Caroline Pallister, Carol Wilson (Receptionists), Penny Dyer RVN & Sarah Middleton MRCVS
I graduated from The University of Liverpool not wanting to deal with anything smaller than a Shetland pony! After a very intensive year in mixed practice in rural Richmond I decided to hang up the wellies and keep the large animals as a hobby and focus on small animals.
I then spent three and a half years working on the North East coast in a small animal practice where I worked mainly at the branch surgery in Seaham. This enabled me to gain valuable experience of building relationships with clients and coping as the sole vet – sometimes a little scary, one instance being the Chihuahua presented with her eye hanging from the socket. I’m happy to say that all went well and everything was restored to its rightful place!
I particularly like cats and have completed my General Practitioner Certificate in Feline Practice in July 2008 having successfully passed the written exam and case report. Achieving this qualification was very interesting as I have gained important insights into feline medicine and behaviour.
Together with my partner Paul, we have 3 rescue cats – Merlin who I obtained as a stray in Richmond in 2003, Marmalade who joined us in August 2007 and Pudden who was brought in as a stray to SimplyCats in 2009. I have a horse called Victor who I try to ride as often as I can – not easy when trying to run a practice. Chloe is an elderly Lhasa Apso we obtained in February 2007 as she was going to be put to sleep.
I was born and brought up in Morpeth, Northumberland, where my parents still live. After doing A levels at King Edwards in Morpeth I went to Liverpool vet school and spent 5 years there learning all about animals, beer and Liverpool hopefully in that order.
I have always been interested in Cats and Horses and in fact actually joined the Feline Advisory Bureau in 1983 an early member.
I then entered mixed practice in Malton North Yorkshire, and Hexham Northumberland where I spent 4 and 3 years respectively. The work load was 60% small and 40% large, including doing all the Zoo work at Flamingo land as it was then in North Yorkshire. This was definitely different, from rasping Zebra’s teeth, sedating tigers for export to Romania and chasing an escaped Orang-Utan, it shouldn’t happen to a vet as Mr Herriot would say.
I then spent the next 3 years in mainly small animal practice including work in a specialist small animal hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne. However due to the senior partner of a small mixed practice having a severe car crash I was asked to run a country practice in Corbridge and one thing led to another and I started up a 1 1/2 man mainly large animal (cattle and Horses )practice with another vet which grew to become a 80% equine, 7 vets practice with full surgical facilities in Northumberland.
However after nearly 17 years here I was offered the chance to follow the second of my passions cats and be involved with Sarah setting up a cats only practice on the borders of Durham, Sunderland and Tyne and Wear at Fencehouses. Sarah and I always felt cats had a rough deal at traditional vets as most practices are canine orientated rather than feline specialists. Cats are so different we felt they really deserved their own cat specific vet practice providing a high standard of feline care in a cat friendly stress free environment. We started to imagine what it would be like with no barking dogs, no smells and every member of staff being a cat lover.
A cat that has to sit in a waiting room full of noisy dogs is likely to become very stressed, and this affects it in many ways. The cat is more difficult to examine, has increased heart rate and blood pressure and lab tests (eg blood sugar levels) are also commonly affected. It is also important to remember that the most stressful time for many cats is recovering from surgery or being hospitalised in the clinic for medical treatment. Sarah and I feel in this situation cats should be recovering in cat only wards free of strange smells and noise, and this too is essential to encouraging a more rapid recovery from illness. It also makes for a more stress-free time for the vets and owners, as remember if the cats are not stressed their humans are stress free too!
A wonderful example of this dream was reinforced when we went to have a look around the new small animal hospital in Liverpool during Feb 2009. We got to see the cat unit with a resident Siamese cat on its back and looking as relaxed as only cats can in his hospital cage. All was peace and quiet with no smells at all in the feline unit. However we then walked 20 yards down the corridor into the canine kennels and hospitalisation area and our senses were overwhelmed by barking dogs and the strong odour of dog faeces and urine, despite the standards of care and cleaning being very high. Cats and dogs inhabit 2 different worlds and we hope to have recreated a stress free utopian cat environment at our new clinic ;-) for both cats and clients.
