Our staff
With our dedicated animal-health-care team of veterinarians, animal handlers and parlour groomers, who all support one another, Marine Way Animal Hospital ensures that your pet receives the best possible personalised care during their stay with us.
Our well-trained and friendly staff are there to answer questions you may have regarding your animal’s well-being.
Meet our team
Dr Peter Dahlmann
Principal Veterinarian
BVSc
Dr Peter prefers to be called “Pete” and has practised as a vet since 1987. He previously owned Mellville and Broederstroom Veterinary Practices in Gauteng and North West Provinces but decided to practice in a beautiful part of the country, Plettenberg Bay, where he can balance work and recreation. Pete took over at Marine Way Veterinary Hospital in August 2021.
Pete aims to make each patients’ visit as peaceful and stress fee by removing as many formalities as possible. So most times he consults in the garden, a quiet room or the waiting room when it’s appropriate.
“When it comes to animals in distress, I always find simple, practical and affordable solutions,” says Pete.
When you visit the hospital, you will meet his best-dog buddies, rottweilers Dylan and Sunny and his ever-loyal rescue Rye.
Jolene van Zyl
Jolene is an integral member of our staff at the hospital since 2015. She is our Reception, Buyer and Stock Control Manager. She knows her way around this hospital like the back of her hand and we could not do without her. Jolene has a way with people and their pets. Even before our clients meet our veterinarians, Jolene has effortlessly put them at ease and will undoubtedly have hugged each patient before their consultation. She knows everyone by name and that includes all the four-legged babies. No matter how crazy things get, Jolene is as cool as a cucumber and helps the rest of us take deep breaths.
Happy Jere
Happy is our Veterinary Assistant and assists our vets with handling all our patients. He also enjoys his time in the grooming parlour working with pets that come in for spa treatments. He has many years of experience working with horses, having worked at Equine-Librium in Plett. Being strapping and strong, he is there to help clients carry heavy bags of food and carry bigger doggie patients to and from where they need to be once they are sedated. Happy is true to his name … always smiling, even when the demands of working with animals in distress is very stressful. And if there is music in the background, you can be sure that Happy has some dance moves to show off!
Sherylene Damons
Sherylene is our perfect-pet-groomer. She has a way with animals, talking and cuddling them when she isn’t shampooing, washing, blow drying or styling them. All dogs, small to large breed, melt in her caring hands. They become calm and assured of their safety when she grooms them. She is so positive and has a wicked sense of humour. Staff and clients have a good giggle when Sherylene has her say.
Tanya Zandee
Tanya is our practice manager who makes sure, most importantly, that everyone works as a team and supports each other. She does whatever is needed when the hospital is busy and there aren’t enough hands. The background operations of the hospital, administratively, are kept in sync with the needs and demands of the business. She likes to make sure that everyone is upskilled as much as possible and at the same time make the place feel like a home where vets, vet locums, assistants, receptionists, groomers, clients and patients feel cared for.
Arnold Masambala
Arnold has the strongest shoulders we have ever seen! And the widest smile! He assists our veterinarians, Happy and Sherylene with everything. Our hospital, from top to bottom is always hygienically clean and spotless because of Arnold’s high standards of cleanliness. He has a way with animals too. They instinctively know they are safe and cared for when Arnold handles them on recovery walks in our garden.
Jolene, Sherylene, Happy and Arnold’s average day starts with helping our clients drop their pets off for grooming, book consultations, book surgeries and run the vetshop. Between them you will find your dealings with our hospital, vetshop and parlour are friendly and professional.