Opening Hours: Mon-Fri: 8AM-8PM. Sat-Sun: 9AM-5PM. Public Holidays: 9AM-5PM. 

We believe animals deserve the best of us!
We believe animals deserve the best of us!
We believe animals deserve the best of us!
We believe animals deserve the best of us!
We believe animals deserve the best of us!
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German Veterinary Clinic

Meet our team

Dr. KATRIN JAHN | VET IN ABU DHABI

Owner, General Manager, Head Veterinary Doctor

Fear Free Professional

Dr. Katrin is the founder of the German Veterinary Clinic. Her passion and commitment to delivering the highest standards of animal care as well as her extensive knowledge and experience has enabled the clinic to expand and flourish, with the GVC family now grown to over 30 dedicated and caring team members and the GVC being one of the best veterinary clinics in Abu Dhabi and the UAE.

 

Dr. Katrin graduated from the University of Munich, Germany in 1999 after which she spent 7 years working in a variety of practices, including specialist and referral centers in the UK, to gain broad and extensive experience in all areas of small animal medicine and surgery. During this time, Dr. Katrin earnt the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons “Certificate in Veterinary Anesthesia and Pain Relief” and completed a doctorate thesis in animal behaviour before moving to the UAE in 2006 and opening GVC in 2008.

Dr. Katrin’s passion for feline medicine and welfare led to GVC becoming the Middle East’s first ISFM Gold Standard Cat Friendly Clinic in 2014. Following on from this, the desire to create a similar safe space for all species visiting GVC inspired Dr Katrin to lead the GVC team to successfully completing their Fear Free Certified Professionals accreditation in 2019 and so become the first veterinary team in the Middle East to achieve this recognition.

During the 20 plus years of working as a veterinarian, Dr Katrin has consistently recognized the importance of not only the physical, but also the mental and emotional health and welfare of our pets. So, it was a natural progression for Dr Katrin to begin a journey in the exciting and rapidly growing field of Veterinary Behaviour Medicine. In 2019, Dr Katrin began a 5-year dual residency program in Veterinary Behaviour Medicine which, on completion, will make Dr Katrin a double-boarded specialist in this field. Additionally, Dr Katrin gained the prestigious MANZCVS (Veterinary Behaviour) qualification in 2021, making her the only qualified Veterinary Behaviour Medicine practitioner in the UAE (and Middle East).

As a businesswoman, Dr Katrin places client satisfaction and happiness as her top priority, and as a result is continually refining standards and developing new and exciting services to maintain GVC’s position as your first-choice Veterinary Clinic in Abu Dhabi.

In her spare time, Dr. Katrin loves to look after her 4-legged family of 2 rescue cats (The Squidge and Schnizz), 2 rescue dogs (Polly and Lexi), and an event horse, Sky.

NORA SHACKLEFORD

Clinical Manager

Fear Free Professional

Nora is GVC’s Clinical Manager and has been a part of the GVC family since 2014. Nora joined GVC as a massively talented Veterinary Nurse and quickly demonstrated the skills, knowledge, and all-round capability to become an excellent Head Nurse, a role that she fulfilled successfully for several years whilst progressing into a senior management position. In 2020, Nora took on the dual responsibility as Operations Manager and Head Nurse before being promoted into the role of Clinical Manager, with full responsibility for the clinical team.


Nora graduated as a Veterinary Nurse from Mallow College in Ireland in 2011. While studying, she spent 4 years working at The Cat Hospital – Ireland’s first cat-only veterinary hospital. She has highly specialist skills in looking after our feline patients and has played an instrumental role in transforming GVC into the Middle East’s first Cat Friendly Clinic.

Nora has made it her life’s mission to improve the lives and welfare of all the cats she meets and is very passionate about educating owners and colleagues about proper cat care.

In her spare time, Nora loves yoga, travel, and was the World Champion in Tae Kwan Do in 2002. She also loves spending time with her husband and two beautiful daughters as well as their three cats, Freddy Pants, Pumpkin, and Barry.

DR SERGIO SODA ZARAGOZA | VET IN ABU DHABI

Clinical Lead & Veterinary Surgeon

Fear Free Professional

Dr Sergio is a Veterinary Surgeon with a special interest in neurology and neurosurgery and sees neurology referral cases from other clinics all over the UAE.

 

 

He graduated from CEU Cardinal Herrera University, Valencia in his home country Spain in 2015.

