Stronghold™ Veterinary Pet Care Awards 2005
The National Stronghold™ Veterinary Pet Care Awards invites
pet owners and members of the public to submit nominations by writing about the
care and work of their veterinary teams.
This year nominations were
received about a wide variety of pets and animals, from hounds to
hedgehogs. Stories were written by pet
owners as well as by rescue centres and animal welfare organizations. Nominations were received for individual
veterinarians; for veterinary nurses and support staff; and for entire
veterinary practices.
The following is a selection
of nominations received from members of the public for 2005, which the judges feel give a flavour for the
very real stories behind the Awards.
These are presented in alphabetical order (by county) with an index
preceeding the full stories. The order
of presentation in no way relates to the results of the 2005 Awards.
The names and personal
details of the pet owners who submitted the nominations have deliberately not
been included here. Media enquiries to
Progress Communications tel 01-2766117 or
email info@progresspr.ie
Index
to Judge’s Selection
Carlow
Vet nominated: Tom Spillane, Veterinary
Clinic,
“Puddy…was part of this family for
seven lovely years. He has his own
personality and temperament. We all
loved Puddy very much…My heart broke as I searched to find the right answer…I
broke down in a flood of tears and said my tearful goodbye to a cherished
companion and friend….”
Clare
Vet nominated: PJ O’Driscoll, Summerhill Veterinary, Summerhill, Ennis,
Co Clare Tel 065-6828215
“A vet who can make an animals’
life either coming into the world or ending their life such a healing or tender
moments had already won awards many times over in my heart…”
Vet Nurse Nominated: Lisa
O’Donovan,
“My beloved seventeen-year-old
cat died some years ago shortly after the death of my husband. Lisa took me through both bereavements and
quite literally saved my life…”
Vet Nominated: John O’Mahony,
Tel 021-4893033
“John is an innovator, an
imaginative entrepreneur, as well as an educator of staff and customers. His practice is a pleasure to deal with, his
care of our animals has been exemplary….”
Vet Nominated: John O’Mahony,
Tel 021-4893033
“Not only did John and his team
reassure my friend, but took her three children on a tour of the surgery….”
Vet Nominated: David Smythe, Brookpark Veterinary, Dunmanway, Co
“On going through
the door he said, ‘if you need me tomorrow, just give me a call.’ ‘Tomorrow’ was Christmas Day..”
Vet Practice Nominated:
“Needing
a loose tooth removed and his teeth cleaned as he could not eat, just a few
weeks ago, posed a major problem as he would not withstand the
anaesthetic. Pat O’Doherty elected to
do his best with just sedation…..”
Vet nominated: Vincent Lynch,
Hawthorn Veterinary,
…”She was very playful, happy,
friendly and full of life until one evening she didn’t come home until late in
the night. We found her in agony
dragging herself up the garden path….she had in fact two broken legs…”
Vet nominated: Michael Sexton,
Kennys Veterinary, Strand Road, Clonakilty, Co
..”He was a tremendous help to us
last Sept, when our beautiful mare and foal were both seriously injured in a
bad lightening storm….”
Vet nominated: Richard Healy,
“I got Suzie from the local
pound. She had a cigarette burn on her
head. She was very underweight and
traumatised……. I was passing our local
hospital at
Practice Nominated: Anicare Veterinary Group,
“We were fostering a rescue pup which we decided to keep. My
brother took her 2 sisters. Within 4 days….they came down with parvo….”
Vet Nominated: Ciara Feeney, Animal Clinic,
“Last Christmas Day one of our
dogs, Zola, ran into some barbed wire fencing while out for a walk. She was badly cut on both forlegs….”
Practice Nominated: Animal Clinic
team,
“My husband has had a lot of
illness and as well as our family – our dogs have kept me going and I’m not
ashamed of saying that – it’s the truth.”
Vet & Practice Nominated:
Ciara Feeney & Vicky, Bonnie, Animal Clinic, Ashton & North
Circular Road
“We were devastated. A puppy which seemed so healthy and happy,
only had a matter of time…. It was now that we needed all the support…..”
Vet nominated: Malcolm Argyle, Argyle & Bainbridge, Overton,
“His calm, kind, good humoured and
patient support has sustained us through a car accident, a badly mangled tail,
cat whispering a terrified feral kitten and controlling a one in several
millions, rare, nasty skin condition…”
Vet nominated: Eamonn Moore, Blackrock Veterinary Clinic,
“One morning last summer, I noticed that my cat was wheezing a bit, so I
phoned Eamonn. Fifteen minutes later, the cat was in an oxygen tent,
after been treated for suffering acute anaphylactic shock….”
Vet practice nominated: Castle Veterinary
Clinic, 6A
”….after 11yrs of unconditional love I
refused to give up that easily on her.”
Vet nurse nominated: Emma Higgs,
Fingal, Co.
“Giving 2 years of full time
Animal Manager in a voluntary capacity…She returned to qualify as a veterinary
nurse. Having qualified and found
herself in a position to earn real money, with the support of her husband
Andrew, she again returned to take on yet another season as a volunteer
nurse/manager…Emma brings all her veterinary knowledge and contacts to the
support of the seals…”
Vet Practice Nominated:
” I am totally blind and between us we
had to work out a way for me to measure the appropriate amount of fluids and
administer them whilst maintaining aseptic procedures…..”
Vet Practice Nominated:
Tel 01 4555362
…”At this point we truly did not
think she would recover and it was very upsetting to see a normally bouncy,
energetic cat, looking so lethargic and bony…….The nursing staff were also
brilliant – they clearly gave Billie a lot of attention and care, even cooking
chicken and fish at home to try to tempt her to eat…..She’s out chasing
butterflies, climbing trees and lazing in the sunshine again, as healthy pussy
cats do”
Vet Practice Nominated: Clare
Meade & Cliodhna Murphy, Terenure
Veterinary Hospital, 30 Whitehall Road, Terenure, Dublin 12 Tel 01-4555362
”My beloved little terrier Judy, sadly
died on the 8th October…. She was 16 years old….Clare gave
Judy the injection while she was in my brothers arms…. We were three
adults who were distraught at the loss of a member of our family, because that
is what Judy was to us, and her caring and compassion for both Judy and indeed
for us was beyond belief.”
Vet Nominated: Aidan Miller, Ark
Veterinary Clinic, 46 St Mary’s Rd, Galway Tel 091-584185
..”Diagnosis: A collapsing trachea and chronic
bronchitis. It looked like she was
losing her battle for life and I was about to lose my best friend and faithful
companion. Aidan worked tirelessly….”
Vet Nominated: Tom Rennick,
Tom
Rennick Veterinary, Tuam, Co.
“This
was a very difficult time for me and my husband as we had Bart ten years when I
got him from the dog pound. He was a
lovely dog, full of personality and life and everyone loved him….”
Kerry
Vet Nominated: Tadgh Horan, Tadgh Horan Veterinary, The
Small Sqaure, Listowel, Co Kerry
Tel 068/22335
“…Our
oldest pony Annie aged 31yrs got into a 15lb of dog food…It was Valentine’s
night the 14th February when Annie ate all the 15lb of dog food, making her
quite ill she started to choke and was in trouble….”
Vet Nominated: Paul Treacy,
Treacy & Sheehan Veterinary, Market Street, Listowel, Co Kerry
Tel 068-21377
“My cat was hit by a car and my
mother saw her lying on the roadside and believing she was dead returned to our
home to get a box to bring her home to bury her… The cat would not be alive today if it were
not for the extraordinary dedication of our vet who put so much time and effort
into keeping her alive….”
Kilkenny
Vet Nominated: Richard Brennan, Richard Brennan Veterinary, Dublin
Rd, Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny
Tel: 056 7724534
”I had received 2 baby labradors for
Christmas…Christmas Eve - it was now 11 o clock at night and she was
dying. We were distraught at this stage,
and all crying…..”
Laois
Vet Nominated: Ann Quinn, Erkina
Veterinary Clinic, Ballybuggy, Rathdowney, Co Laois Tel 0505-46449
…”I found (the rook) one miserable
October evening in a field near our house.
Had had been shot in the wing and then just left to die….Only a few
weeks ago a swan was found with a hook in its neck….It was a young hedgehog
which was very badly injured…”
Vet & Team Nominated: Hugh
O’Callaghan & Crescent Veterinary Clinic,
“Last year we had a cat got caught
in the engine of the car and Hugh and his team worked on him and brought him around
to be a healthy cat…”.
Louth
Vet Nurse Nominated: Orla Brennan, JA Henry & Boyle Veterinary/Bridge House
Veterinary Clinic, Coes Road, Dundalk,
Co Louth Tel 042-9328000
…”On one occasion I was very
hurried and asked her on her day off to transport dogs to
“She goes out of her way for
people and has gone to great lengths to explain the care my dog needs….”
“Orla is a very compassionate
and caring veterinary nurse…She is so dedicated she even took him home to look
after during the night….”
Mayo
Vet Nominated: Vivian Hussey, Lisgowel, Breaffy, Castlebar, Co.
Mayo Tel 094-90 44832
”In March of this year Vivian accompanied
us to a cruelty case, making a round trip of 80 miles..thereafter taking in 13
dogs that were covered from head to paw in their own excrement…. Together with
15 cats from the same case that had all been locked in cars, again living in
their own filth with severe gastric problems….”
Meath
Vet Nominated: Noel Foley, Smith
& Foley, Ivy Cottages, New Lane, Abbeylands, Navan, Co Meath Tel 046-9054016
”April 2004, began what was to be a very
painful and heartbreaking time for us, I returned home to find Jessie, our 14 year
old collie, lying paralysed on the kitchen floor…she had suffered a stroke…”
Roscommon
Vet Nominated: Catherine O’Roarke, All Creatures Vet. Clinic, Lanesboro Street,
Roscommon
Tel 0906-626898
”She had been with us since the age of
approximately 6 weeks when she was found on the railway tracks near our home.
She was clinging to her mother who had been killed by a train….”
Vet Nominated: Niamh, St. Benedict’s Veterinary Clinic,
“Niamh gave me the support I so
badly needed as I faced losing a bright and faithful friend….It was a sad
situation with an inevitability about it, but made so much more bearable with
the help and reassurance of a real vet with a genuine love of animals…”
Vet Practice Nominated: Riverside
Veterinary Hospital, Davitt's
quay, Dungarvan, Co Waterford
Tel 058-44476
”My dog Heidi suffered with cancer
about 18 months ago…..I know my self that if my pets could talk they would
not only praise the team for all their work but also thank them for giving
Heidi the best chance in life and their friend back home…”
Vet
Practice Nominated:
Tel 058-44476
”Knowledge and expertise…superb range of
equipment…cheerful day, night or weekends….kindness and care..”
Vet Practice Nominated:
Tel 058-44476
”The cat, Treacle, was a feral
kitten who appeared around our yard with
a badly damaged foot. We managed
to catch her and the leg had to be amputated……now we have a confident, happy,
tripod !”
Vet Practice Nominated:
Tel 058-44476
”We
are so fortunate to have a practice of this high calibre in such a small town
as Dungarvan…”
Vet Practice Nominated:
Tel 058-44476
“The younger vet Donal has even delivered food
to my home for the dogs, in his own car and in his own time – again without
charge. As I am a pensioner these
gestures of kindness make a huge difference….”
Vet Practice Nominated:
Tel 058-44476
“Both have been excellent in their diagnosis of
Gio’s problems and the treatment and care, including surgery that followed has
been outstanding…”
Vet Practice Nominated:
Tel 058-44476
“The
second cat was thrown from a car at the top of the driveway – aged about 5
weeks on 10 December last. He had a
severe umbilical hernia and we waited 3 weeks until a little larger before
operating….”
Vet Practice Nominated: Riverside
Veterinary Hospital, Davitt's quay, Dungarvan, Co Waterford
Tel 058-44476
“About six week ago our cat Gizmo went
missing on Saturday afternoon…on Monday moring I went out looking for him again
at 11.30 I heard a terrible lound meow….The first thing I saw was one of his
back legs was completely skinned of fur and swollen about three times it normal
size. When I picked him up I realized that some one had tried to set fire to
him…..”
Vet Practice Nominated:
Tel 058-44476
”We
bought Jenny at the age of 18 months from a breeder. She was thin, undernourished
and infested with lice eggs…we found out that Jenny had also been cruelly
treated and had her two front teeth missing….”
Vet Practice Nominated:
Tel 058-44476
“Even
the operating table has central heating !...No medical problem is left hanging
“to see” and no physical injury is too much….”
Wexford
Vet Nominated: Richard Bramley,
Gubbins & O’Shea Veterinary, The Veterinary Centre,
“Some months ago, my collie
was diagnosed with liver cancer…As her final days drew near, Richard became a
wonderful source of support and strength….
