About Us

APR began in 2004 as a one-person practice in Wynberg, founded by Dawn Jones. Then, it was known as Animal Physical Therapy. APR now has a successful practice based at Blue Cross Veterinary Hospital in Newlands and a second branch at Peninsula Veterinary Hospital in Diep River. Dawn leads the team, comprised of eight animal therapists, two therapy assistants, an accounts administrator and a full-time practice administrator/therapy assistant. The practice has been integrated into two first opinion, mixed veterinary hospitals to enable a large variety of animals to have access to the benefits of animal physiotherapy plus the support of veterinary care when needed. APR has grown into a centre of excellence, offering a full scope of physiotherapy techniques and modalities.

The practice currently provides 400-500 treatments per month, largely to dogs, but also to horses, cats and the occasional livestock, or exotic species. The APR team are absolutely committed to ensuring the best functional outcomes for all their patients – it isn’t just a job; it is a passion and a calling for every one of us.

Mission: Improve the functional outcome and optimal quality of life for each animal and support the owner through the process.

Veterinary Physiotherapist – BSc (EGS), VN (RVC), CCBW, EEBW.

Dawn has worked in the fields of Veterinary Nursing & Veterinary Physiotherapy since 1989, building her kill set with horses & later with dogs & cats. Dawn qualified as a Vet Nurse in 1996 at the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, she has a BSc in Environmental-Geographical Science & she is certified in both Equine & Canine Body Work. She has treated many patients over the years & has taught in South Africa, the UK, Hong Kong, Dubai & Zambia. These days, she is stepping back & fulfils more of a support function for the team. She also provides her expertise on more complex cases when required. She gives back by providing special rates to ‘Animals-with-jobs’ such as service dogs or the horses at the South African Riding for the Disabled Association (SARDA). Dawn is also BIG on building the capacity & capability of her staff & her wealth of knowledge is invaluable. It is no surprise that Dawn is known as ‘Mufasa’ at APR.

Hydrotherapist & Canine Bodyworker, Dip Animal Hydrotherapy, CCBW, B.Ed.

Kirsty joined APR in early 2019 & has become an integral part of the team. After changing careers from teaching to Veterinary Physiotherapy, Kirsty now does the majority of APR’s UWT shifts during the week, plus one Saturday per month. Kirsty’s horse-riding keeps her busy outside of work, but it also gives her a good eye for lameness. At work she sees dog & cat patients. She is a fully trained Greyfriars Hydrotherapist & when indicated, certain patients benefit from her Home Hydrotherapy sessions at the client’s house. As well as completing her Canine Body Worker Certification, Kirsty is an almost-certifiable Golden Retriever addict & whenever retriever patients arrive, they will most likely see her for UWT.

Veterinary Physiotherapist BSc (Hons); BSc Zoology.

Dehandré qualified from Equine-Librium College in 2022 and joined APR in 2023 She treats dogs, cats & horses. Prior to qualifying as a Veterinary Physiotherapist, she obtained her Zoology degree at Tuks University in Pretoria. In addition to her studies, she has been a very busy lady, undertaking numerous voluntary positions including working for 3-years at a small animal veterinary practice & at the SPCA in Nelspruit, as well as with horses ridden by disabled children & at an Arabian stud Farm in Qatar. Dehandré loves treating the ‘pensioners’ as well as post-op pets, but for her the cats really are her purr-fect patients.

Veterinary Physiotherapy BSc (Hons).

Jessica qualified from Equine-Librium College in 2022 & joined APR in 2023. She treats dogs, cats & horses. Before becoming a fully qualified therapist, she did some volunteer work at a wildlife rehabilitation centre where she worked with several exotic species including rhino, various buck, buffalo & primates. She is particularly interested in patients with eurological conditions & she also loves working with post-op pets in the initial stages of their recovery. She enjoys working with all animals but is definitely drawn to the dogs & is absolutely besotted with Belgian Malinios, their behaviour, confirmation & the wonderful working dogs that they are.

Veterinary Physiotherapist, Dip Animal Physiotherapy.

Zandri started working with horses at a stable yard upon finishing school. She soon realized her passion for the wellbeing of animals & began her diploma in Animal Physiotherapy through The College of Animal Physiotherapy in the UK. She worked as a rehab assistant with Dr Monique Crouch while studying & gained invaluable experience & knowledge while helping with UWT & physiotherapy sessions. She now treats UWT & Physiotherapy patients for APR on Tuesdays & Fridays. Zandri likes challenging cases that teach her new skills & if a patient happens to look like a wolf or a collie, so much the better! She also has a calm, loving nature & strives to improve the wellbeing & comfort of any animal. Zandri loves seeing patients recover, overcome their anxiety & exceed expectations.