Marmalade relaxes on his cat sized computer and surf board…
The next few years after pulling out of my partnership were spent attending feline vet conferences all over the world including Prague and Edinburgh so I was up to date with all aspects of feline medicine and surgery. Sarah also obtained her certificate in feline general practice after 2 years of study, an exam and final dissertation. A property was finally found that gave us all we needed for the practice with great easy road access and parking opposite. Building work started at the beginning of February 2009 and we finally opened on 5th May 2009.
Paul will also carry on with his horse work. Doing some work from the clinic and he is also still working for his old practice at Bearl Equine as a locum vet.
Vio Doran: Vet
I was born in Romania where I studied, and there, my first encounter with animals happened (being a concrete boy...).
I was attracted to them so much that I decided to be a vet. It wasn’t so easy as I found out after 6 years in university and a lot of hard work!
After qualifying I started to work in mixed animal practice about 9 years ago - time flies.... treating dogs, cats and horses on equal shares. I then moved towards small animal first opinion practices, leaving horses and farm animals aside.
Then I moved to North East of England, a place that very much resembles my home country. I spent another two and a half years working in small animal practice until I decided to alter my career path to again include horses (thanks to Paul...)
My passions include: riding my motor bike on very very muddy country roads, photography - especially wildlife, reptiles and creepy crawlies, reading and hard rock music.
Together, with my partner, Helen we own a Jack Russell terrier called Tinka and a Chilean Rose Tarantula called Rosie.
Penny Dyer RVN: Head Nurse
I started working as a veterinary nurse ten years ago. I have worked in both mixed and small animal practice and have enjoyed the experience of both. When the opportunity to work in a cat only practice arose I jumped at the chance. I love all animals but have a special place in my life for cats and kittens and will surely end up being a mad old cat lady! I am a mum to a 13 year old boy, called Connor, who is my pride and joy although he will not thank me for mentioning that!
At home I have two fantastic miniature long haired dachshunds who were both rescue dogs. I also have an eleven year old cat, called Farley Woo, who is very forgiving of my habit of bringing home waifs and strays.
My last pets are my small Herd of Dexter cows which are a traditional and small breed of cow. They live with my Dad on his farm and they give us lots of joy.
Well that's me as you can see animals play a huge part I'm my life but so do my family and friends and I am lucky to have the best of both and there is nothing better than a night out, or in, with the girls or my family.
Caroline Pallister: Receptionist
Born and educated in Bishop Auckland I left school not knowing 'what I wanted to be when I grew up'! After drifting along in catering, factory work and exhibition & display graphic design I eventually found my vocation in animal care at a local dog and cat rescue centre.
Having always had pet cats at home whilst growing up (and garden snails in a seed propagator much to my mother's horror!) it seemed the perfect direction to take.
After five years, literally starting at the bottom up I worked my way into the reception area, adopting a total of three cats on the way, Sandy, otherwise known as Dubby (that’s the word 'chubby' in disguise), Katie and Maisey.
Being involved on a regular basis with a visiting vet made me realise that this was a new direction I could take.
The opportunity to work at SimplyCats arose and there was no turning back!!
It’s also a new start for Dubby in a weight management programme!!
Caroline and her cats
Carol Wilson: Receptionist
Since leaving school I have always done office work, but my ideal job has always been to work with animals.
I have owned horses and dogs for 45 years and have also owned various other pets, including cats. My passion for horses has enabled me to participate in various equestrian events, from all the Pony Club classes to cross-country, driving and in-hand showing.
Between myself and my husband we presently own two 'Welsh Section C' mares and one 'Section D' mare. We have shown the two 'C' mares in-hand succesfully over the years. We also have two very loving whippets who do love their home comforts!
(Sorry - I nearly missed out our cockatiel called Bart!)
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