Strong though I thought I was, reality is a different matter…. So together, Richard and I helped her on her
journey…”
Vet & Practice Nominated:
Team at Gubbins & O’Shea Veterinary, The Veterinary Centre,
“Podge and Rodge were found in
a skip, left to die, at approx 2 days….”
Vet Nominated: Annette Quegan, The Pet Vet,
..”When I first
started to attend Annette I had two dogs, Jack and Prince. I’d had them since I was nine years old and I
adored them, really adored them. Everybody
in the house loved them….Jack was the first I had to say goodbye to. She had done everything possible for him, but
at 16 ½ years, he was unable to go on any longer….”
Vet Nominated: Annette Quegan, The Pet Vet,
“I rescued a cat who had been
shot and beaten……”
Wicklow
Vet Practice Nominated: BrayVet Animal Hospital, Old Conna Avenue, Bray, County Wicklow
Tel 01-2821909
”Che our beloved terrier cross developed
Diabetes at 10 years of age and he was beautifully managed for over six
and a half years by the team at BrayVet.
I am a paediatric dietitian and between Che, myself and the
BrayVet team we revolutionised the care for diabetic dogs at the
practice, using BLOOD monitoring(instead of urine), giving multiple daily
injections, and tailoring his diet using normal dog food(instead of commercially
produced products)…..”
Stronghold™ Veterinary Pet Care Awards 2005
CARLOW
Veterinarian nominated:
Tom Spillane, Veterinary
Clinic,
Reason for Nomination:
Puddy was a beautiful, male, Persian cat, black in colour. He was part of this family for seven lovely
years. He has his own personality and
temperament. We all loved Puddy very
much. It was just five weeks ago after a
routine visit to our local vet that a growth was discovered in Puddy’s
mouth. Tom, our vet, advised us to leave
Pud in and he would remove the growth.
So he did and everything went fine, until a week later I discovered a
new growth – not in his mouth, but on his face beside his nose. I brought Pud back again to see Tom.
The vet was so gentle with him and very caring. Tom decided after examining Pud to give him
antibiotics and told me to give it a week, if there was no improvement in this
thing on his face to bring him back.
Well the growth got bigger by the day and I decided to bring Pud back to
Tom. Tom just couldn’t believe the size
of the growth. He told me he would have
to examine Pud’s mouth and because Pud was in pain, he would have to give him
an anaesthetic. When Tom had finished
examining Pud he very gently broke the news to me that the growth had got very
aggressive and was spreading to Pud’s eye and probably to his brain.
He told me that he could try and remove the growth but it would have
little or no affect on getting rid of it as it was cancerous and extremely
aggressive. Tom said that I should let
Pud be put to sleep and let him go now, rather than waiting as he would be in
great pain.
My heart broke as I searched to find the right answer. I didn’t want to let Pud go, but at the same
time I knew deep down Tom was right, Pud would only suffer. As I said yes, I broke down in a flood of
tears and said my tearful goodbye to a cherished companion and friend.
Tom was so kind. He explained
what would happened during the procedure of putting Pud asleep. Tom asked me to hold Pud in my arms while he
administered the injection. All the time
Tom reassured me that Pud would feel no pain and that he would gently go to
sleep. And that’s what Pud did. Tom
gently wrapped Pud up in his blanket and placed him back in his cage.
I miss Pud every single day. The
house doesn’t seem the same without him.
I just couldn’t say enough praise and thanks to Tom for being so patient
and kind and understanding in all of this.
I personally think he is an outstanding and caring vet and a credit to
his profession. Thanks Tom for
everything.
PS If Puddy could have talked
he would have said that Tom was purrfect.
END OF NOMINATION
CLARE
Veterinarian nominated:
PJ O’Driscoll, Summerhill
Veterinary, Summerhill, Ennis, Co Clare Tel 065-6828215
Reason for Nomination:
I would like to nominate vet PJ O’Driscoll of Summerhill Veterinary
Clinic, Summerhill, Ennis, Co Clare.
On many occasions, I have to call upon the services of PJ at all hours
of the day and night. He was been
exceptionally good and willing to give his service in any way he can. His kindness, care and attention are
exceptional. He never lets me down. He has played a vital role for me by way of
superb care and attention to many various dogs and for always being available
whenever required. He is outstanding at
what he does and he really deserves a nomination. Being a vet isn’t a job to him, it’s a
passion and I think the veterinary profession are very lucky to have him in the
clinic.
A vet who can make an animals’ life either coming into the world or
ending their life such a healing or tender moments had already won awards many
times over in my heart. It would be a
joy for me to see this kind, professional and deeply compassionate man achieve
public recognition and the applause he so wholeheartedly deserves. This is the only opportunity I am ever going
to get to repay PJ for his kindness, so I hope you will give PJ O’Driscoll a
good chance of the Award for 2005.
My thanks to PJ – as he is an extra special vet – Co Clare Dog Warden,
Frankie Coote, Dog Pound, Gort Road Industrial Estate, Gort Road, Ennis, Co
Clare
END OF NOMINATION
Vet Nurse Nominated:
Lisa O’Donovan,
Reason for Nomination:
I would like to nominate Lisa, the senior veterinary nurse at
Lisa is the most dedicated person I know in any field. She is not only gifted with animals, but is
the most kind and understanding person to their owners. My beloved seventeen-year-old cat died some
years ago shortly after the death of my husband. Lisa took me through both bereavements and
quite literally saved my life, I think I would have ended up in the river
without her.
She now looks after the needs of my new cat Fern. Funnily enough, Lisa is a dog rather than a
cat lover and has six dogs of her own, all rescue dogs that ended up in the
veterinary hospital that were either dumped in the veterinary hospital or ended
up there for one reason or another
Lisa’s veterinary knowledge is as good as any vet and she displays the
same compassion, care, understanding and patience to every patient and their
owner….
I would also like to mention that all the team at Abbeyville are
excellent.
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinarian Nominated:
John O’Mahony,
Reason for Nomination:
Over many years, John has cared for our pets, canine and feline, and we
are sure of consistently high standards of care. The practice is exceptionally well organised
and, despite many expansions of the facilities in the past few years, the level
of personal service has been maintained.
Regular communications keep us abreast of developments in the care of
our animals, reminders ensure that our dogs are in optimum health. This professionalism is obvious in all our
dealings with John and his team.
We have had some traumatic moments and at times when we have lost pets,
John has cared for both animals and humans.
The personal touch that he brings is mirrored by his staff, and our
impression of the practice ethos is that highly professional care need not be
devoid of humanity, warmth and humour.
John is an innovator, an imaginative entrepreneur, as well as an
educator of staff and customers. His
practice is a pleasure to deal with, his care of our animals has been exemplary. We have dealt with him for over 15 years and
will continue to do so.
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinarian Nominated:
John O’Mahony,
Reason for Nomination:
I would like to nominate John and his team for 2 reasons. First because I will never forget the care
and attention John gave me when my pet jack Russell was dying of cancer. During house calls and visits to his
surgery, I got superb attention. And
when my pet finally died, John took the time to visit late at night to see if
he could help in any way.
Another reason I want to nominate John is because recently I sent a
friend of mine who has a treasured family pet to John’s surgery. Not only did John and his team reassure my friend,
but took her three children on a tour of the surgery. My friend commented on how welcoming and
compassionate the staff of this veterinary hospital were to them.
As well as being an excellent vet with an excellent team I want to
nominate John for his compassionate approach both to his patients and their
owners. I would recommend this surgery
to any pet owner.
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinarian Nominated:
David Smythe, Brookpark
Veterinary, Dunmanway, Co
Reason for Nomination:
I love this man. Let me tell you
about one incident. This happened on
Christmas eve some years back. I had
been up all night with a sick puppy. I
phoned David at
On going through the door he said, “if you need me tomorrow, just give
me a call.”
“Tomorrow” was Christmas Day.
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinary Team Nominated:
Reason for Nomination:
Gilabbey vets have looked after, and given the very best of care, to my
pets since my arrival in
Casey, my Irish wolfhound, had surgery for a growth on his foot as a
youngster. The nature of this growth was
such, that on removal, the tissue broke down and the stitches would not
hold. The wound had to heal by secondary
intent and visits for dressings were so frequent, that my vets did not charge
me for them. It took over 10 weeks of
treatment before the ulcerated area even started to heal and the care and
concern shown to Casey and myself was more than was called for.
More recently my two aged whippets Jack and Gizmo have required my vets’
attention on several occasions. Jack
suffered with a huge tumour on his liver – too old for surgery, with his
failing heart, he was kept comfortable and monitored by Gilabbey Vets. Needing a loose tooth removed and his teeth
cleaned as he could not eat, just a few weeks ago, posed a major problem as he
would not withstand the anaesthetic.
Pat O’Doherty elected to do his best with just sedation. I was allowed to be with my boy all the time,
to prevent over-stressing him. Pat did a
wonderful job and managed to remove the offending tooth, at the same time he
was giving me the same level of care !
Jack made a good recovery and has had a few more quality weeks of his
life.
Sadly Jack has just been put to sleep as he suffered 4 collapses at the
age of 16 ½ years. Throughout this
ordeal Tom Conway was a constant source of comfort. Always made himself available for advice on
the phone and finally meeting us halfway to the surgery at
He would accept no payment for coming to meet us and putting Jack to
sleep as he said we had “been through the mill”, with our pets recently.
Tom had also put back a dislocated hip on our other old whippet, Gizmo,
only last week ! Gizmo is now making a good recovery and as always, Tom’s care
and concern for both dog and owner is first class.
The whole team at Gilabbey are the best you will find anywhere, always
professional, caring and compassionate, for animal and owner alike. I owe them a great debt of gratitude.
I would like to give the receptionist Louise a nomination, because of
her helpful and friendly manner, always putting us at ease in times of trouble
with our pets.
Thank you Gilabbey.
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinarian Nominated:
Vincent Lynch, Hawthorn Veterinary,
Reason for Nomination:
We have had the most wonderful cat “Jessie”, better known by her pet
name “Kitty” all thanks to our vet Vincent.
Firstly many years ago the late
She was always communicating with us and was very playful, happy,
friendly and full of life until one evening she didn’t come home until late in
the night. We found her in agony
dragging herself up the garden path. At
first we thought her back was broken and we brought her to Vincent. Upon examining her Vincent discovered that
she had in fact two broken legs, one which was badly broken. Amazingly he was able to repair her legs and
when she came home she was in splints and needed a lot of TLC which she got and
then then became a family member. She
made a complete recovery and thanks to Vincent she was back to her old self,
full of life and very playful.
For years after that we had the most brilliant pet we could ask for –
she was very healthy and only visited the clinic for regular vaccinations until
a couple of years ago she developed gingivitis – a nearly always fatal disease
in cats. However once again Vincent came
to the rescue and he very caringly treated our cat. She underwent an operation in which she had
all her teeth removed and when she was sent home she once again needed a lot of
attention and she had to visit the clinic regularly for injections. During the time Vincent and all the staff at
the clinic were very helpful and friendly and
they answered all of our questions and gave us as much information as we
asked for in order to understand what we were dealing with. We found everyone in the clinic to be very
helpful and efficient and thanks to all of these people and our vet Vincent the
cat once again made a full recovery and was back to her old self.
However this only lasted for a few years as sadly the infection returned
last Christmas and recognising her discomfort we brought her back to the clinic
where she was once again treated with
kindness and patience. She was again
visiting the clinic regularly for medication and Vincent gave us all the advice
he could to help us.
After each visit she would pick up and she was good and bad for many
months until sadly a few weeks ago after a good spell her condition once again
deteriorated rapidly. She was visiting
the clinic every day for treatment which at this late stage was not having much
effect, however Vincent and the staff at the clinic remained patient and treated
her with the utmost kindness and always did their best to make her
comfortable.
Eventually the disease proved too much and our vet Vincent helped us to
make a very difficult decision and we decided that the best thing was to put
her out of her misery. She had done very
well to fight it for all those years, but in the end as Vincent said, it was
the kindest thing. Over the years we
found Vincent and his staff to be very helpful and patient and they showed the
utmost compassion for the animals and we have no doubts that if it wasn’t for
Vincent we wouldn’t have had such a great pet for all those years.
PS They also administered
treatment on Sundays when the practice was closed, for which we are very
grateful.
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinarian Nominated:
Michael Sexton, Kennys
Veterinary, Strand Road, Clonakilty, Co
Reason for Nomination:
Michael is very considerate, kind and caring to all the animals he
treats. He is extremely safety conscious
when performing duties and is always aware of the dangers as to where one is
standing. He explains everything he is
doing and what treatment is being administered as he goes along, and it means a
lot to us to understand what’s happening.
He’s excellent to communicate.
He performs his duties so efficiently and with thorough
professionalism. He never fails to
answer a call out no matter how trivial or serious. Nothing is ever too much trouble and you
could ask him anything.
