Dr Sasha Herbert  BVSc(Hons), MANZCVS, GCertClinTeach

Exotics Medicine & Surgery Clinician  

Dr Sasha lives in the Victorian Central Ranges with her 22 year old costume designer son and between them own 6 cats and one dog. Melbourne born and bred, Sasha grew up with wildlife and earth care as part of life and holidays. A Melbourne University graduate, 1993, she comes to us with extensive experience working in mixed practice, zoos and small animal practice since 1993. Sasha started work in mixed practice in East Gippsland (dairy and beef cattle, deer, ostrich, emus, farm cats and dogs) and then in small animal practices in Sydney and in the UK in Cardiff.

Sasha was then offered a job at Singapore Zoo after she had volunteered her services there (no one else could rope a cow down or design a raceway to handle rhinos). She worked there for almost six years and became a senior vet. In 2001 she returned to Australia and became a locum vet at Melbourne Zoo, Healesville Sanctuary, Taronga Zoo and Western Plains Zoo as well as in small animal practices and Night Duty at Lort Smith Animal Hospital. Sasha became a full-time vet at the nonprofit Lort Smith Animal Hospital when offered the position of setting up and running their new Native and Exotic Pet unit in 2006, for which her skills were invaluable to cope with the growing number of exotic pets and wildlife brought into the hospital.

From 2011 to 2021 she was the Exotic Pet Registrar of the General Practice and senior lecturer at Melbourne University Veterinary School and Hospital. During this time, she developed curriculum and post graduate seminars in exotic pet veterinary care including anaesthesia. She plays a strong community role promoting animal welfare and improving the care of unusual and exotic companion animals and was a regular guest providing veterinary talk back advice on 774 ABC Victoria for 13 years. 

Sasha is now back working in zoos, and providing telehealth consultations for patients of all species, whilst also undertaking a PhD in reptile mites and the pathogens they might share with reptiles and their people.