Horse & Hound Physiotherapy was set up in 2016 and has since blossomed and evolved into Animalia Physiotherapy and her sister practices Équestre Physiotherapy and Range and Valley Physiotherapy.

Over a decade of experience in physiotherapy…

Eilís has worked in a wide range of healthcare setting in Australia - from the Emergency Department to the Intensive Care Unit, the acute neurosurgery wards to the rehabilitation unit, from the sporting field to the hydrotherapy pool. Eilís has worked in a variety of health networks in Victoria - St. John of God Healthcare, Peninsula Health, Monash Health, Northern Health, Epworth healthcare and private practice. She brings all of this experience to her private practice where both humans and animals can benefit from her skills and knowledge build up over many years.

Eilís also has a passion for teaching - from undergraduate physiotherapy students, to junior physiotherapists to facilitating post graduate physiotherapists on their Veterinary Physiotherapy clinical placements.

A personal journey in moving well, feeling well and living well…

Eilís personally travelled the journey of having one of her family members being at the receiving end of a significant amount of veterinary care 2019, after her beloved hound and best friend Indie (AKA ‘Indiana Jones’) was diagnosed with an aggressive form of canine cancer. The journey from diagnosis, to surgery, to post-operative recovery following a forelimb amputation, rehabilitation - learning to live well with a disability and finally end of life palliative care – was truly a life changing experience for her and her family. This experience re-enforced how important it is that people and their animals to have access to a skilled and multidisciplinary Veterinary and Allied health care team, to guide and support them and their animals on their unique journey to health and wellness.

Eilís has full empathy, compassion and respect for her client’s who are on a similar journey with their beloved family members, in addition to those who have healthy animals and strive to keep them that way!

When not doing anything physio related, Eilís is most likely found trail running, exploring the beautiful countryside of Victoria, dabbling in art or hanging out with her dear husband and two adopted retiree greyhounds Taabi and Zafonic Josh.