He was a tremendous help to us last Sept, when our beautiful mare and
foal were both seriously injured in a bad lightening storm. We were devastated to loose our best mare but
were eternally grateful to Michael who saved the foal, thank God. He gave excellent after care to Scarlet on a
daily basis until fully recovered, no matter how busy he was, he called.
Michael is such a very special person and vet and to me he deserves to
be nominated for this award. This is a
perfect opportunity for us to say a big heartfelt thank you to Michael and to
let
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinarian Nominated:
Richard Healy,
Reason for Nomination:
I got Suzie from the local pound.
She had a cigarette burn on her head.
She was very underweight and traumatised. From the start, Mr Healy gave her exceptional
care. He neutered her and gave extra
care without additional charge because of her history.
I brought her to him last week for booster and although he was busy, he
cradled her in his arms for at least 5 minutes because she was so nervous.
I myself am a member of the Animal Care Society which is based in
I was passing our local hospital at
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinary Team Nominated:
Anicare Veterinary Group, Botanic
Veterinary Hospital, 183, Botanic Road, Glasnevin,
Reason for Nomination:
In January, 2005 we were
fostering a rescue pup which we decided to keep. My brother took her 2
sisters. Within 4 days of getting them my brother's dogs both came down
with parvo. I have been registered with the Botanic Branch of Anicare for
a few years as we have 4 cats but never needed them in an emergency.
Phoned the clinic on the
Thursday and went down to them Thursday evening. From the minute I walked
in the door, they took over the care of our 6 week old pup. She was on
the drip straight away and was getting fluids to help her system. One of
my brother’s pups died on the Friday and the other one came out on the
Saturday.
Our Jess was still in and
went down hill. I telephoned the vets 2 or 3 times a day and
By Tuesday evening they had
done all they could for her and it was up to her whether to fight or not.
We brought her home and did all we could for her. She was back down to
see them on Thursday and was much the same. On Friday we noticed a lump
behind one of her ears, got up the next morning and there was one behind the
other ear as well and the skin on her chest felt funny. We brought her
down to the vets and were informed she had septicemia. They drained the
abcesses but one had burst. We spent the next week and a half going down
to the vets every 2nd day. The care that was shown to Jess was second to
none.
We dealt mainly with
When we went down to get Jess her 1st vaccinations
Yes she does bare the scars in that she has a bald patch on her chest as the
skin fell off in a sheet but she is a fluffy dog so it’s well hidden. On
her front leg she has a white dot of fur from where all the drips went into
her. They are constant reminders of how lucky we are to have her with us
I would love to nominate Tanis as Vet of the year and all at Anicare for
Practise of the year for their time dedication to all the animals that come
through their doors and to all the care and attention that they showed our Jess
when she was so sick.
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinarian Nominated:
Ciara Feeney, Animal
Clinic,
Reason for Nomination:
Ciara is such a caring vet. Last
Christmas Day one of our dogs, Zola, ran into some barbed wire fencing while
out for a walk. She was badly cut on
both forlegs. I knew she needed
attention.
Thank goodness, our own practise was on call. Ciara met me at the Clinic, took a look at
Zola and said she needed quite a few stitches ! She sedated her and started to clean up the
wounds. Ciara was so reassuring to me
(seeing my dog sedated was a bit scary) and after about an hour Zola and I
walked out of the Clinic. I was so
grateful to Ciara, single handed, she had made Zola comfortable. This is just one case of how Ciara’s care
and expertise has helped us and our dogs.
Thank you Ciara.
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinary Team Nominated:
Animal Clinic Team,
Reason for Nomination:
We have been attending the Animal Clinic in Ashtown since it opened, and
attended Sydney Nagle when he practised in Castleknock.
I cannot say enough for all they have done for our dogs. The care and genuine love they give your pet
is wonderful. The last west highland
terrier we rescued had a lot of health problems. They did everything possible to help him –
medication etc and Jenny Mackey gave him so much love when I brought him for
his check up.
We rescued a yorkie type in February and she too is getting the same
attention – as did our other dogs.
We have had dogs all our married life and that is 51 years (1954). We rescued our first little dog from the
Dog’s Home, she cost us 10/ (ten shillings) – quite a lot in 1954 – she lived
for 15 ½ years. So we know what its like
to have a dog needing a vet’s care.
Sydney Nagle – Jenny Mackey – and all at Ashtown Clinic are always so
helpful in every way. We also received a
lovely sympathy card on the death of our pets, this means so much.
I’ve heard people say – “they’re only dogs (or cats)” – they are one of
the family and the best friend you ever had – they know if you are worried.
My husband has had a lot of illness and as well as our family – our dogs
have kept me going and I’m not ashamed of saying that – it’s the truth.
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinarian and Team
Nominated:
Ciara Feeney, Vicky, Bonnie
& Team,
Tel 01-8383003
Reason for Nomination:
Ciara and the practice provided exceptional and outstanding care and
support with both a personal and professional approach.
We decided to get a dog, did all the usual checks and research like
temperament, best breed to suit our lifestyle.
We never really considered veterinary care….thought we would be visiting
the vet twice a year for a check up.
On our first visit to Ashtown Clinic for Roxy’s vaccinations, we were
really exposed to above average interaction and education on Roxy’s well being
as a puppy. The standard was a great
help to us because then we knew we were in a partnership with this veterinary
practice to help us care for Roxy.
A routine visit caused Ciara to act and start tests on Roxy. Further investigations in the
I was now that we needed all the support. On collecting Roxy from the
Even to the extent, Roxy’s skin had got infected from where she was
shaved for the ultrasound.
We were going on holidays to Mayo with Roxy and were concerned. Ciara rang a friend who was based in Mayo
just in case Roxy ran in to problems.
The practice team and Ciara worked over and beyond any expectations that
we had or could have had. Roxy received
the best possible care. She was a very
happy dog and loved visiting her Aunt Ciara, and to be honest, so did we,
because we got more and more support each time.
It was never going to be a happy ending and Roxy died on
It really upsets me to write this letter because it brings it all back
and how much we miss Roxy. I feel so
strongly that Ciara and her practice team really went out of their way to
provide an excellent standard of care to Roxy.
We are only one story for this practice.
They would be acknowledged for their work with animals, because I truly believe
that Roxy would not have survived for 16 months without Ciara’s care; and that
Ashtown Clinic sets their veterinary standards above and beyond other
veterinary standards.
Many thanks for this opportunity.
Please acknowledge this practice for the great work that they have done
and continue to do.
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinarian Nominated:
Malcolm Argyle, Argyle &
Bainbridge, Overton,
Tel 01- 2987510
Reason for Nomination:
I am delighted to nominate Malcolm Argyle for Vet of the Year. His calm, kind, good humoured and patient
support has sustained us through a car accident, a badly mangled tail, cat
whispering a terrified feral kitten and controlling a one in several millions,
rare, nasty skin condition.
Having had dogs all my life we thought about having a cat because we
were both working and out all day, but Toby made the decision for us as he was
abandoned at my workplace, twelve weeks old.
I didn’t have a clue about cats and only had the confidence that I could
care for him properly when a friend gave me a crash course and her old cat
carrier. However the best help she gave
us was to refer us to Malcolm Argyle.
With Malcolm’s support and excellent advice I have become a complete cat
fanatic and now have three rescue cats and work with a cat welfare charity !
Our first cat Toby has a very rare autoimmune skin condition, which is
particularly difficult to diagnose and even more difficult to control. With Malcolm’s constant support we spent the
last year and a half experimenting with a variety of diets, living conditions
and a myriad of medications in an attempt to provide him with a decent quality
of life, as there is no cure for his condition.
Malcolm has carried out so much research on our behalf in his own time,
contacting colleagues for their opinion and asking them to find out the most up
to date information on our behalf when they attended conferences in other
countries. When I downloaded masses of
information on the condition from the web, he went through it all in his own
time, and went to great effort to locate the experimental medications new to
the market.
During the times when it seemed as though we were putting Toby through
too much, it was our well-founded trust in Malcolm’s knowledge and
professionalism, which sustained us through those difficult days and gave us
the confidence to persevere with the treatments. On one occasion when the surgery was
particularly busy, he allowed me to come down after surgery so that Toby, who
understandably gets very distressed if confined in his carrier for extended
periods, could be seen immediately.
Although Toby has seen Malcolm approximately once every three weeks most
of his life, for operations, injections, administering tablets (and worst of
all, having his temperature taken !!)
Malcolm has shown him such genuine warmth and affection that they have
always been the best of pals and part company to the sound of contented purrs.
In the midst of some of the worst times, Malcolm would ring me at work
between visits, and I recall some very humerous conversations when he would
have to fill in the blanks when I couldn’t say certain words out loud in front
of colleagues !
In the past year we have also adopted a feral kitten, from a colony I
feed, who arrived to the practise covered in lice and fleas, absolutely
terrified of humans. With Malcolm’s
usual wise support we managed to gain Charlie’s trust and he has grown into a
beautiful cat and best pal for Toby .
(In recent weeks Charlie adopted a third homeless waif who has certainly
gotten his paw under the table !).
Malcolm’s kindness and commitment to animal welfare obviously stretches
beyond his clients and during our frequent vistis the practice always seemed to
be in the process of treating and rehoming a variety of unfortunate cases. In these increasingly materialistic times it
is most heartening to see the rehabilitation and rehoming of an unfortante,
unwanted little creature, put before monetary concerns.
The atmosphere in the practice always mirrors Malcolm’s calm, kind and
considerate demeanour, with his own pets welcoming the reluctant visitors
! It is a pleasure to nominate this
gentleman and vet in a million for the award, I am grateful to have the
opportunity to express our respect and warm regard for him.
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinarian Nominated:
Eamonn Moore, Blackrock
Vetinary Clinic, Proby Square, Blackrock,
Reason for Nomination:
I would like to nominate
Eamonn Moore for the Stronghold Veterinary Pet Care Award. Eamonn has shown
humanity and compassion in not only caring for pets but also for their owners
as well.
Eamonn recognises that when a pet is brought to him for treatment, there is
often a second patient and that patient is the owner. Eamonn always ensures
that the owner is informed of the situation in a clear and forthright manner,
but without worrying the owner unduly with possible diagnoses and scenarios.
An example: One morning last summer, I noticed that my cat was wheezing a bit,
so I phoned Eamonn. Fifteen minutes later, the cat was in an oxygen tent,
after been treated for suffering acute anaphylactic shock. Eamonn had correctly
diagnosed the symptoms over the phone and urged me to get the cat to him as
soon as possible. This was done and Eamonn did his magic and saved Tick's life.
He was in an oxygen tent for the rest of the day and then Eamonn took Ticker
home with him that evening, and gave me his personal phone number, so that I
could be kept informed and reassured. This level of personal care surprised me
because it is not something that you see or expect in this day and age, but it
is greatly appreciated.
Ticker made a full recovery and, unfortunately, got run over by a car two weeks
ago. He's still alive, well most of him is anyway. He has suffered ligament
damage in a rear leg and has had a portion of his tail amputated.
Unfortunately, the remainder of the tail has not recovered and had to be
amputated, which Eamonn did a couple of days ago. I am saddened about the tail
but I'm not unduly worried because Eamonn has said that Ticks will be alright.
(Indeed as I write, Ticks is recovering nicely and is stalking me, the little
fecker).
In short, I trust Eamonn.
As I trundle headlong into middle-age and begin to accumulate the various minor
ailments one does, I actually envy my cat, because he has a healthcare service
in the form of Eamonn that is compassionate, competent, honest and above all,
trustworthy. I can only dread the day when I am as ill as my pet has been
and have to rely on the human health-care system.
By the way, it's a real pity Eamonn doesn't do humans. I've asked him. He
doesn't.
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinary Team Nominated:
Castle Veterinary Clinic, 6A
Reason for Nomination:
All the TIME , EFFORT and
LOVE they put into caring for my dog Meg, simply because dogs with problems don’t
usually get to see old age. But that is not the case with Meg.
My story starts about 5yrs ago when Meg was not too well. I went to two different
vets to see what was wrong and both said old age. I refused to believe that it
was age because Meg was a happy, healthy little dog up to that and after 11yrs
of unconditional love I refused to give up that easily on her.
A friend recommended Manus Cannon and Michael Cannon in Castle Veterinary
Clinic, straight away they sorted the problem.Meg was diagnosed with Diabetes.
So with their help for the last 5yrs I have been injecting her with insulin
every day. She also went blind over night from the Diabetes and again
Manus and Michael came to the rescue. She had Cataracts removed which gave her
a better quality of life.
We had good days and bad days
and all the time Castle vet have been there. Meg was a brave little Soldier and
a Brilliant Companion, and my very BEST FRIEND.
Sadly a few weeks ago she died of OLD AGE.
She came through an
incredible ordeal THANKS to all at Castle Vet Clinic and I don’t think there is
anyone more worthy of this award then them.
