Dr Elshove joined Florida Veterinary Hospital in 1991 as a junior veterinarian after working in London for a few years. He quickly became a full partner working with Dr. Neville Marais and Dr. Eddie Lee until their retirement. They all shared a passion for small animal medicine and surgery and insisted on being the best and most well   equipped veterinary hospital on the West Rand. He believes that having the right equipment means doing a better job for his patients (and their parents) whether that be diagnostic treatment or surgery.

He is married to Wendy and they have two children, David and Stacey who are currently studying at University.

His hobby and passion is fish – anything to do with ornamental fish keeping from planted display tanks to breeding fish and fish medicine and fish health.

My name is Menante van Niekerk, but everyone calls me, Dr. Botha, by my maiden name. I am married to a wonderful man, Hendrik and we have two miniature French poodles called Lizzy and Klara. I qualified at Onderstepoort in 2014 and worked in a small town in the Eastern Cape before joining Florida Veterinary hospital in 2018.

Growing up we used to go to my grandparent’s dairy farm every school holiday. One year close to Christmas late at night grandad and I went out to see if Penelope, his best producer, was ready to deliver her calf but we found that she was in severe discomfort. We phoned the vet and when he arrived helped her deliver the most beautiful little heifer. Both Penelope and the baby were alive and well and I got to name her Stephanie.

My goal with every patient visit is for the pets to be pain free and healthy and for their owners to understand what how to take care of their pets in the best possible way.

My motto in life: Always do your best in everything you do!

For as long as I can remember, I always wanted to work with nature in some way. As a child my focus was always on animals. When visiting extended family members, I would often remember more about their pets, and not about the relatives themselves. I was obsessed with horses and I often studied my biology while in the chicken cage at home.

What is my goal with every patient visit – Relief from suffering and pain. Preventative care. To look at every animal in all aspects and not just the presenting problem. To educate people about the proper care of their pets and to encourage environmental enrichment, socializing and training.

Trevor is my two-legged other half. I have: tiny dashing dog Dash and Musi my huggable and ever hungry cat. We also have a garden full of unusual plants.

My mantra /philosophy to live by – Look at the small things in life and you will see miracles everywhere. The diversity of nature that God has created for us and left in our care is overwhelming and incredible.

I graduated from Onderstepoort in 2004 and worked for 10 years in the welfare sector.  After a short stint overseas I returned to South Africa in 2015 and have since been in private practice.

I can clearly recall making the decision to become a Veterinarian at the age of 10 years, and in the ensuing years managed to bring a menagerie of animals to look after.

I am passionate about the welfare of animals and strive every day to ensure that I practice this.  My motto is “First do no harm”.  My goal with every patient is to provide the best care and compassion that I can.

I have been married to Bruce for the past 16 years and we have an 8 year old daughter.  When I am not busy with riding, karate, chess or tennis lessons I like to find a quiet spot to read. We have 3 cats and a cocker spaniel, all of whom have been “work” that I’ve brought home.