2024 AVA Kendall Oration Award: Dr Sarah Webb

Dr Sarah Webb describes her career as a series of serendipitous events.

When she graduated from the University of Queensland in 1976 and began her veterinary career, all she knew for certain was that she had an interest in surgery.

Fast forward to her retirement in 2023, and her career can be described as nothing short of impressive. Dr Webb is a change maker within the veterinary profession, recognised and accredited as a small animal surgical specialist in the ACT in the days before structured training programs. Dr Webb worked for many years as the only registered Small Animal Specialist Surgical specialist outside of Sydney in southeast NSW, servicing practices from Eden to Albury to Griffith and Bathurst. She was the first and only Australian Capital Territory (ACT) registered Small Animal Specialist Surgeon and played a huge role in shaping and growing several veterinary practices in the region, saving thousands of animals from ongoing pain and disability across the region – often breaking ground as the first woman to do so.

^{Dr Sarah Webb performing surgery}

Dr Webb's career path began in Brisbane and the UK before working in Gundaroo and the ACT.

"My husband will never forget the look on my face when he told me we were moving to Canberra," Dr Webb recalled with a laugh.

"I was on maternity leave, so I thought we could give it a go. And then we ended up staying here, and I have really enjoyed it."

At the time, the capital city had few veterinary practices, most of which were small, with only around 26 clinics operating in the region. She recognised an opportunity to provide specialised surgical services and began offering her skills to these existing practices as a roving surgeon.

"Yes, I was exceedingly busy, but I just kept at it," she said.

"I've always had a very supportive husband, but it was difficult. There was no formal childcare, so you just had to find someone to look after your baby for a while."

^{Dr Sarah Webb outside the Animal Referral Hospital}

After identifying a significant gap in the market, Dr Webb was instrumental in the creation of Gungahlin Veterinary Hospital and Animal Referral Hospital Canberra. Her role in shaping these hospitals highlighted her forward-thinking approach to veterinary medicine and her dedication to improving standards of care.

Alongside her clinical work, she was also a member of the ACT Veterinary Practitioners Board from 2005 to 2018, helping to safeguard the future of the board, which was under threat of dismantling during her tenure.

Yet after all that, when she received the notification that she was the 2024 recipient of the Kendall Oration at the 2024 AVA Awards, she thought it was fake.

“I was very surprised to receive the award, so much so that I actually thought it was a scam,” she laughed.

“My husband and I were away on holidays, and I gave him the email to check if it was real. He knew it was of course because he had helped to supply information for the nomination and knew all along.”

The Kendall Oration is awarded to a veterinarian who has made a significant career contribution to the advancement of veterinary science and/or the profession and is only awarded when the AVA Conference is held in Canberra or Melbourne.

 Nominations for the 2025 AVA Awards will open soon, with the winners to be announced at the AVA Conference Gala Dinner.