I can’t thank them enough for
all they did for Meg and myself over the last few years, and I think this would
be a great way of showing them how much I really appreciate them.
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinary Nurse Nominated:
Emma Higgs, Irish Seal Sanctuary & Animal Hospital,Tobergregan,
Garristown, Fingal, Co
Tel 01-8354370
Reason for Nomination:
Emma Higges came here 7 years ago as a volunteer, giving 2 years of full
time Animal Manager in a voluntary capacity.
During that time she introduced proper veterinary record keeping, ran
She returned to the
Having qualified and found herself in a position to earn real money,
with the support of her husband Andrew, she again returned to take on yet
another season as a volunteer nurse/manager for other volunteers, at a time
when the Irish Seal Sanctuary was struggling to sustain operations, while
developing with Fingal L.A. a National Marine Conservation Centre (with
Government support of €2 million).
Until this is built, ISS remains totally reliant on voluntary effort and
Emma, who has replaced me, brings all her veterinary knowledge and contacts to
the support of the seals. Without this
support we could not have attained the high standards for which the ISS is now
widely known.
Veterinary students could not have gained this experience in
It is my great honour and privilege to nominate Emma Higgs for this
award in the Veterinary Nurse category, as someone who represents the best of
the profession and provides freely her duty of care to those wildlife clients
with no way of paying. The support she
attracts for this selfless work from the veterinary community is testament to
the high regard in which she is held by all.
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinary Team Nominated:
Reason for Nomination:
I would like to nominate
I have been attending
I first attended
I arrived at the practice and Muffin was booked in and admitted. When leaving I
asked the nurse at reception for directions to the bus stop, I am visually
impaired and was not familiar with the area. To my surprise, she kindly offered
to come to the bus stop with me.
The surgery was straight forward and I collected Muffin that evening. Two days
after surgery, Richard Lavelle contacted me to ask how Muffin was. I was very
impressed as I was not a client of the practice and all the after care
including the removal of sutures, was going to be carried out by my vet in
Trinity….
In June 2003 my 14 year old cat Tigger was admitted to the
In December 2004 I took on another cat. He was brought to
I phoned Sandymount to ask about the procedure to have Caesar microchipped. I
had a number of questions and was put through to Richard immediately. He spent
about ten minutes in the middle of a busy clinic answering my questions. Again,
at this stage I was not even a client of the practice.
In February 2004, I took Caesar for his first vet visit. Again I saw Richard
Lavelle. I asked about Biochemistry, haematology, vaccinations and about
having Caesar microchipped. To my surprise, Richard not only discussed each of
these in a lot of detail but also asked me several times in each case, why I
wanted them done. His main concern was that I wasn't going to be wasting my
money. In the case of the vaccinations, we both agreed that it was probably not
in Caesar's best interests to be vaccinated. In other words, I was being
counselled about saving money instead of being encouraged to spend it.
I returned to Sandymount on
This time, the amylase was well within normal range but the creatinine and urea
were elevated. Caesar had Chronic Renal Insufficiency….
It was through fate rather than design
that I saw Derek for the next two appointments. He coped well with me as I
asked a lot of questions, had my own ideas and could be the client from hell! I
found that I got on really well with him and developed what I think, was a good
working relationship. I say working relationship, because I felt in
dealing with Caesar's developing illness that I was part of the health care
team. I did not feel like a by-stander watching somebody else making the
decisions and providing the treatment….
….I wanted to be able to give Caesar his fluids myself at home if the necessity
arose for me to do so. For this reason Derek spent a lot of hours teaching me
how to administer the fluids.
I am totally blind and between us we had to work out a way for me to measure
the appropriate amount of fluids and administer them whilst maintaining aseptic
procedures. Neither of us knew how I was going to do this….
Derek and I worked out a strategy between us. I would weigh the fluids, Time
the flow, then weigh the fluids again after a given amount of time to see how
much fluid had been administered. This system worked. At this stage however, as
Caesar was only needing the fluids three times a week, I took him into
Sandymount for their administration. But Derek always allowed me to give the
fluids myself. Indeed not only did he spend a substantial number of hours
teaching me, encouraging me and giving me confidence to perform this procedure,
he even came in on a couple of occasions when it was his day off, just so that
I could give Caesar his fluids myself.
Caesar was of course admitted on several occasions for IV fluids. On these occasions Derek would contact me
regularly to let me know how Caesar was doing, even contacting me on St.
Patrick's day when the practice was officially closed.
On 24th June I took Caesar for his fluids. Derek was away and I mentioned to
Richard that I wasn't happy with Caesar's condition……..he treated me with
kindness, showed that he understood my concern and although it was the weekend,
he admitted Caesar for observation.
Caesar came home the following Monday morning and died suddenly at
During the 18 months that I was taking both my cats to The Sandymount Pet
Hospital, I found that the staff work as a team. Whenever I would contact the
practice to get information about Caesar, the nurses always knew who my cat
was, why he was there, what was happening without needing to go away and find
the information. If ever I left information for the vet, it was always passed
on. The two vets always seemed to work in conjunction with each other but at
the same time were independent in their opinions.
I found that both vets always made time available. When my cats were being
treated I always felt a part of the healthcare team…..
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinary Team Nominated:
Reason for Nomination:
Billis is an 11 year old black and white cat, referred to on her
adoption certificate from the RSPCA as a “moggie”. She has a kind, cuddly and sweet nature and
from an initially nervous start in life as a rescue cat, she is now relaxed and
confident, happy in her role at the centre of family life.
So it was with some concern that in February 2005 we noticed her going
off her food and generally being in bad form.
As is usual in these situations, we called into Terenure Veterinary
Practice, a place Billy has had regular cause to visit over the years, to deal
with the results of various minor scrapes.
While not being very keen on visiting, she has always been given the
best of care by the dedicated and enthusiastic staff there.
On this occasion however, it was clear that something was seriously
wrong. She showed signs of hepatitis and
was immediately taken in to be put on a drip.
This was the start of 7 weeks of serious medical investigation and care
in the hospital, as she did not respond to treatment as expected. Cholangeo-hepatitis was suspected with one of
the distressing side effects being that she stopped eating and was losing
weight fast.
Throughout all of this the staff in the hospital were fantastic – the
vets, Fidelma and Clare, were excellent at ringing me to keep me informed of
her progress. They also clearly laid out
the treatment options available, always bearing in mind that we did no want to
cause Billie any undue suffering, just to give her the best chance at having a
good life.
The nursing staff were also brilliant – they clearly gave Billie a lot
of attention and care, even cooking chicken and fish at home to try to tempt
her to eat. They also went out of their
way to make family members welcome to visit, no matter how busy the surgery
was, letting me take Billie into their staff room so she could stretch her legs
and have time away from the other animals.
By this stage Billie had faded to 2.5kg and had been on a drip for
several weeks. Blood tests were carried
out but they were not conclusive, as they didn’t explain why she was not
responding to antibiotics. So the next
dilemma was whether to put her through the ordeal of a liver biopsy to assess
what the true problem was. At this
point we truly did not think she would recover and it was very upsetting to see
a normally bouncy, energetic cat, looking so lethargic and bony. Fidelma’s patience and care guided us
through making the best decision for Billie given her age, making the options
clear and always bearing in mind that we did not want to cause her any undue
suffering.
And so we agreed to her having the biopsy on 11th Marhc,
which went well. The results indicated
she had a supportive from of cholangeohepatitis requiring treatment with
steroids. Once this diagnosis was made,
the change in her condition was remarkable, from not eating anything to
devouring 5 packets of food in one go !
The day she got home was such a relief for all the family and it has
been fantastic to watch her gradually gain her old strength back. She’s out chasing butterflies, climbing
trees and lazing in the sunshine again,
as healthy pussy cats do. And her weight
is back up to a more normal 3.4 kg. She
has to take steroids on a daily basis and is monitored regularly at the vets,
where Cliona and co. always give her a fantastic welcome. The enthusiasm of the staff on seeing her is
great, and while it’s still not her favourite place on earth, she definitely
likes to see them all and got those extra cuddles.
In short, the dedication and care of all the staff have made a huge
difference to her successful recovery.
I’m not certain that all vets would have had the patience or dedication
to see her treatment this far, as her illness was not a clear-cut case. It may have seemed like too much trouble for
many, particularly given her age. In
times of crisis like this, it’s reassuring to know that we can rely on sound
advice and medical expertise, knowing the best interests of the animal are
paramount.
In addition, we know the staff provided her with the very best of care
and attention while she was so ill. We
realise Billie’s condition is degenerative, but we’re so glad to think she’s
been given every chance and will hopefully have a few more happy years before
she goes to sleep for good. Hence we
hope this nomination goes some way to thanking vets Fidelma, Clare and the
practice nurses – Cliona, Lesley and Catriona, for their fantastic dedication
and care.
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinary Team Nominated:
Reason for Nomination:
My beloved little terrier
Judy, sadly died on the 8th October of this year. She was 16 years old. Over
the past 8 years while Claire Meade has been a vet at our local veterinary
hospital she had seen Judy through various ailments big and small. She had to
have most of here teeth removed, she had a liver problem, she suffered with
arthritis and she also had a heart problem for which she took tablets every
day. Claire was always very kind and compassionate both with Judy on her
regular visits to the clinic but also with me and my family as we were always
upset when Judy was unwell.
From the 1st October, Judy unfortunately began to become very unwell. We
brought her to see Claire on the 3rd of October, and she was seen outside of
surgery hours, which was much appreciated. Claire took an x-ray of Judy's tummy
which showed that she had 3 progressive tumours. Unfortunately because of her
age, there was little that could be done for her but to keep her comfortable.
Over the week that followed
Claire took numerous phone calls from both myself and my mum. She answered all
the questions we asked and never was reluctant to spend time on the phone to
re-assure and advise us. During that week I also spoke several times on the
phone to Cliona Murphy who is the veterinary nurse and she too was always most
kind and understanding on the phone and always happy to stay on the phone to
talk and console me about the siutation. I don’t think there was even one
conversation I had with either Claire or Cliona when I did not cry.
Unfortunately, Judy stopped eating and drinking and we had to take the
sad decision to put her to sleep as it was clear that she was going to starve
otherwise and she was too loved for us to allow that to happen. The
decision was an agonising one and Claire was most sympathetic and
understanding. We did not want to take Judy to the surgery as she was quite nervous
there so Claire very kindly came to our house.
Even when she arrived at our
house and we were having second thoughts she was understanding enough to listen
and advise yet again. She offered to come again any other day at any time that
would suit us and when we had come to terms with the whole situation, however,
we knew that although heartbreaking, we had to do the right thing by our
beloved Judy. So Claire gave Judy the
injection while she was in my brothers arms. She had a peaceful death and died
with dignity as we wanted. She had lived to 16yrs of age and had had a happy
life with us.
I cannot put into words how fantastic Claire was to me and my family on that
day. We were three adults who were distraught at the loss of a member of our
family, because that is what Judy was to us, and her caring and compassion for
both Judy and indeed for us was beyond belief. I hope that Claire will be
recognised for her kindness, she is most deserving of this award.
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinarian Nominated:
Aidan Miller,
Reason for Nomination:
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Aidan Miller for his
exceptional care of “Misty” (my beautiful cross breed terrier) over the last
three and a half years. In particular,
I want to thank Aidan for saving Misty’s life last year.
In June 2004 Misty developed very alarming and distressing
symptoms. Diagnosis: A collapsing trachea and chronic
bronchitis. It looked like she was
losing her battle for life and I was about to lose my best friend and faithful
companion. Aidan worked tirelessly to
get a drug or combination or drugs that she would respond to. He did and she has never looked back
since. To be absolutely sure nothing was
missed, Aidan referred her to the
I would like to thank Aidan for never giving up on the battle to save
Misty and for always meeting and greeting us with a warm smile and a positive
attitude. Every detail of her illness
and treatment was explained and nothing is ever too much trouble. Every visit to the surgery is like visiting
a trusted friend, you can be sure of a warm welcome, good advice and veterinary
care second to none.
Thank you Aidan ! We are forever
in your debt.
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinarian Nominated:
Tom Rennick, Thomas Rennick Veterinary, Tuam, Co.
Reason for Nomination:
I would like to nominate my vet Mr Tom Rennick for the Pet Care Awards
because over the past 10 years he has given both my two pets and myself
outstanding service.
He is a dedicated and compassionate vet and his priority is the animal’s
welfare.
An example of this was last Christmas my pet Bart got severe arthritis
as result of many fights he had with dogs – part of a terrier’s
temperament. After each of these fights
Tom would fix him up and bring him back to good health.
However all these injuries caused arthritis to set in, Tom initially
relieved his pain by tablets for long periods of time but as time went on he
required regular injections to relieve his pain. However last Christmas his hip got locked
with arthritis and he could not walk.
