Dr James & Dr Jane Tiernan Family Fund

Vets of Geelong co-owner Dr James Tiernan holding Maple, his Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
For Vets of Geelong, nail clipping isn’t just about animal welfare, it’s also a way to support the community. Caring for both humans and animals in the Geelong region is what inspired veterinarian husband-and-wife duo Dr James and Dr Jane Tiernan, owners of Vets of Geelong, to join forces with the Geelong Community Foundation.
A few years ago, a friend mentioned the Geelong Community Foundation in passing to James, which resulted in him contacting Gail, the Foundation’s CEO, about creating what is now the Dr James & Dr Jane Tiernan Family Fund. “I was very comfortable with the process of how it’s structured and what the goals of the Geelong Community Foundation are, so it fitted in with what we were wanting,” explains James as his Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Maple, sniffs and meanders around his feet at their Highton clinic.
With clinics in Highton and Geelong West, Vets of Geelong holds a lifelong passion for animals and provides Geelong pets with the best care possible by offering a friendly, knowledgeable and welcoming space where animals come first. Community is also at the heart of the family business. “I grew up in country Queensland – my family were heavily involved with the community so we were always exposed to that growing up. And now, our four kids are always involved in some community activity, so it just tied in,” explains James. “As a vet, we’re involved with families – with their pets – and the natural progression was to support the community. Historically, we had done stuff more ad lib with community organisations, so it made sense to focus on one area: the Geelong Community Foundation.”
Vets of Geelong takes a hands-on approach with their fund at the Foundation by putting all of the proceeds from their nail clipping service into their Sub Fund. “A lot of vet clinics do different things, and we’ve typically donated funds from the nail clippings to various charities. We used to make it a donation, but we decided to streamline it with a price – which we felt was fairer for the service – and all the proceeds now go to the Geelong Community Foundation.”
Vets of Geelong has crafted a creative way to integrate a gift to the community in its everyday business operations. By choosing an element of its veterinary services – nail clippings – Vets of Geelong is looking after animals in the region while showing continued support to the Geelong community.