After completing his one-year rotational internship in a referral centre in Seville, he spent four years in Qatar working in a veterinary hospital before moving to the United Kingdom to head a neurology service.

Now he has arrived at GVC in Abu Dhabi where he will continue his education at the European School for Advanced Veterinary Studies (ESAVS) to gain a Neurology and Neurosurgery Certificate.

In his spare time, Dr Sergio relaxes with friends and his Qatari rescue cat, Namir.

He is an important part of the highly skilled team at German Veterinary Clinic, one of the longest established Veterinary Clinics in United Arab Emirates (UAE), located in Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi.

DR ADRIENN FERGELT – VET IN ABU DHABI

Veterinary Doctor

Fear Free Professional

Dr. Adrienn is originally from the beautiful city of Budapest, where she graduated from the highly esteemed University of Veterinary Medicine.

 

 

In 2014, Dr. Adrienn joined the Animal Hospital in Budapest, one of Hungary’s largest and busiest animal hospitals. Over nearly seven years, she honed her skills in various disciplines, including diagnostics, diagnostic imaging, soft tissue surgery, internal medicine, emergency, and critical care. However, it was during this period that Dr. Adrienn discovered her love for pet dentistry and made the decision that this was the area she wanted to become an expert in.

Driven by a desire for continuous growth, Dr. Adrienn embarked on an ESAVS Dentistry Certificate in 2022, a qualification that provides the opportunity to learn new, innovative techniques and enhance her ability to give the very best bespoke services to her dental patients.

Dr. Adrienn shares her life with a wonderful feline companion named Füge (Fig), whom she rescued from the animal hospital in Budapest in 2014.

She is an important part of the highly skilled team at German Veterinary Clinic, one of the longest established Veterinary Clinics in United Arab Emirates (UAE), located in Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi.

AMIR ZAMAN

Pet Relocation Executive & PRO

Fear Free Professional

Amir is our Pet Relocation Executive and PRO who keeps all our licenses, visas, and administrative papers in order. Amir joined the GVC family in 2011 and, along with his PRO responsibilities, he is an integral part of the Pet Relocation Team, ensuring that pets are delivered safely and securely to the airport.

 

 

Amir’s people skills and excellent problem-solving attitude make him a crucial member of our team, and he makes it a priority to constantly stay up to date with UAE’s regulations and procedures.

Amir loves all our animals and has developed a particular fondness for cats since we launched our Cat Friendly Clinic. The most rewarding part of his job is seeing animals reunited with their loved ones.

In his spare time, Amir enjoys playing cricket, spending time with his children, and enjoying Abu Dhabi’s sights and beaches.

BENJAMIN VAN DER MERWE

Behaviour Team Virtual Assistant

Fear Free Professional

Ben is based in South Africa where his love for the animal world started at a young age, nurtured by growing up on the family farm and being in the land of the majestic “Big 5”.

 

 

Ben relocated to Abu Dhabi in 2008 to pursue a career in the aviation industry, a career that allowed him to see the world and develop his fantastic customer service and people skills. In 2020, Ben started a new path in the pet-care industry as head receptionist at GVC, before moving back to his homeland in 2022. As a valued member of the team, we could not let Ben go and he now works virtually for GVC’s Pet Behaviour and Training team, managing the team’s diary and client base.

DR DANA STOIAN

Veterinary Doctor

Fear Free Professional

Dr Dana graduated as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Bucharest, Romania.


Since arriving in the UAE, Dr Dana found her passion for feline medicine and, excitingly, ophthalmology, which makes it easy to understand why Dr Dana has adopted two Abu Dhabi rescue cats – Silver and Trompi – and is now pursuing a postgraduate Ophthalmology Certificate.

Outside of the clinic, Dr Dana enjoys spending time with her own pets, listening to music, going to the gym and loves a variety of outdoor activities such as sailing and archery.

She is an important part of the highly skilled team at German Veterinary Clinic, one of the longest established Veterinary Clinics in United Arab Emirates (UAE), located in Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi.

DANIELLE FOSTER

Veterinary Nurse

Fear Free Professional

Danielle hails from the beautiful coastal area of Suffolk in the United Kingdom.

 

 

Danielle has a Bachelor in Animal Science and Welfare and was working as an Animal Technician prior to making the move to Abu Dhabi.

She initially joined the GVC Reception team before moving into the role of Student Nurse. Danielle is studying the prestigious Certificate IV Veterinary Nursing qualification and is dedicated to the continuation of her education.