Tom did everything to make him comfortable but I knew Bart’s time was
limited. This was a very difficult time
for me and my husband as we had Bart ten years when I got him from the dog
pound. He was a lovely dog, full of
personality and life and everyone loved him.
On the morning of 8th January I realised Bart was in a lot of
discomfort and the medication was not relieving his pain. I knew the only way he would get relief was
to put him asleep. My husband and I took
Bart to Tom and told him of our decision.
He knew how difficult this was for us as we had discussed it on our many
visits to him.
Tom assured me I was doing the right thing, even at this stage Tom’s
priority was to keep Bart calm and not to stress him out. He decided the kindest thing to do was to
give Bart a general anaesthetic first to put him to sleep and then to
administer the lethal injection. My
heart was breaking but Tom was very reassuring and sympathetic and he also was
upset to see Bart drift into the next world.
The whole procedure was done in a very dignified and kind manner with
Bart in his favourite bed and he wrapped him up in his blanket when Bart had
passed away. Tom’s concern and kindness
did not end here, he was concerned if we would be able to drive home ok and a
few days later he called us to see how we were getting on.
In my ten years of bringing pets to Tom I have found him to be caring,
understanding and very considerate vet both to the pets and their owners. From speaking to other people that go to Tom
with their pets they also have kind words of praise for Tom.
I feel strongly that Tom should be recommended for the Pet Care Awards
for his many years of caring, understanding and professional service to pets.
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinarian Nominated:
Tadgh Horan, Veterinary Centre Listowel, The Small Sqaure, Listowel,
Co, Kerry Tel 068-22335
Reason for Nomination:
I feel Tadgh is an
outstanding vet he’s caring, hardworking and always there no matter what time
of day it is. I can recall 2yrs ago our oldest pony Annie aged 31yrs got into a
15lb of dog food, as I have 5 dogs also and one cat which Tadgh has had to care
all of them at one time or another. It
was Valentine’s night the 14th feb when Annie ate all the 15lb of dog food,
making her quite ill she started to choke and was in trouble.
I called Tadgh’s office in a
state of panic it was
I feel their hard work goes unnoticed
and they do work all hours. Without vets
like Tadgh in country areas our animals would be left without. I would like to thank him and his office for
all the years of service.
With thanks.
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinarian Nominated:
Paul Treacy, Treacy Sheehan Veterinary, Market Street,
Listowel, Co Kerry Tel 068-21377
Reason for Nomination:
Outstanding care and veterinary skills in saving the life of my
cat. My cat was hit by a car and my
mother saw her lying on the roadside and believing she was dead returned to our
home to get a box to bring her home to bury her. However, when she picked her up she discovered
the cat was still alive and phoned her vet to have the cat put down.
When I took the cat in Paul Treacy said her jaw was broken top and
bottom and while she was unconscious and badly injured, he would like to give
her a chance to live. He sedated the cat
and told me he could operate on her. He
wired her lower jaw and stitched the upper part of her mount and for 4 days
kept her at his surgery, attending her day and late in to the night. Under his guidance I brought home the cat and
fed her using a small syringe to put a food and liquid concentrate into her
mouth.
During this time my mother felt the cat was not improving and asked our
vet (Paul Treacy) to put the cat down.
However, he asked her to persevere for a few more days. At this stage my father dug a grave for her
in the back garden. On the eight day
after her accident she crawled out of her basket and started to drink milk from
her dish, but was so weak she could not get back into her basket. However I knew then she would survive and she
began to improve slowly but surely.
With the help of my mother we continued to give her some food through
the syringe and after three weeks, through she was extremely weak and thin, she
began to take some kitten food.
The cat has made a full recovey and is out hunting and catching birds
again, though she is very frightened of cars or the sound of cars.
The cat would not be alive today if it were not for the extraordinary
dedication of our vet who put so much time and effort into keeping her
alive. It was a remarkable feat to have
enabled the cat to survive. She is now
known in the neighbourhood as Lazarus and many people in the town of
I would love to see my vet get an award for this and I nominate him for
the Pet Care Award.
END OF NOMINATION
KILKENNY
Veterinarian Nominated:
Richard Brennan,
Richard Brennan Veterinary, Dublin Rd, Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny Tel 056-7724534
Reason for Nomination:
I had received 2 baby
labradors for Christmas & named them Fin & Derval (from the film Flight
of the Doves), they were only 7 weeks when I got them. Fin was boisterous &
Derval, meek and gentle. I had taken them to my own vet for their first
vacinations & health check about a week before Christmas.
All was going well, we adored
the puppies and spent night and day with them, until Christmas Eve. Derval
became very sick, she was violently vomiting and diarrhoea and seizure like
activity, we were so devastated but wouldn't give up on her. I rang my own vet
a number of times, left messages and no one answered.
It was now 11 o clock at
night and she was dying. We were
distraught at this stage, and all crying. We decided to contact Richard Brennan
in Thomastown and chance asking him to see her. We explained the circumstances
and without a word he told us to come up straight away. When we arrived she was
in deed dying and not given much hope but Richie said he would take Derval home
to his house and keep Iv fluids into her and Antibiotics. She had the Parvo
Virus.
Needless to say we never
slept all night but Richie rang us before
Richie Brennan insisted on
charging us only e40 euro, we were shocked, he had being amazing and all that
he had done was above the call of duty. We are so thankful to him. Derval
recovered slowly but steadily and her sister Fin even apporached Derval gently
until she was better. We adore our dogs and owe it to Richie. When telling our
friends and neighbours our miraculous story, it was amazing the amount of
similiar stories that we heard back about Richie's Kindness, dedication and
sheer love for animals.
It wasn't just that he
treated Derval, it was the such kind approach to her care, it was heartwarming
to think that Derval wasn't in a shed alone on Christmas Eve but tucked up in
bed with people and the element of the Christmas Story within our tale proved
that people still can carry out selfless thoughtless acts.
END OF NOMINATION
LAOIS
Veterinarian Nominated:
Ann Quinn, Erkina Veterinary
Clinic, Ballybuggy, Rathdowney, Co Laois Tel 0505-46449
Reason for Nomination:
Ann Quinn is a dedicated and wonderful vet. She goes way beyond just caring and treating
the pet. She bends over backwards to be
accommodating and readily does house calls regardless of the moveability of the
creature requiring her attention. Her
rates are reasonable and no matter what the problem she is always on hand
24-7. I shall give you a few examples of
what she has done for us and all our much loved pets.
Our rook, named Rookie, I found him one miserable October evening in a
field near our house. Had had been shot
in the wing and then just left to die.
So I captured him and brought him home.
Having inspected him I realised that he had been shot in the wing and
was in a sorry state, but would take food and water, so was fighting to
live. I had no idea who I could phone
for help.
I knew our previous vet would not be impressed with treating a “crow” so
I contacted someone in the ISPCA and they recommended a young vet called Ann
Quinn. I phoned the number I was given
though it was
But she hopped in her van and came straight away (we live in the countryside, approx 5 or 6 km
from Ann’s practise).
Ann gave Rookie several injections, swabbed his wing and made sure there
were no pellets still in him. She did it
all with little to no fuss, like she treated wild birds everyday of the
week. She laid Rookie on his back during
his treatment and he was completely relaxed.
She checked him over when she had finished treating his injury and apart
from the wing, he was in good health.
That was approx 3 years ago now and Rookie is still going strong. His wing is useless, but did not need to be
amputated or anything like htat. He has
some movement in it but unfortunately cannot fly and so we were unable to return
him to the wild.
Ann was and is brilliant. She
explains everything that she is going to do and exactly what is wrong with the
pet she is treating. She clearly
explains any follow up treatment like giving tablets at home etc.
She has a busy practice but fits everyone in, working long hours and she
is always cheerful and friendly, just gets on with the job with no fuss. She has a definite “way” with animals too,
they seem to like or trust her immediately.
We have so many pets that I could go on and on and on singing Ann’s
praises, but I shall just relate one more of Ann’s experiences with us…..
Shortly after Rook’s problem at about
Anyway we had a very old St. Bernard dog named T-Bear (T short for
Teddy) at the time. We had had him since
he was a little bitty pup. He was a
fabulous dog, so gentle with the children and a fierce guard dog too (very protective of his family!).
I was going to bed and as always went to give our dogs their “line up
time” – a piece of bread each/ dog biscuit treat.
T Bear refused his treat – which was extraordinary for him (he was very
greedy). So I looked at him and checked
him over and thought his tummy felt a bit tight….I went to get my husband and
when we both inspected him we realised his tummy was swelling up and looked
very bloated.
I phoned Ann. She had gone to
bed, but told me to bring T Bear in immediately. She explained that he needed an urgent
operation, basically his stomach had done a complete flip-over. Ann operated on T Bear that night and phoned
us back as she had offered and we had asked, some 3 hours later when she was
done. She saved T Bear’s life and for
weeks and weeks afterward, she did house calls to change his bandages. Some stitches didn’t hold and he had to be
re-stitched.
Ultimately Ann gave us another year and a half with our much loved old
dog. Sadly old age finally caught up with
T Bear and we had to have him put to sleep.
Ann came to our house and with compassion, tenderness, great care and
kindness she put our old T Bear to sleep.
I would have no hesitation in highly recommending Ann Quinn to anyone
who has a pet and indeed I have recommended her to many of my friends who have
pets……all whom I have told about Ann have switched to her expert care and now
go on to recommend her to their friends as well.
In a nut shell, Ann Quinn is a brilliant vet and she deserves to win
this prestigious award. I sincerely hope
she does. There are vets who are very
good vets, but Ann Quinn is outstanding, one in a million.
Thank you
PS I didn’t know how much to
write. I hope I havent’ written too much
! I could tell you a whole load more wonderful
stories of our experiences with Ann, if you need any additional information
please do not hesitate to contact me
0502-34002
PPS Decided to write some more
! See pages 4 on. Thank you for your patience.
In the countryside it’s really hard to find a really good small animals
vet, that’s genuinely interested in small animals. It’s next to impossible to find one that has
a 24-7 service.
Most vets will treat all animals, but the attitude in the countryside
towards pets seems to be “well, it’s only a dog/ cat”. This sort of attitude is I believe slowly
changing, especially with more and more people and their pets moving from the
cities to the countryside. However the
large animals/ livestock vets are still much in demand and kept very busy. So when there is a vet such as Ann Quinn
wanting to expand, improve and get more equipment etc for her small animal side
of her practice, this is wonderful, very much needed in our area and, I
believe, should be encouraged in every way possible.
Perhaps I should mention one of Ann’s more unusual experiences in brief…
Recently, only a few weeks ago, a swan was found with a fish hook in its
neck, which was successfully removed by Ann’s veterinary skills. The swan made a full recovery and has been
returned to the wild.
Ann is also very popular with transition year students seeking work
experience.
My daughter also did a week’s work experience in Ann’s veterinary
practice and was given a full range of experiences of what it’s like to be a
country vet (also what it’s like to be a woman
country vet !). They get a
substantial amount of teasing from some more old fashioned farmers and
individuals who are sceptical about the abilities of women vets. However once they have seen for themselves
how brilliant Ann is, they soon have a change of attidude. But for Ann and indeed other women vets, it
must be difficult at times to regularly have to overcome this prejudice.
Though Ann has never mentioned it, I discovered this through my daughter
when she was relating her experiences over the course of her week’s work
experience.
Ann Quinn is a young woman, married and has 2 toddlers and she has her
veterinary practice. She is a very
capable, dedicated young woman and I have the greatest regard for her.
I sincerely hope that you will be able to judge for yourselves what a
brilliant vet she is and award her your prestigious award. If all her patients could vote, they would
certainly all without exception give her their Number 1.
PS
Just had to include last night’s events to you before I post……
So I picked it up and raced into the house, we found a small box for it
and I phoned Ann Quinn. As usual
(although I’d say she had been asleep) she was cheerful. I explained the situation to her and she said
she would meet me in the surgery in ¼ of an hour. She also warned me that hedgehogs are usually
riddled with fleas and that she would give me something for our dogs so we
wouldn’t have a flea infestation.
With this unpleasant thought in mind, my husband and I put the hedgehog
in its box into a large paper carrier bag and sealed it with cellotape…..didn’t
want my car full of fleas !!
Anyway raced over to Ann’s surgery in Rathdowney by now it was
Ann chatted away and gave me some tubes of drops to put on our dog’s
back for the fleas and also explained that I should check them for any cuts or
abrasions on their skin as they could get ring worm from contact with the
hedgehog. She kept the hedgehog for
incineration and I went home. And yes,
as soon as I went home I put the drops on the dogs as I could see fleas
!!...Yuck !!
I applied the drops and so we are again now flea-les once more !
Ann insisted there was no charge for the hedgehog as it was wildlife and
refused anything for being called out so late.
