A life spent healing
Vet praised for dedication
VET surgeon and educator Ulrike Wurth has been remembered as a caring, curious and intelligent woman who leaves behind a “phenomenal legacy”.
Dr Wurth, who founded Highton Veterinary Clinic almost 40 years ago, was a leading voice in animal acupuncture and has helped heal the beloved pets of many Geelong and Surf Coast residents.
She was born in Germany in 1950, and migrated to Victoria with her parents aged four. After graduating from the University of Melbourne in 1972, she travelled to Europe in the mid-1970s, and was employed as a vet in the UK, including a stint at the London Zoo.
She met Graham Hobbs, now a retired lawyer, on January 1, 1978, and they married the following year.
Also in 1979, Dr Wurth established the Highton Veterinary Clinic on Barrabool Road, which she continued to run until 2010.
She subsequently also worked at the Animal House Veterinary Clinic in Torquay.
Dr Wurth became a qualified human acupuncturist in the 1980s after she was first exposed to the practice when she saw it used on a cat with a paralysed bladder, and was then qualified as veterinary acupuncturist in 1991.
She was instrumental in developing the Australian International Veterinary Acupuncture Society Certification Course, and was an academic associate of the University of Melbourne.
Dr Wurth used veterinary acupuncture as a complementary therapy when healing animals, and Mr Hobbs said his wife had taught more than 525 veterinarians acupuncture, as well as having taught about 40 in Italy.
The passionate animallover was president of Australian Veterinary Acupuncture Group for a decade, and also led the committee organising the GAWS annual dog walk for seven years.
Dr Wurth also led the establishment of not-for-profit teaching college Australian College of Veterinary Acupuncture, in Highton, to ensure veterinary acupuncture education thrives, Mr Hobbs said.
Dr Kevin May, a past board member of IVAS, said Dr Wurth would always be remembered.
“Because of her efforts in the past and her work that others will follow up on in the future, IVAS and the entire world community of veterinarian acupuncturists owe her a great debt of thanks and she will be missed.”
Dr Wurth died on November 16, aged 68, about a year after she was diagnosed with cancer.
In a eulogy, Mr Hobbs described his late wife as “as stunner with such a beautiful smile and loving soul”.
“She was constantly learning and applying her new and old skill sets to any challenge,” Mr Hobbs said.
“Ulrike has physically departed, and left our earthly home peacefully, forever in our hearts and souls, leaving an abiding legacy to continue her high, loving standards of care, always benefiting others - the two and four legged varieties,” Mr Hobbs said in his eulogy.
More than 300 people attended Dr Wurth’s funeral at the Barrabool Hills Chapel on Wednesday.