Dr Petra grew up in a small town near Hannover, in northern Germany. She qualified as a veterinarian (Tierärztin) from Hannover Veterinary School in September 1995 and registered with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in London later that year. She spent nearly 10 years working in small animal clinics across England before moving to Auckland, New Zealand, with her Kiwi partner in October 2005. Dr Petra passed her New Zealand National Veterinary Exams (NZNVE) in November 2006.

Since 2007, she has worked as an independent veterinary locum for small animal surgeries in the Auckland area. After taking maternity leave, she resumed part-time locum work in 2012. Dr Petra has been a part-time veterinarian with the CareVets Glen Eden team since August 2015, contributing her expertise to her local West Auckland community.