So the whole incident is yet another example of Ann’s compassion (that
the hedgehog couldn’t be left suffering overnight), thoughtfulness about the
consequences of fleas/ ringworm for our dogs and consequently our house, etc
etc.
Poor little hedgehog, but thank goodness for Ann. The quality of her
care goes way beyond exceptional.
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinarian Nominated:
Hugh O’Callaghan, Crescent Veterinary Clinic,
Reason for Nomination:
We have been dealing with Hugh O’Callaghan and his team Michael and
Leane for a few years. We have known
Hugh since his involvement with Scallard Murphy. We have found him to be a very cool, caring
and excellent vet. His love for animals
is excellent and now that his is geared towards small animals they are
fortunate to have such a caring vet.
Last year we had a cat got caught in the engine of the car and Hugh and
his team worked on him and brought him around to be a healthy cat (Manx). After that we had another cat that had a
broken leg and once again Hugh and his team installed a pin and in a few weeks
the cat was perfect (Wanderer).
Just a few weeks ago our dog wasn’t well and we are glad to report that he
is in perfect health again. With
medication and a slight operation he is in the best of form (Mutty).
During the past two years we have had cats neutered and wormed and we even
get the recommended food to maintain them.
The receptionists and nurses are so friendly and are always so willing
to help and they cooperate in every way possible as do the vets themselves.
No words would describe the excellence of this practice.
END OF NOMINATION
LOUTH
Veterinary Nurse Nominated:
Orla Brennan, Bridge House Veterinary Clinic/JA Henry &
Boyle Veterinary, Coes Road, Dundalk, Co Louth Tel 042-9328000
Reason for Nomination:
Orla has shown a caring and unselfish approach to her job. She is great with the public. I am an inspector for the Louth SPCA have
called upon her at out of hours times and she never moans, just ready to
help. She has even housed animals for me
until the practise is open.
On one occasion I was very hurried and asked her on her day off to
transport dogs to
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinary Nurse Nominated:
Orla Brennan, Bridge House Veterinary Clinic/JA Henry &
Boyle Veterinary, Coes Road, Dundalk, Co Louth Tel 042-9328000
Reason for Nomination:
Orla has a lot of time and patience with animals and explains everything
to us. She is a very caring person and
loves animals but is very professional with clients. She goes out of her way for people and has
gone to great lengths to explain the care my dog needs. I find her a very trusting person.
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinary Nurse Nominated:
Orla Brennan, Bridge House Veterinary Clinic/JA Henry &
Boyle Veterinary, Coes Road, Dundalk, Co Louth Tel 042-9328000
Orla is a very compassionate and caring veterinary nurse, who has looked
after my children’s pets and is so comforting when our dog was sick. She is so dedicated she even took him home to
look after during the night. We have
complete trust in Orla and could not fault her in her nursing skills.
END OF NOMINATION
MAYO
Veterinarian Nominated:
Vivian Hussey, Lisgowel, Breaffy, Castlebar, Co. Mayo Tel 094-90 44832
Reason for Nomination:
As a Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals we have been dealing with Vivian hussey for 5
yrs, during which time he had already provided outstanding services for all our
rescued animals. However, he started his own practice in January,
2005, and has worked alone since then.
For the first time ever, we
do not have a problem contacting a vet as Vivian will visit the animal in
question with no charge for the visit, just the treatment. This has
made the largest single difference to obtaining urgent medical treatment for
our emergency, sometimes life threatening cases, it doesn't matter if it is
10.30 pm on a sunday evening and involves a round trip of 50 miles, Vivian
arrives, gives the best treatment at the most affordable price.
He has tempted dogs that had been so abused they had given up wanting to live,
and simply refused to eat, by taking his 'sunday roast' into
surgery. That was a dog huddled in a shop doorway with 4 broken
ribs and abrasions all over, she survived and made a beautiful dog.
The cat who was so depressed at the treatment it had received that he went and
purchased a tin of red salmon to tempt it to eat and thereafter to make a full
recovery.
In March of this year Vivian accompanied us to a cruelty case, making a round
trip of 80 miles (charge 40 euro for spending 2 and half hours at the scene)
thereafter taking in 13 dogs that were covered from head to paw in their own
excrement that they had been forced to live in for 2 years, some for 7 years,
cleaning and clipping, treating skin abcesses, de-fleaing, worming, assessing
their chances of ever being normal, which involved keeping them for 5 days in
his surgery. Together with 15 cats from the same case that had all
been locked in cars, again living in their own filth with severe gastric
problems.
The gard involved in this
case was actually vomiting at the stench, but Vivian lived with it for days,
his compassion and care being the call of any duty.
The kitten at 6 weeks old with a smashed leg. He pinned and saved
the leg, kitty making a complete recovery and now enjoying a great home.
The labrador whose leg was smashed by a vehicle that deliberately ran him
down. Vivian pinned and repaired the leg, the dog is fine.
The cat near death whose sternum was dislocated - Vivian wired it and the cat
is now recovering.
The discounted rate he gives to our Society for neutering and spaying, which
has made a huge difference to unwanted litters in the County.
We asked him to judge a dog show we held in June - he arrived late - we didn't
know his Wife had just given birth to a baby girl. He just got on
with the job in hand !
He makes visits to Schools, spends time with children and at pet stores
educating people and giving advice on the care of small animals.
He sends people to us that may offer a good home to a rescued animal after
losing their own pet.
Uses the latest vaccines, checks, worms and flea treats every animal we take
into him.
If we're stuck for where to put an animal he'll keep it and take a dog for
walks with his children, encourages a kitten or cat that is frightened to be
stroked and gently handled.
Gives excellent advice on correct diet for the animals we take in suffering
from severe malnutrition.
Scans every animal we take in for a microchip, in order to repatriate
lost/stolen animals with their owners.
I really could write a book about this man, his caring and compassion for all
animals, but the service he has given to us is excellent, we feel priviledged
to know him and can treat more animals for less money, deal with more
emergencies and save more lives thanks to him.
END OF NOMINATION
MEATH
Veterinarian Nominated:
Noel Foley, Smith & Foley, Ivy Cottages, New Lane,
Abbeylands, Navan, Co Meath Tel 046-9054016
Reason for Nomination:
It is so difficult describe
the appreciation and respect I have for our vet, Noel Foley. He has taken such
excellent care of our dogs since we moved to Meath eight years ago, he has
always shown overwhelming compassion for our dogs and appreciates that they are
as important as any member of the family.
Our dogs are so precious to
us and Noel has been a huge support to us in recent times. I always refer to
him as Saint Noel because I believe he is truly a gift to all of the animals
and their owners that have been fortunate enough to find him.
April 2004, began what was to be a very painful and heartbreaking time for us,
I returned home to find Jessie, our 14 year old collie, lying paralysed on the
kitchen floor, she had suffered a stroke, we took her straight to the clinic
where she was given injections and sent home without much hope, after three
days, she was, albeit very shakey, back up on her paws and able to walk around
again, about five months later, she had another stroke and again there didn't seem
to be very much that could be done, but after two days, she was back up and
about again. Never once was there a suggestion of euthanasia, she was
cared for and treated against all hope, with respect and kindness and she still
lives to tell the tale.
Within two weeks of Jessie's first stroke, Troy, one of our two nine year old
Rottie's started to cough and within days he was literally dying as we looked
at him, he was treated for bronchitis initially but after a couple of days Noel
insisted that further investigations were needed because he was fading so
quickly, he ran blood tests and we discovered that Troy had lymphoma.
We took him to the
Noel was so supportive and
caring during this difficult time, he was available at all times to answer
questions, adjust medications and advise us on what was best for him.
And now, not one year on from losing our precious boy, his brother, Jake has
become ill. It started with what appeared to be a kidney infection and
when after two days on antibiotics I rang Noel and said that I didn't feel that
he was right, he said "bring him straight in" He had a hectic surgical
schedule that day but took us between procedures.
He told me that he always
listens to the instincts of his patient's owner and did a blood test there and
then. I waited anxiously with Jake for the results, fearing the worst news,
Noel called us in and told me that Jake was a diabetic and he would need
insulin injections, a special diet, and a very strict routine from there
on.
We had to return each day for
blood tests until he was stabilised. Jake is now 21 days on treatment, we
are still trying to find the correct dose of insulin for him, 'Saint' Noel has
been in daily contact with me since, he has even phoned on a Saturday evening,
to see if we need to adjust his insulin he has assured me that I can call him
at any time should we need him. Once again he is our pillar of strength
and is providing us with the hope that we will have much treasured extra time
with Jake.
Words cannot describe the comfort there is in walking out of Noel's
consultation room and feeling completely confident in the advice and treatment
that you and your dog have been given, and in such a loving and caring
manner. I never fail to smile when Noel plants a kiss or a big pat on my
dog's head and tells him that he's lovely. He has so much love for his
patients and it certainly shows in his work, it is no wonder that the surgery
reception is always full of thank you cards and flowers from grateful owners
who he has saved from the devastation of losing a much loved family member.
Noel Foley is one of the kindest and most compassionate people I have ever met.
He has a rare appreciation of what a dog can mean to a person, the way that he
listens, encourages and enables the owner to be instrumental in the care of
their dog during their latter years and indeed their final months makes the tough
times just that little bit easier to bear. In my mind and in the minds of
my four-legged family, he is the ultimate Saint to Animal's!
END OF NOMINATIONS
ROSCOMMON
Veterinarian Nominated:
Catherine O’Roarke, All Creatures Vet Clinic, Lanesboro
Street, Roscommon Tel 0906-626898
Reason for Nomination:
During the month of June 05
our beloved dog, Dottie was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. We were
devastated. She had been with us since the age of approximately 6 weeks when
she was found on the railway tracks near our home. She was clinging to her
mother who had been killed by a train.
We had loved her dearly every
day of her life and she had given us so much love. During her life she had a
ligament replaced in her leg and she had been ill a few times. All our
other pets are grieving for her, especially her best buddy Jack who cuddled up
to her every day as did our cat Millie who slept with her at night.
Catherine our vet was aware of how precious Dottie was. She visited our home
several times rather than disturb Dottie in her final weeks. We were given all
her drugs and taught how to administer them and this gave us a sense of being
involved in Dottie's palliative care and therefore helped us to feel that we
were making her comfortable. Catherine rang to check how it was going several
times.
In Dottie's last week, Catherine saw her daily and when the time came to make
that decision, Catherine came to the house and put Dottie gently to sleep. She
was kind compassionate, unobtrusive and she quietly slipped away when we were
holding our darling for the last time.
A few days later, Jack was not eating and Catherine saw him immediately. She
advised us to give him special attention as he was missing his best friend.
I feel as if we have the best
vet in the world. I have had bad experiences with a vet in the past. Having
lived both abroad and always had pets, I am aware that not all are concerned
with pet animals. I feel confident that I have only to pick up the phone for
Catherine's advice at any time of the day or night.
I would also like to mention
that Elvis one of my donkeys was abused before he came to our family and he is
terrified of having his hooves trimmed. All Creature's vet, James comes
regularly to sedate Elvis so he does not have to suffer that fear.
I sincerely feel that our family has the best vet in the world.
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinarian Nominated:
Niamh Lee, St Benedict’s
Veterinary Clinic,
Reason for Nomination:
When my westy, Spud, got very ill with fibrosis of the lungs, Niamh gave
me the support I so badly needed as I faced losing a bright and faithful
friend. With Niamh’s help we kept Spud
as well as possible for as long as possible.
However one morning as I watched helplessly, I rang Niamh as I felt
desperate having no control of the situation.
Niamh reassured me and suggested I bring my dog to her for the day and
she would observe him.
On collecting him that evening he was still ill but in good form and
Niamh said he was surprisingly bright. A
short time later, my Spud died and I felt a bit stronger and able to face
it. Niamh throughout all this time told
me if any time I was worried about him I could ring her and she would see him
for me.
It was a sad situation with an inevitability about it, but made so much
more bearable with the help and reassurance of a real vet with a genuine love
of animals.
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinary Team Nominated:
Riverside Veterinary Hospital,
Davitt’s Quay, Dungarvan, Co.
Reason for Nomination:
I have 3,dogs and 2,
cats each a very well valued member of my family, as any human my
pets also deserve the best health care that I could possibly give them. To me that is
I feel that the whole team at
My dog Heidi suffered with
cancer about 18,months ago. We
took her to
No matter if it was out of
hours we knew we could phone and anything that we were worried about we would
be given the answers straight away. We
were so upset when she was diagonsed with cancer but the team did everything in
their power to reassure us and keep us positive. We were also worried about the costs as
everyone who owns pets knows it can become very expensive.
But Riverside were amazing
they gave so many options on payment that the worry just wasn't there, we
could concentrate on Heidi rather then how we was going to pay for her. During the time that Heidi was in
Our other pets have been to Riverside
too and they are all well known and are very happy with going there, which is
to our advantage and it is all down to the care in which they receive from the
dedicated team from Riverside.