LLB (UP 2012) & Hydrotherapist.

After studying Law at the University of Pretoria & working in the corporate industry, Marili’s passion for working with & helping animals took over. After taking her own dog for physiotherapy & UWT Marili was so touched by the experience that she studied & completed her hydrotherapy certification with Greyfriars & gained extra knowledge & experience at various physiotherapy practices. Marili was hired by APR in 2021 to run hydrotherapy sessions at our Peninsula Vet branch. A lover of ‘small stocky breeds’ such as Jack Russells, Staffies & Bull Terriers, Marili is very well-liked by the team & her patients alike.

Hydrotherapist: BA Deg & Postgrad dip (SU2026), Dog Trainer & Dip Hydrotherapy.

After completing her studies in communication, Nina worked as a copy writer before taking a gap year to work at a wildlife rehab centre. 1-year quickly turned into three as she worked with some of Africa’s most beloved animals including rhinos, pangolins & chimps. She realized that caring for & being part of the rehab process is what she wanted to do & so she returned to complete her Greyfriars Hydrotherapy certification. When she is not in the APR UWT on a Friday morning she works as a dog trainer to help people understand their dogs better. Nina believes that to give companion animals the lives they deserve, we must understand & meet their physical & mental needs. She has a special place in her heart for Collies, but admits she loves all dogs & sees dog hairs as her glitter.

Hydrotherapist & Canine Body Worker: CCBW, Dip Hydrotherapy.

Stephanie completed a marketing diploma & human pharmaceutical course enabling her to work in the corporate industry, only to realise that she wanted to do something else. Since she was young, Stephanie has been animal crazy & always had a great desire for a job in this field. In 2019, she started volunteering & working as an assistant & dog trainer with a behaviourist & Veterinary Physiotherapist while completing her Canine Body Worker Certification & her Greyfriars Hydrotherapy diploma. She treats UWT & massage patients for APR on Thursdays. Stephanie loves new challenges & is always open to learning & bettering herself. Send a German Shepherd her way & extra love & cuddles will be guaranteed.

Therapy Assistant.

Isaac has been working at APR since February 2014, but worked as a therapy assistant for Megan Kelly before this. He actually has the most UWT experience of anyone on the team & he knows the UWT room like the back of his hand. He assists the therapists with most UWT sessions & is responsible for maintaining the treadmill machine & all of the rehab equipment. He is a phenomenal dog-handler, but he actually has a special place in his heart for our feline patients. Every patient LOVES Isaac & they always look to him in the UWT for treats which encourage them to walk well.

Admin, Operations & Therapy Assistant – BSc (Hons) Zoology.

After working for years in eco-toursim & conservation, Hayley became interested in helping animals in a medical context. She organizes APR’s admin, bookings & coordinates APR’s fundraisers when they take place. She also assists the therapists with many therapeutic modalities. When APR has patients in need of immediate post-op therapy, Hayley helps manage these animals until they can be fully assessed for their rehab programmes. She steps into the role of UWT ‘driver’ when Isaac is off. Known as ‘crazy-cat-lady,’ Hayley has undertaken some further studies in feline behaviour & would love to integrate this training into her work at APR. She is the ‘glue’ that keeps the team & the clients together.

Accounts Administrator – B.A Social Science.

After many years in the travel industry, Monique made a complete industry turn-around towards veterinary physiotherapy, honing her awesome skills with numbers & bookkeeping & bringing them to APR. She began her journey as a client & after seeing the positive impact of physiotherapy on her dog’s health & wellbeing she knew she wanted to be involved in some way. In June 2021, Monique got the opportunity to join the team & even though she works remotely, she still has the privilege of getting to know clients’ (& their fur-friends) through phone & email comms. She proudly cheers on every pet that comes through the APR doors on the road to better physical health.

Therapy Assistant.

Jessica has been working for APR since 2022. She is currently in the process of completing her matric & hopes to go to Equine-Librium College to study Veterinary Physiotherapy when she graduates. For now, she is a regular assistant for us on a Monday & a Friday afternoon when Isaac leaves for the day. Like Isaac, she is responsible for ‘driving’ the UWT for the therapists & she assists with handling the dogs & cats during land-based exercises. She gives the patients plenty of ‘treat-motivation’ in the UWT & ensures that they get a good rub-down with the towel after afterwards. Jessica has also assisted with manual therapy treatment sessions, either by helping to handle patients or scribe treatment notes for the therapists when needed. She has proven herself to be a valuable member of the team.