Her passion for all our animal friends started at a very young age as Danielle grew up around many animals, both farm and domestic. Working as a Student Nurse allows her to work in an environment where she can provide care and help improve the lives of our furry friends.

Aside from her love for our four-legged, scaled, and winged friends, Danielle loves adventure activities and the outdoors. When not working or scuba diving, Danielle can be found in the gym weightlifting.

DONN ONGPICO

Pet Care Assistant

Donn had been studying a Degree in Dental Medicine in the Philippines until the massive and unforeseen impacts of Covid-19 derailed his plans…
however, Donn’s dedication to learning is evident and his natural affinity to patient care and the clinical environment help make him a great fit for GVC. With this background combined with Donn’s love for pets and passion for compassionate care, the opportunity to develop as an Assistant Veterinary Nurse was a natural fit. Outside of work, Donn enjoys playing video games, playing the piano, and cooking! Donn loves animals and has two dogs, a Husky named Bolt and an Aspin named Bruno, and he’s embracing the opportunity to learn more about our fantastic feline friends!

EMELYN VILLAGONZA

Veterinary Nurse

Fear Free Professional

Emelyn joined GVC as a Pet Care Assistant in 2019 and quickly demonstrated a wonderful positive attitude and an aptitude for all things pet care related. When the opportunity arose for internal development and training Emelyn was ready and, with the support of the clinical team and her own dedication to learning and hard work, Emelyn made the progression into an Assistant Nursing role.

 

 

Emelyn loves to keep active and has excelled in several sports, her ability and love for Volleyball provided Emelyn with a scholarship through university and is a sport that remains a passion.

As with many of the team, Emelyn grew up with a love of animals and apart from the family farm (pigs, cows and chickens) has been a loving dog owner since she was 10. Each dog that Emelyn has owned has been named the same as the last, creating a long line of pooches named “Gang-gang”!

ILSE FOURIE

Companion Animal Trainer

Fear Free Professional

Ilse is from the sunny Western Cape in South Africa. Ilse obtained her master’s degree in arts before taking the decision to turn a passion and hobby (dog training) into a full-time vocation at the end of 2016. Ilse furthered her education to complete both the Certificate and Diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour and Training (CertCAB and DipCABT) from the Centre of Applied Pet Ethology (COAPE) whilst simultaneously gaining experience as part of a canine training team in the Cape Winelands where Ilse ran both her own group and private training classes.

 

 

For Ilse, her love for her vocation keeps her motivated day and night and she is happiest when teaching her two rescue dogs new tricks.

Ilse aims to help owners and their dogs live a happy life together through compassion, kindness, and science.

ISAAC ADDAE

Veterinary Nurse

Originally from Ghana, Isaac moved to the UAE five years ago to pursue his dream of becoming a Veterinary Nurse. It was a significant career change for him, as he had previously worked in the IT industry. Isaac’s love for animals and his desire to make a positive impact on their well-being drove him to seek additional training and education in the veterinary field and, after gaining relevant clinical experience at another Abu Dhabi practice, Isaac’s journey continues at GVC.

JANET TINAO

Pet Care Assistant

Janet is another one of our caring pet care assistants, who works very hard to ensure the clinic’s operations run smoothly, and that the clinic is always spotless.

 

 

Janet shows how much she cares for animals every day and showers our boarded pets with affection whilst continuing with her daily duties.

In her spare time, Janet likes to spend time with her family and friends.

JOANNA COLE

Manager – Pet Relocation Services

Fear Free Professional

Joanna joined GVC in 2016 after spending much of her career working in the education sector. However, with her massive love for animals Joanna was always destined to work in the pet care field.

 

 

Joanna has a passion for travel and adventure and her wealth of experience working in foreign countries made her the ideal person to lead GVC’s Relocation Team, helping our customers to transport their pets around the world.

Successfully completing the IATA Live Animals Regulations qualification has aided Joanna to gain a deep knowledge for the logistics of pet transport and, in doing so, has unearthed a talent for transporting special species like parrots, tortoises and pigeons. This, coupled with her empathetic approach, makes Joanna the perfect support during the often complex and stressful relocation process.

Away from work, Joanna loves to pamper her beautiful white cat, Jasper (also an experienced global traveler) and his two wonderful sisters, Minxy Moo and Boo… who were both GVC rescue cats before finding the purr-fect home with Joanna.