I would like
I know my self that if my
pets could talk they would not only praise the team for
all their work but also thank them for giving Heidi the best chance in life and
their friend back home,
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinary Team Nominated:
Riverside Veterinary Hospital,
Davitt’s Quay, Dungarvan, Co.
Reason for Nomination:
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE
Pat has an in depth knowledge of small animals, including unusual conditions
EQUIPMENT
The practice has on site a superb range of equipment e.g. ECG, Blood tests,
ultrasound, Xray, modern anaesthetics etc.
AVAILABILITY
pat and his team are always available (and cheerful) day, night or weekends
KINDNESS AND CARE
Pat and his team are all willing to help with animal hospital or home
care. They also play a key role in dog rescue locally
QUALITY OF CARE
Always first class, quick, accurate and effective.
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinary Team Nominated:
Riverside Veterinary Hospital,
Davitt’s Quay, Dungarvan, Co.
Reason for Nomination:
I have as you can see, a wide range of pets. Pat (vet) has treated, 2 weeks ago, Sparky a
dog who was poisoned. He and Helen,
nurse, acted swiftly and with great care to save him.
Donal (vet) has been wonderful with my horses. He has great empathy. Dino 18 hh was nervous and difficult to
handle and Donal gained his trust. Helen
(practise manager) is always so kind and helpful and friendly.
All my animals have been attended by the practise at sometime, except
Freeebee, who came from the practice.
She is a lovely young cat who had
been taken to the vet to be put down.
They, of course, wouldn’t do it and I rehomed her – hence the name
Freebee as she cost me nothing !
The cat, Treacle, was a feral kitten who appeared around our yard
with a badly damaged foot. We managed to catch her and the leg had to be
amputated. Again, the whole team were
wonderful and now we have a confident, happy, tripod !
I couldn’t pick out one member of the team as they are all great. I always feel confident that they are there
for me and my animals and will help speedily, kindly and with great
professionalism. If any practice
deserves an award, they do.
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinary Team Nominated:
Riverside Veterinary Hospital,
Davitt’s Quay, Dungarvan, Co.
Reason for Nomination:
They are an amazing team. We are
so fortunate to have a practice of this high calibre in such a small town as
Dungarvan. Why are they so great ?
1) From the receptionist,
to the practice nurse, to both vets, all are skilled, efficient, caring and
compassionate
2) Their clinical care and
expertise is outstanding
3) Their attention to
hygiene and post operative care is excellent – in 10 years and numerous
accidents/ injuries to our working dogs, we have NEVER had to deal with
secondary infections
4) They are ALWAYS
accessible
5) They show great empathy
in distressing circumstances
6) It’s to THIS practice
that all the strays, road casualties and unwanted pets are taken. They are cared for, operated on and rehomed
by the practice
7) We have had animals for
more than 50 years, experienced numerous good vets but NEVER such a team as
this
** They are great !!!
** Oh yes, they’re very up to date too
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinary Team Nominated:
Riverside Veterinary Hospital,
Davitt’s Quay, Dungarvan, Co.
Reason for Nomination:
Without exception the whole team has shown great concern for the dogs,
both in gentleness and medical treatment and general care.
Towards myself (the owner of the dogs) they are always courteous and
helpful. Advice and guidance about the care
and management of the dogs is readily available (without charge) as have offers
to pick up and deliver dogs back to me on the odd occasion when I was unwell.
The younger vet Donal has even delivered food to my home for the dogs,
in his own car and in his own time – again without charge. As I am a pensioner these gestures of
kindness make a huge difference.
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinary Team Nominated:
Riverside Veterinary Hospital,
Davitt’s Quay, Dungarvan, Co.
Reason for Nomination:
I have brought my pets to the Riverside Veterinary Clinic over the past
10 years and have always received the best veterinary care and service from the
entire team. They all show a genuine
heartfelt interest in the welfare of each indidivual pet and are always
forthcoming with practical advice on how to care for my pets – be they sick or
unwell.
Vets Pat Morrissey and Donal O’Mahony have handled every pet “emergency”
or treatment with great professionalism and expertise. Their obvious enthusiasm for animal welfare
is contagious. I always have 100%
confidence in their ability to treat my pets.
Both vets are ably supported by nurse Helen Gould and receptionist Helen
Walsh. The clinic benefits from the
latest in pet care technology and is a one stop shop for everything my pets
need – from grooming to dietary advice.
There are so many reasons I would like to nominate my veterinary team,
but the main reason is that I would like to thank them for all they have done
for me and my pets over the years. Thanks
lads !
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinary Team Nominated:
Riverside Veterinary Hospital,
Davitt’s Quay, Dungarvan, Co.
Reason for Nomination:
Our Yorkshire terrier dog named Gio has had poor health and as a result
was seen quite frequently by several vets and even a specialist consultant in
the
Both Patrick Morrissey and Donal O’Mahony have been excellent in their
diagnosis of Gio’s problems and the treatment and care, including surgery that
followed has been outstanding. They are
of course very ably supported by their veterinary nurse Helen Gould and
Practice manager Helen Walsh. As a team
they always seem to have the time and skills to attend not only the pet’s needs
but the concern of the owner too. Gio is
now in good health thanks to the practice team.
I would therefore like to nominate the
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinary Team Nominated:
Riverside Veterinary Hospital,
Davitt’s Quay, Dungarvan, Co.
Reason for Nomination:
The whole approach offered by this veterinary pratice is a very
professional one. All members of staff
have found a great balance in showing care for people’s pets and providing
whatever information is necessary or required for the client.
When our 3 cats were taken sick earlier this year the care and attention
they were offered was excellent. For us,
the timing couldn’t have been worse as we were about to leave the country for 5
days. But
I feel very lucky to have the team at
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinary Team Nominated:
Riverside Veterinary Hospital,
Davitt’s Quay, Dungarvan, Co.
Reason for Nomination:
Patrick Morrissy, Donal O’Mahony and Helen Gould have twice saved the
lives of the above cats.
The first cat, Monty, was found abandoned at our home as a tiny kitten
and was suffering severely from cat flu – subsequent vet care over a period of
six months means that this little kitten now weighs 9 lbs and is allowed out to
hunt at night.
The second cat, Meek (who looked like your photo on the entry form) –
was thrown from a car at the top of the driveway – aged about 5 weeks on 10
December last. He had a severe umbilical
hernia and we waited 3 weeks until a little larger before operating. The operation was massive and it
required both Donal and Pat working together.
The kitten lost 50% of its insides and survival was questionable. But today he is a magnificent, 11 lb cat, a
great pal of Monty and a superb hunter.
All thanks to
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinary Team Nominated:
Riverside Veterinary Hospital,
Davitt’s Quay, Dungarvan, Co.
Reason for Nomination:
About six week ago our cat
Gizmo went missing on Saturday afternoon he did not return as he usually would
for his food. We searched for him all day on Sunday and on Monday moring I went
out looking for him again at 11.30 I heard a terrible lound meow out in the
back I knew it was Gizmo and there was something wrong. The first thing I saw
was one of his back legs was completely skinned of fur and swollen about three
times it normal size. When I picked him up I realized that some one had tried
to set fire to him.
Gizmo’s tail was badly bruned
and you could see the bone in his tail in three different places. His other
back leg also had been badly injured. He was covered in blue bottle and maggots.
I took him immediately to
Gizmo’s leg had been tied by
rope the blood supplied to his back leg had been cut off. His leg that was
skinned had to be amputated. His tail Pat said he would leave for a day or two
to see if it could be saved.His other leg was causing some worries as well
there was a hole in his ankle and the pads of his paws were all skinned. Pat
said he felt with right treatment it would be ok.
Pat took me in to see Gizmo
after the ampution. He was lying on a
electrical blanket with a drip on him. Gizmo was there for a number of days I
called to see him every day and you could see he was getting better.Gizmos back
leg was been massaged by Pat and Helen every hour they were happy with the leg
his tail in the end had to be completely removed as it was badly burned and his
back side needed reconstruction.
Gizmo is now doing fine and
is starting to get his independence back again. I believe the care and
attention that he was given by Pat and Helan and all the team was remarkable
and only for them we would not have Gizmo with us today.
I also know I was not charged
for all the time they put in looking after Gizmo and I’ve been back for check
ups with him and there’s been no charge. When I took Gizmo to Pat the first day
he said he would do every and any thing for Gizmo and he did and that’s why I
am putting them forward.
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinary Team Nominated:
Riverside Veterinary Hospital,
Davitt’s Quay, Dungarvan, Co.
Reason
for Nomination:
We bought Jenny at the age of 18 months from a breeder. She was thin,
undernourished and infested with lice eggs.
After taking her to a vet to be checked over and treated and a dog trainer, we found out that Jenny had also
been cruelly treated and had her two front teeth missing. She was extremely frightened of men and very
wary of people generally.
Now after much TLC Jenny is becoming a healthy, happy and confident
little dog with a loving personality of her own. Jenny has grown so attached to me that I
thought I would never to able to leave her with anyone to go on holidays or to
travel back and forward to Wales because she doesn’t like travelling by car.
Which is where Helen Gould, the veterinary nurse at
Helen has a kennels for dogs where Jenny stays when I go away. Because Helen has dealt with abused dogs
before, she understood from the beginning how anxious I was that Jenny would be
looked after and given a bit of extra TLC.
When I collect Jenny from Helen she is a happy and confident little dog
and I always get an update on her behaviour and how she is improvidng and also
advice.
Helen also trims and grooms Jenny for me and she also advises me on
nutritious food to build Jenny up. Any
advice I need, I know I can take Jenny to Helen for professional and friendly
advice.
Also 9 months ago, we lost our beloved dog Barney to cancer. When Barney was ill one morning I took him
straight to Helen who looked after him until the vet could operate. Unfortunately nothing could be done but Helen
knew Barney well after treating him at the vet’s for numerous minor complaints.
She was very sympathetic and knew how much Barney meant to us.
When I am at the vets I have noticed how caring she is with other pets
and owners and how keen she is on finding good homes for unwanted pups and
kittens. Helen is very dedicated to her
job and obviously enjoys her work very much, as well as being very
professional.
Helen is a great asset to
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinary Team Nominated:
Riverside Veterinary Hospital,
Davitt’s Quay, Dungarvan, Co.
Reason for Nomination:
The care and attention is second to none. We have been to other vets and none come
anywhere close to
Great care is always taken and scans, cauterising etc done with great
tenderness (though firm). No medical
problem is left hanging “to see” and no physical injury is too much.
Helen (nurse) has shown up the (human) hospital nurses I’ve had to deal
with over the years. Always
friendly. Always attentive.
It says it all that when we meet any of the staff out and about, Grainne
is the one to show most joy at greeting them.
A great team and a great practice, born out of their obvious love for
animals.
END OF NOMINATION
WEXFORD
Veterinarian Nominated:
Richard Bramley, Gubbins
& O’Shea Veterinary, The Veterinary
Centre,
Tel 053-45755
Reason for Nomination:
My dog Heidi was 12 years old when we first met Richard in the
Veterinary Centre. On that occasion she
was diagnosed with diabetes and then began her routine of feeding and having
insulin therapy.
She had regular assessments with Richard to monitor her blood
sugars. At all times his kind and caring
approach to my dog and to me were paramount.
Trust in your vet and his expertise are part of all healing. It came as no surprise to find him ringing me
to see how she was and how I was coping.
This to me was a new experience and showed a caring beyond the clinic
visits.
Some months ago, my collie was diagnosed with liver cancer. A great shock it came to our family, but
Richard persevered during her final months to give her a painfree life, new
treatment when different symptoms came along and most of all encouragement and
support to me when times were hard. We
had always discussed Heidi’s future if her condition became worse, which came
to pass on the weekend of the 19th August.
As her final days drew near, Richard became a wonderful source of
support and strength. It was a very emotional time here in our home, as my
teenage children, my husband and especially myself had all our unique
friendships with Heidi.
On Thursday 25th August at
A vet’s life is to heal and when illness takes over and death happens,
they have feelings too. Later that
evening when sadness has enveloped our home, the phone rang and it was Richard,
enquiring how I was coping. His words
were of praise for the way I had taken care of Heidi during her life and
especially in the last 12 months, also of encouragement in the days ahead, when
our house would seem empty with Heidi gone.
On a personal note I feel - and I’m sure there are many other people –
are blessed to have Richard take care of our pets. He has a wonderful knowledge of his chosen
career and has a wonderful human side to complement it. And as the days pass, I won’t be surprised to
hear him on the phone again, checking on me.
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinary Team Nominated:
Gubbins & O’Shea
Veterinary, The Veterinary Centre,
Reason for Nomination:
I have been attending the above practice for over 2 ½ years and the
kindness, care and professionalism and compassion is incredible.
