I graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2004. I headed off to the slightly damper than expected Island of Viti Levu, Fiji. I worked there for several months as a volunteer, neutering and treating stray dogs and cats. The surgical case load was very varied, as was where we performed it- visiting some of the smaller islands we had to use people’s dining tables and we even set up one op theatre in a bus shelter! 

I headed back to the equally damp Welsh borders in North Shropshire. I worked in a very rural James Herriot style practice treating everything from bulls to hamsters. As time went on I realised my strengths lay in treating pets (plus it was warmer and I got kicked less!). I’ve been working in the North Oxfordshire region since 2009. I love the diversity of the job, one minute operating, the next managing an emergency and then vaccinating a new pet. I realised I wanted to take things further and so started studying for a certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice. This had a broad focus ranging from clinical and consulting skills to practice management and team development. This set me up nicely for the next chapter of being a director at Taylor Vets!

Outside work I love spending time with my family and pets and attempting to stay fit. In between that I’ve started learning the piano- it is fairly painful to listen to at the moment but I hope to update this bio in 10-15 years and be able to say slightly less painful!