JONAH PABILLA

Pet Care Assistant

Jonah joined the GVC team in 2012 and goes out of her way to ensure everything runs smoothly, whether helping the nurses with their daily tasks, looking after maintenance and repairs, and ensuring the clinic is spotlessly clean.

 

 

Jonah loves caring for dogs and cats and her dedication to animals, whether they are in boarding or visiting for a doctor’s appointment is heartwarming to see. In her spare time, she loves to spend time with her young family, and socialising with friends.

MANON HAUT LABOURDETTE

Veterinary Receptionist

Fear Free Professional

Manon is certainly no stranger to amazing customer service, bringing to the team seven years of experience working at the highest levels of hospitality as a Head Receptionist at one of the UAE’s finest dining restaurants. However, for Manon, the opportunity to join GVC’s team and combine her excellence for customer service with her passion for pet care was too good to miss.

 

 

Manon is a dedicated cat mum and does what she can to help Abu Dhabi’s Street Cat population.

ELIZABETH KEBASO

Veterinary Receptionist

Elizabeth (Liz) comes from the lovely land of Kenya and, seven years ago, made the big decision to embark on a new and exciting adventure, moving to the United Arab Emirates.

 

Throughout her professional journey, Liz has gained lots of valuable experience in Front Desk and HR Administrator roles as well as being a People and Culture Coordinator, a role that highlights Liz’s dedication to one of GVC’s big commitments…, providing a positive workplace environment for all the team!

MARIA PRIMAVERA MARINAS

Receptionist

Fear Free Professional

Maria was born and raised in Libya before her family settled back in the Philippines during her high school years, which is where Maria later graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Travel & Tourism. A love of travel brought her to the UAE and Maria was working as an Event Coordinator at a prestigious Art Gallery in Abu Dhabi before joining GVC.

 

 

Maria loves the outdoors, camping and hiking when weather and time allow and, not surprisingly, Maria loves to visit Art Exhibitions.

Pets have always been a big part of Maria’s life, whether cats and dogs growing up in the family home or, since moving to the UAE, fostering rescue cats…., and Maria is now the proud parent to three foster fails, Tommy, Bobby and IV!

MIKE KITCHEN

Business Manager

Fear Free Professional

Mike joined GVC in 2018. Mike’s role as Business Manager is focused on all the functions within GVC that help promote employee engagement, team performance, sustainable growth, quality services and customer value, all of which are reflected in GVC’s Investors In People accreditation, first gained in 2020.

 

 

With over twenty years of hospitality, facilities services and business management experience, Mike loves the opportunity to put his knowledge into practice for the benefit of the real VIP customers, our pets!

With two dogs and two cats making up his fur-family, animals are certainly a very big part of Mike’s life and he knows that it is a privilege to be able to combine this passion for animals with work.

Mike is a qualified member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) and holds the Level 5 Certificate in Veterinary Leadership & Management (CVLM). Mike also works as a part-time Course Tutor for the Veterinary Management Group (VMG), a UK based veterinary CPD provider.

NATASHA LACEY

Receptionist

Natasha is from the lovely coastal county of Dorset in the UK and has been living in Abu Dhabi for the past five years where, until recently, Natasha has been a dedicated full-time Mum to her three children. Back in the UK, Natasha had several great hospitality and customer-facing roles and brings with her a passion for delivering great customer service and making people feel welcome!

 

 

Since moving to Abu Dhabi, Natasha and her family have adopted several rescue pets, including two dogs, two cats, one hedgehog, one tortoise and a hamster! Natasha loves spending time with all her animals and being at home with them is her very favourite place to be!

SARAH HATTAM

Head Veterinary Nurse

Fear Free Professional

Head Nurse Sarah’s GVC journey started in 2016 when she joined the team as a receptionist. Sarah’s passion for pet-care motivated her to embark on an exciting and challenging career change, making the decision to qualify as a Veterinary Nurse. Sarah enrolled with the prestigious University of Queensland to study the ACVN/UQ Skills Certificate III and Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing, whilst continuing to work full time at GVC.

 

 

With guidance from her outstanding mentors within the GVC team, Sarah demonstrated the dedication, skills, knowledge, teamwork and, most importantly, the compassion required to be a fantastic Veterinary Nurse. Sarah has a natural leadership style that made her an obvious choice to follow in the footsteps of Nora and become the next GVC Head Nurse!

Outside of work, Sarah loves to spend time with her own cats, Garfield and Tilly and has a passion for going to live music events, socializing, and travel!