Richard Bramley is the vet I nearly always attend with my cats and he is
so kind, gentle and truly genuine. Four
of my cats are hand reared by me.
Podge and Rodge were found in a skip, left to die, at approx 2 days and
Jerry and Stuard at approx 2 weeks, so therefore I would have frequent visits –
nothing is too much trouble to him.
Richard is a big man i.e. 6’4” approx I’d say, but by God his
personality matches his size. Although
he always shrugs off any complements, he is in fact I’d say, a very shy
person. Brian O’Shea and Dan Gubbins
have also stepped in to help me when Richard has been on A. L and again,
Kindness and care and love, just 100%.
From the minute you walk in that door you meet either Michelle or Edel
or the nurse Lynn – they’re great. I’m a
great believer in that if you have it 100% at top, it works its way down in a
business or whatever. They all love
their job – well they must, because it just shows in their care and manner.
I’m not very good at words but believe me, if your committee do not go
and meet these people and see for yourselves, you really are missing out big
time. If anyone in this country deserves
recognition its Richard Bramley and his co-workers.
What more can I say to you all to persuade you to meet them . I don’t know, but please do. I love my cats and wouldn’t let anyone be
cruel to them or any animal but these people are just ace !
Please please go meet them. Sorry
for rattling on. Thank you and take
care.
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinarian Nominated:
Annette Quegan, The Pet Vet, Kerlogue Business Park,
Wexford & Wexford Road, New Ross, Co. Wexford
Tel 053-26523
Reason for Nomination:
It’s around 10 years ago since I first met Annette. I brought my adorable dog Prince, a golden
cocker spaniel, down to the practice where she worked to have him groomed. When he was there, she checked him over. I didn’t know anything about her at the
time. The odd time I had needed a vet
previous to that I would have went to a more local one, I was just bringing him
to be groomed that day and was lucky enough that Annette was there.
The examination she gave him was so thorough and it was all explained to
me so well when I collected Prince. I
remember thinking how good the care was and from then on I began to bring all
our animals to that practice. It’s since
then that I have seen the most amazing care being given to my animals by
Annette. There have been so many
occasions where her expert work and genuine care and compassion for my animals
deem her more than worthy of winning this prize.
When I first started to attend Annette I had two dogs, Jack and
Prince. I’d had them since I was nine
years old and I adored them, really adored them. Everybody in the house loved them. Over the
years then we took in stray kittens and we now have six !
Annette has treated all of our animals except one cat called Chesney who
hasn’t needed attention yet. We are so
lucky to have her as our vet. There were
times in the early days that Annette wasn’t always available and another vet in
the practice would be in duty. That was
fine and we’d be very well looked after by whoever we saw, but as time went on
and Jack and Prince got older and more ill, I used to ask specifically for
Annette. I just felt happy once she had
seen them.
I was very attached to Jack and Prince and as they grew older and their
health deteriorated, Annette was just fantastic. There was one occasion when Prince became ill
late at night and I brought him to a more local vet. That visit made me see all the more clearly
how great Annette is. The other vet
seemed more put out that I had bothered him than he was worried about Prince. He briefly examined him, said it was old age
and sent us home.
Annette had always been so thorough and kind with Prince. Jack and Prince both had lots of
complications in their old age. Annette
did so many tests on them and kept them going with all sorts of tablets and
medicines.
Jack was the first I had to say goodbye to. She had done everything possible for him, but
at 16 ½ years, he was unable to go on any longer. He collapsed on evening and I brought him
straight in. I knew it wasn’t good but hoped he’d pull through. When Annette examined him she told me it was
near the end and there was nothing else she could do. It hit me like a tonne of bricks and I got
very upset.
She was so kind and understanding.
I asked if we could do anything at all and she said she’d try putting
him on the drip, but it probably wouldn’t help. Once I knew he was in no pain I told her to try. She kept Jack overnight and said I could come
in early next morning. I took the day
off work and arrived very early. When
Annette examined him there had been no improvement. He was actually after slipping more.
Then I knew I had to say goodbye and I was devastated. Annette and the girl working with her were so
lovely and so understanding. Annette
told me I could have a room to myself so I could bring in Jack and spend time
with him before the end. She explained
everything to me so well and never rushed me in any way. When the time came to say goodbye, it was so
hard, but I’m so glad it was her that was with us.
Prince was also very old at this stage and had many complications. I am firmly convinced that if it hadn’t been
for Annette, he would have died at least a year earlier than he did.
I grew even more attached tto him over the last couple of years of his
life, probably because he was so vulnerable and needed so much care and
attention. I will never forget the night
I brought him to Annette and she said there was nothing more she could do for
him. During our previous two visits she
had told me he was slipping a lot and I knew it was coming, but I was still
devastated.
That night I was very late coming home from work. The first thing I did was go in to Prince to
give him a cuddle. When I got to him I
knew he was very ill. He wasn’t moving
and I couldn’t get him to wake up. It
was very late so I knew there was a good chance that I wouldn’t get Annette
when I phoned the practice. I really
hoped she would be there but she wasn’t
there was another vet doing night duty.
Prince needed help immediately so we left straight away. Mammy and Daddy came with me as I was very
upset.
We arrived before the vet. I was
standing in the yard when the car drove in and I clearly remember a wave of
relief coming over me when I saw Annette stepping out of it. I don’t know what happened to the other vet
or why Annette was there, but we were glad to see her. It was such a help knowing that whatever the
outcome, Prince was in her hands.
When she examined him she knew there was nothing more she could do. Deep down I knew it myself but when I heard
her say it, I was gutted. He had been a
major part of my life since I was nine and the thought of losing him was so
painful. I cried my heart out and I just
couldn’t give Annette the go ahead to put him asleep, even though I knew it had
to be done.
This was around
I got to hold Prince in my arms and say goodbye to him as he peacefully
slipped away. I will never ever forget
Annette that night. It meant so much to have that time and to have everything
explained so well. She was so patient
and kind. I’ve never seen or heard of
another vet who showed such compassion.
And she is genuine. She is a
naturally gifted vet in every way.
Up to that night, Mammy and Daddy used to be asking me why I always
travelled 13 miles to a vet, when there were other vets so close to home. After being there with me that night they now
know the answer to that question. They
saw her for themselves.
Since then Annette has gone out on her own. I was delighted when I heard she had. Now when I ring to make an appointment I am
sure of seeing her.
She has also treated my cats and the same level of care has always been
shown to them. There are so many
examples I could use to prove her a worthy winner of this prize, but I’d be
writing all day, so I’ll just give you one:
We found a little kitten outside a couple of weeks ago and he was in a
dreadful state. We brought him to
Annette and she said he was one of the worst cases of neglect she had ever
seen. She kept him overnight and treated
him for all his problems. This involved
washing twice to start off with. She put
him on lots of medication and he was coming along really well.
Then disaster struck last night when he was attacked by a dog. It was a miracle that he was still
alive. I phoned Annette straight away
and she said to come straight in. It was
late into the evening and after a long hard day , it can’t have been very nice
to have to come back to a surgery, but she came straight away.
She examined the little fella (we haven’t even named him yet) and saw
damage straight away. Some of his little
ribs were broken and there was a tear in one of his lungs. She also felt damage to his stomach. The poor little thing was also in complete
shock.
You should have seen how Annette cuddled him under her chin ! She took him home with her and said the next
12 hours would be critical. We were so
worried. The phone rang a couple of
hours later and it was Annette. She
phoned to tell us how he was doing. He
had picked up a little and drank a little for her. We were over the moon. It was so good of her to ring. We would have been wondering all night and
even though he still wasn’t out of the woods, there was an improvement.
Then this morning I got a text from Annette telling me he was doing fine
so far and that she’d be re-assessing him later. It is so good and kind of her to keep us
informed like that. When you love your
animals you worry such much when they are sick and having someone like Annette
looking after them is definitely the best thing you can do for them.
As I am writing this our little kitten is still under her care. I was talking to her this evening and she
said she’d probably keep him until Friday.
I am praying that he will be okay but whatever happens I know he is
getting the best care possible.
There are many other times I could write about because each time I bring
one of our pets to Annette they receive care and attention worthy of the
highest praise. This is my first time
nominating her for this prize and I only wish that I was a more able writer
because I know for a fact that whatever I write, couldn’t possibly explain to
the person reading this how brilliant our vet is.
She is so genuine in her love for animals and I always know that once
she has treated our pets they are getting the best treatment possible.
I consider our pets to be members of the family and love them with all
my heart. Losing Jack and Prince were
two huge losses in my life and I will never ever forget the genuine care they
got from Annette during their lives and the patience and compassion that she
showed me during the heartbreaking experience of saying goodbye to them.
I never thanked her properly for all that she did and continues to do
for us, so I would like to use this as an opportunity to do so.
THANK YOU ANNETTE FROM THE
BOTTOM OF MY HEART.
And thank you on behalf of Prince, Jack, Mud, Socks, Emily, Skinny and
even though you haven’t met Chesney yet, I’m thanking you on behalf of him in
advance, because he is due a visit very soon !
END OF NOMINATION
Veterinarian Nominated:
Annette Quegan, The Pet Vet, Kerlogue Business Park,
Wexford & Wexford Road, New Ross, Co. Wexford
Tel 053-26523 / 051-445484
Reason for Nomination:
I rescued a cat who had been shot and beaten. I rang Annette and asked
her if she could look at the cat for me and explained that I had found the cat.
So I brought the cat in and even though this cat was in a lot of pain, all he
did was “purr”. So Annette and her team
quickly took the cat in to their expert care.
Annette took loads of x rays and discovered that the cat had been badly
injured to the extent that there was fragments all through the cat’s body,
there was a hole in his upper body and his leg was so bad, that it was in pulp
inside.
This cat wasn’t mine so I asked her to contact some of the animal health
services to see if they would cover half of the expenses and I would have paid
the rest, but to no avail. The cat was
so lovely he couldn’t be put to sleep.
So Annette said she would look after all the expenses.
She had to amputate his rear leg,, nurse him back, get him walking. She carried out his operation, she was very
worried about his pelvis and she cared for him in her surgery for the next
couple of weeks on antibiotics and special food “sensitivity.” This cat survived his ordeal only because
Annette is such a caring and professional person.
END OF NOMINATION
WICKLOW
Veterinary Team Nominated:
Reason for Nomination:
It would be unfair to
nominate any single member of the BrayVet team as all staff are worthy of
nomination. It is truly a team - based collaboaraive approach to
Companion Animal Care with everyone contributing in a most professional and
compassionate manner to animals and their owners
Our relationship with BrayVet goes back more than twenty two years and
three pet animals(all dogs) - Bruno and Che who have both since died,and our
current pet Fudge.
A little story on each:
Bruno was a terrier cross who had a stroke at 13 1/2years and had to be
euthanised shortly afterwards. The care and respect to our beloved
animal, and the compassion to us from Pete (Wedderburn) will never be
forgotten. It was our first experience of this trauma,yet it was lessened by
the humanity of Pete.
Che our beloved terrier cross developed Diabetes at 10 years of age and he was
beautifully managed for over 6 1/2 years by the team at BrayVet,
appearing on such programmes as Pets have Problems too(radio)and Beastly
Behaviour(TV) where we visited children with Diabetes on camp. It was a
wonderful experience with the children asking all sorts of questions about the
dog, his injections, his food, and how we would know if he had a 'hypo'.
More importantly it showed a positive approach to managing Diabetes in animals
rather than the often rash decision to put the animal'to sleep'.We had
many scary moments with Che,like the time he ate a box of chocolates(blood
sugars and chocolate itself to worry about),or the time he got food poisoning,
but always the issues were dealt with calmly and professionally
I am a paediatric dietitian
and between Che,myself and the BrayVet team we revolutionised the
care for diabetic dogs at the practice, using BLOOD monitoring(instead of
urine), giving multiple daily injections, and tailoring his diet using
normal dog food(instead of commercially produced products) It was
always a partnership with information flowing both ways, and the team
were always willing to take suggestions on board.
Che eventually died 4 years
ago, and he is still missed but he has left behind his legacy, and the staff still
remember him when we call.
Fudge is an 11 year old King
Charles Spanniel who is delightful. However, he was recently run over,and,once
I realised he was alive, I immediately rang BrayVet. The calm voice of
Mary reassured me to 'bring him down and Pete would see him immediately', the
concern for my husband who had witnessed the accident,and the thorough
professionalism of Pete in examining a terrriorised animal are all testimony to
the worthiness of the nomination for this special vetinary clinic for the
award.
Nobody likes having to go to the vets with their sick animal .The focus of
BrayVet encompasses the care of the patient(who very often cannot explain
what's wrong)and the carers and is an excellent example of how a clinic SHOULD
be run.The clinic is welcoming, supportive,caring and professional - I feel it
is a privilege be associated for such a long time
END OF NOMINATION