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Dr Izidora Sladakovic, founder of Sydney-based avian and exotics-only hospital, Avian & Exotics Service (AVES), is determined to provide avian and exotic pets with the same level of care as cats and dogs. By Shane Conroy
When Dr Izidora Sladakovic was a child, her world was torn apart by war. Born in the former Yugoslavia to a Croatian mother and Serbian father, she grew up with her family fleeing escalating violence. “My childhood was filled with a lot of violence and cruelty toward people and animals,” she recalls. “We had moved from a semi-rural area where I was around lots of animals to a tiny apartment in Serbia, and we couldn’t tell anyone my mum was Croatian. It was a very stressful time and I was really craving the comfort of animals.”
So, for her ninth birthday, her parents gave her a pet budgie, and it changed everything.
“That little budgie transformed the household,” Dr Sladakovic says. “He was so full of life and personality. He’d chatter away, whistle, fly around and play with us. He reminded me that life can still be joyful, even when everything around you feels uncertain. He was a life and that was valuable.”
That experience shaped Dr Sladakovic’s lifelong belief that every creature deserves care and compassion—a philosophy that now underpins her work as the founder of Sydney’s avian and exotics-only hospital, AVES, and the only Diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine (Zoological Companion Animals) currently registered as a specialist in NSW.
Australia’s veterinary care gap
Exotic pets are no longer fringe companions. From rabbits and guinea pigs to parrots and reptiles, these animals are increasingly becoming part of Australian families, especially in city apartments where space is limited.
“Instead of a rabbit in a hutch, now they’re part of the household,” Dr Sladakovic says. “People have them free-roaming in the living room, they’re toilet trained, they sit on the couch. Owners form really deep emotional bonds with them.”
But Australia’s veterinary education hasn’t yet caught up with little training in avian and exotic pets typically provided through general veterinary science degrees.
“Exotic basically just means any pet that isn’t a cat or dog, and we go through our degrees with very little exposure to these animals,” Dr Sladakovic explains. “You come out not really equipped to see someone’s sick guinea pig or budgie. During my degree, we had maybe an hour on rabbits—that was it. So it’s understandable why a lot of clinics simply won’t see exotic animals because they don’t have the training or confidence.”
That gap has created an underserved population of dedicated avian and exotic pet owners who want a higher standard of care for their animals. Dr Sladakovic says the shortage of avian and exotic animal vets forces many pet owners to make long journeys to seek care for their beloved animals.
We didn’t want it to feel like a hospital. We wanted it to feel calm, and not just for the animals, but for us too. This is a stressful job. The space needs to help us cope, not add to the stress.
Dr Izidora Sladakovic, founder, Avian & Exotics Service
“I have people coming from all over the state to see us at AVES,” she says. “Some drive four or five hours each way. They just want someone who understands their animal.”
And that requires a different mindset. Exotic pets are generally not domesticated; most are prey species that instinctively hide illness until it becomes critical.
“So you can’t approach a rabbit like it’s a small dog,” Dr Sladakovic explains. “You have to start from their natural biology—their behaviour, anatomy, physiology, metabolism. A rabbit’s digestion, a bird’s respiratory system, a reptile’s temperature regulation are all completely different. With exotics, you step back and think from first principles rather than pattern recognition.”
It’s an approach that requires patience, curiosity and empathy—qualities that shape Dr Sladakovic’s philosophy of care and the exotics-only clinic she has built.
A different kind of clinic
After arriving in Sydney as a refugee in 1996, Dr Sladakovic was determined to turn her childhood connection with her budgie into clinical expertise.
“I went to uni thinking I’d learn how to fix sick budgies and mice,” she says. “But I quickly realised no-one was teaching that. It was difficult because I’ve always believed in equality between species, that every animal deserves the same chance to be cared for.”
She spent several years in general practice before pursuing specialist training. Australia offered no pathway in avian and exotic medicine, so she applied to programs in the US and Europe. The University of Georgia in the US accepted her into its three-year residency accredited by the American College of Zoological Medicine.
“It was intense,” she says. “Three years of non-stop learning across all exotic species—birds, reptiles, amphibians, small mammals. It pushed me to the limit, but it also gave me exactly what I’d been searching for.”
She completed the program and became board-certified in 2017. After returning to Sydney, she joined The Pet Specialists and established AVES as an independent specialist exotics service operating from within the hospital. That meant Dr Sladakovic enjoyed dedicated space during the day and access to shared imaging, ICU, and other specialty services.
“It was incredible being able to work shoulder-to-shoulder with specialists from other disciplines,” she says. “I wanted my patients to have access to the same level of medicine, like CT scans, endoscopy, and cardiology, as you’d expect for a dog or cat.”
Those years cemented Dr Sladakovic’s reputation as a leader in avian and exotic medicine and laid the foundation for AVES to move into its own standalone clinic in February 2025. The move allowed her to realise a long-held vision of a purpose-built avian and exotics-only hospital designed entirely around the needs of these unique species. “A rabbit that can see or smell a dog is terrified, and that stress is detrimental,” she says. “I wanted lights off at night, quiet wards, separate airflow, all the things you don’t typically put in a chart. Dogs and cats aren’t allowed to even step foot in the clinic, and clients tell us their animals are calmer from the moment they walk in.”
Every life is valuable
For Dr Sladakovic, excellence in veterinary medicine isn’t just about diagnostics or technology. It’s about creating conditions for genuine healing.
“I’d look at how some vets approached their patients and notice what wasn’t factored in—things like sleep, comfort, or fear,” she says. “You can measure blood results, but how do you measure whether an animal’s had adequate rest or feels safe? Those things matter.”
That philosophy guided every design choice at the new AVES facility, from its green, timber-lined interiors to its calm, low-light recovery wards.
“We didn’t want it to feel like a hospital,” she says. “We wanted it to feel calm, and not just for the animals, but for us too. This is a stressful job. The space needs to help us cope, not add to the stress.
“We’re in an industry that faces high rates of burnout. So creating a workplace that supports emotional wellbeing was just as important as creating a hospital that supports the animals.”
Almost a year after opening AVES as a standalone hospital, Dr Sladakovic says she still feels like she’s honeymooning.
“We come to work and we’re so happy to be there,” she says. “Every day feels like a privilege. It’s about living my purpose to provide the standard of care these animals deserve, and proving that it can be done.
“For me, success is staying true to my values. It’s about integrity and courage—doing what you know is right, even when it’s hard—and making sure every creature, no matter how small, gets the care it deserves.
