Christmas 2025: What A Year2025 has been a year of favourable transformation at Mittagong Veterinary Hospital! We’ve had so much positive change this year that we felt it was appropriate to bring you up to speed on all the things that have happened at Mittagong Vet.
Dr Chris Watson Joins Mittagong Vet Hospital as special interest orthopaedic and speciality surgeonIn July this year, we were delighted to open our vet hospital for highly esteemed veterinarian Dr Chris Watson, to be able to establish his veterinary service here in Mittagong. Chris has worked in the Southern Highlands for many years. He has practised for 25 years as a veterinarian with 15 years in orthopaedics. Dr Chris brings with him a wealth of experience and expertise in complex soft-tissue surgeries and orthopaedics such as TPLO surgeries. Our vet hospital is proud to now offer TPLOs in-house with hands-on continuity of care for patients from start to end. Furthermore, animals requiring complex and orthopaedic surgeries not only benefit from face-to-face continuity of care from their surgeon, pets need not suffer waiting weeks for out-of-area specialists. Dr Chris is available right here, right now, when your pet needs his veterinary care!
Dr Keith: Here to StayWith Dr Chris working out of Mittagong Vet, many worried clients have asked if Dr Keith is going anywhere. The answer is a firm no. He’ll be a licensed, graduated, perfectly-roasted and well-seasoned veterinarian of 45 years in 2026! We’re simply thrilled to be able to make expansions, stretching forth our tent pegs, so to speak, to make room for more expert, excellent veterinary services with Dr Chris Watson!
We’re Growing at Both Ends
You may have noticed (when visiting our vet hospital) that we have construction work happening at the back of the hospital. We’ve laid the slab and construction is due to be completed late February 2026. The much-needed space means we can expand with a much-needed second consulting room inside the vet hospital in 2026! Our former office inside the cottage is being transformed into a second consulting space for Dr Chris’ patients, and our new office area will move to the new extension. As they say, it’ll be “business at the front and party at the back” – How exciting!
The Vet’s Cottage Turns 100Our gorgeous ‘Vet’s Cottage’ bungalow turned 100 in November this year! Thanks to Berrima District Historical Society for providing research on the cottage’s history.
Originally part of the Fitzroy Iron Works, the land changed hands several times before the Bunter family built the current cottage in November 1925 as their family home. It remained a residence until 1976 when Drs Bob and Jennie Churchill converted it into Mittagong Veterinary Clinic (now Hospital). In January 1982, Dr Keith McKellar Stewart began his first employment as a veterinarian fresh from Sydney University. He took over the practice in 1983 and has served the Mittagong community ever since—44 years and counting! We’ve preserved much of the cottage’s original charm, blending professional veterinary care with the warmth of its family home heritage. We love our little historic cottage, an amazing piece of Mittagong history, and we hope you love it too and help us in continuing its story in our Mittagong township.
A Recycling Milestone Reached!
Our little vet hospital reached a milestone, recycling not only 200 kilos of pet food packaging through the national Royal Canin Recycling Program—we also punched well above our weight by coming 2nd nationally in the recycling program. Incredible effort from all our Mittagong and Highlands clients and community! We couldn’t do this without your awesome recycling efforts, thank you! The hospital’s recycling efforts generated 8,195 ‘virtual reward points’ through the program’s incentive system. These points have been donated to support two important causes: 6,195 points to Vision Australia Seeing Eye Dogs and 2,000 points to Bangalow Koalas, with Royal Canin making direct financial donations to these not-for-profit organizations based on the hospital’s recycling achievements.
A Much-Needed Christmas BreakAfter a very full year of caring for pets, we’re very ready for a rest—ready to return bright eyed and bushy tailed in early January 2026. Our Christmas & New Years Hospital Hours are as follows:
- Our vet hospital will close on Christmas Eve at 2:30pm
- We will be closed and reopen January 5th, Monday for normal hospital hours by appointment only.
- For emergencies ONLY, please call the hospital landline Ph. 4872 2028 and follow the prompts to reach our after-hours service or phone locally.
- Dr Keith will be taking annual leave from December 24 to January 4th, returning on Monday, January 5th.
Wishing you, your families and pets all the very best this festive season! May you have peace, good health and joy this Christmas and in 2026!
From Dr Keith, nurses Brittany and Rachel, Luca, Kate and Monica—and from all our beloved pets, too!