TAMY PABILA

Pet Care Assistant

Fear Free Professional

Tamy is a key member of the GVC pet care team as her experience and eye for detail help to keep our clinic spotlessly clean.

 

 

As well as being a pioneer of eco-friendly cleaning methods, Tamy is also an expert cuddle-giver, and many of our patients have already benefited from Tamy’s big-hearted hugs!

When not at work, Tamy loves to spend time with her friends at the beach or over a lovely home-cooked meal.  She is also a keen fisherwoman, more for the peace and quiet than the actual catch!

JONATHAN ESPEDIDO

Veterinary Nurse

Fear Free Professional

Jonathan is one of our dedicated veterinary nurses, who joined us in 2018 after his love for both animals and travel brought him to the Middle East from the Philippines.

We were sad to see Jonathan leave in 2021 when he relocated with his family to Dubai, and we were equally delighted to welcome Jonathan back in 2023 when he returned to the team with even more skill, knowledge and passion for patient care!

Jonathan is a trained and registered human nurse who combined his aptitude for nursing with his love of animals and has been working in the Veterinary Nursing field since 2013. Since then he has consistently demonstrated his passion for delivering the very best love and care for all his animal patients.

In his spare time, Jonathan loves spending time with his friends on the basketball court, and when it gets a little too hot, at the cinema catching up on all the latest releases.

LEO GRAN

Veterinary Nurse

Fear Free Professional

Leo always wanted to be a Veterniary Nurse from a young age.

Before joining GVC, Leo has worked in many veterinary clinics and hospitals.

He worked his way up from an animal assistant/cleaner to a nurse through commitment, hard work and study.

He undertook study while working full-time and is proud he reached his goal because now he is able to help animals in need each and every day.

His main area of practice is small animals including cats and dogs, although he is also interested in exotic animals and has worked as an exotic bird handler.

Leo was born and raised in the northern Philippines and in his spare time he likes to read veterinary and business management books.

CARL BUENDIA

Veterinary Nurse

Fear Free Professional

Veterinary nurse Carl started his career with human patients in the Philippines, before relocating to the UAE where he had an opportunity to transfer his skills into animal nursing.

Carl joined GVC in 2018 with 4 years of animal nursing experience behind him, and is our resident arachnophile. He’s doing his best to share his love of tarantulas with the rest of the team, but so far we’re not convinced!

Carl grew up surrounded by dogs and chickens, and has an encyclopaedic knowledge of wildlife documentaries, as well as a pet tarantula!

REYNAN DUBDUBAN

Veterinary Nurse

Fear Free Professional

Reynan started his career with human patients as a Registered Nurse in his home country, the Philippines, before relocated to UAE and being given the opportunity to transfer his skills into animal nursing.

He has always had a love of animals and being a caregiver, so wanted to combine his two passions when he came to Abu Dhabi for a change.

A self-confessed cat person, Reynan loves that GVC is a cat-friendly clinic and has one cat at home.

He is committed to his new career and is eager to learn as much as he can from the experienced GVC team led by Head Nurse, Nora.

Outside of work, Reynan is a family man and spends time with his wife and son. To relax he likes to play video games and keep up with the latest television series on Netflix.

He is an important part of the highly-skilled team at German Veterinary Clinic, one of the longest running vet clinics in United Arab Emirates (UAE), located in Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi.

vet in khalifa city

DR SUSAN ATKINS

Veterinary Doctor

Fear Free Professional

Dr Sue has extensive experience in small animal general practice and is a committed champion for all things Fear Free, advocating for patient wellbeing at every step of a patient’s journey.

After completing a degree in plant biotech, Dr Sue returned to university as a mature student and graduated from the prestigious University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest in 2011.

Dr Sue was initially intending to practice equine medicine. However, as it is a requirement when qualifying as a veterinarian to be exposed to all fields, Dr Sue saw practice at a cat-only clinic in Ireland, where she met a fantastic nurse called Nora. It was during this time that Dr Sue fell in love with small animal medicine.

After graduation, Dr Sue worked in small animal hospitals in the UK, before moving to the UAE where she spent three years in a clinic in Dubai, before moving to GVC and reuniting with Nora all these years later! Dr Sue is “a proud generalist and loves the variety of general practice”.

In her spare time, Dr Sue enjoys crochet, pottery and anything crafty and of course hanging out with her two dogs and one very mischievous cat!