ARUN VETERINARY GROUP - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
Abbey joined the team in June 2020, very shortly after completing her veterinary nursing degree at Middlesex University. Abbey is based at our hospital in Storrington.
An animal lover from a very early age, Abbey recalls that as a child all she ever wanted to do was to work with animals. As they say, dreams do come true and Abbey now does a job she loves!
Abbey is passionate about caring for our inpatients, helping them to return to full health. In the future, Abbey has plans to further her education, possibly in surgical nursing.
Out of work, Abbey is a doting Mum to her cat Lola who is loved very much by the entire family.
Job Titles:
- REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
Abi gained her Zoology BSc in 2011 before moving to South Africa where she trained as a safari guide and worked for the African Elephant Research Unit. Hand-rearing a baby elephant made her realize how rewarding working with animals can be and she returned to the UK to pursue her dream. After joining our team as an animal nursing assistant, Abi went on to qualify as a Veterinary Nurse in September 2018. Abi has a keen interest in surgical nursing and plays an integral part in our surgical team.
Abi doesn't have much spare time as she likes to foster various animals including hedgehogs, recently Abi has welcomed Teddy into the family, a rescue Jack Russell terrier who we all think is adorable. When not caring for pets Abi loves drama, performs in shows and is a busy Mum.
After qualifying in 2009, Alejandra worked as a vet in her hometown of Malaga for 4 years. During this time she gained huge amounts of experience working in a local dog shelter as well as a local out of hours hospital. The big wide world beckoned and Alejandra began to travel, finding herself quickly in the UK.
Alejandra has worked in several local practices along the South Coast. It was during this time that her passion for surgery was ignited and Alejandra now holds a certificate in Soft Tissue surgery and anaesthesia. Most recently, Alejandra has been working in another veterinary hospital where she has worked day and night shifts before joining SDEV in 2021. Alejandra is based at our Storrington hospital as one of our night vets.
Out of work, Alejandra enjoys walking her dog, travelling and spending time with friends exercising.
Alex joined the team in 2021 as our Finance Manager.
Alex began his career working in a local supermarket, and after becoming a young dad and putting a pause on his dreams of working in theatre, fell into working within finance. He worked his way up from trainee to manager within a handful of accountancy practices within Sussex, and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2019.
He heads up our finance team and works closely with Matt. Alex prides himself on ensuring that we retain our independent vet culture, and that our clinical teams aren't restricted in being able to provide the high quality service that Arun Vets is renowned for. He has a love of animals, but is typically found in one of our branches looking at spreadsheets!
Outside of work, Alex is a dad to his animal loving daughter alongside sharing in the highs and lows of Manchester United FC with his son. He's a regular in the the gym and enjoys being a bit of a geek playing with the latest technology he can get his hands on.
Job Titles:
- REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
Having always been an animal lover from an early age, Alice always hoped to work with animals. Her dreams came true when she qualified in 2016 at Plumpton College with a degree in Veterinary Nursing.
Initially, Alice trained and worked in a veterinary hospital environment. This was closely followed by 6 months of branch work. Alice has found this has given her the best of both worlds - allowing her to enjoy the varied work environment of a hospital alongside working in smaller teams at a branch.
In April 2019 Alice joined the AVG team and divides her time between our Worthing branch and our hospital at Storrington.
Out of work Alice has a Border Collie called ‘Ellie' and she enjoys long walks with her along with reading, painting and drawing.
Job Titles:
- REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
Amina qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2020 after graduating with a degree from Middlesex university. Amina joined the team this same year and is based at our Worthing clinic.
Amina has a special interest in inpatient care and hopes in the future to further her skills by studying for a medical nursing certificate.
Amina lives locally with her family and two dogs, Ralphie and Squid and also Luna the cat.
Amy joined the AVG team in 2021 and is looking forward to completing her training at our Chichester Hospital
Having always loved animals from an early age, Amy keenly volunteered at a busy wildlife hospital, and it was this that ignited her passion to become a veterinary nurse. Amy has a particular interest in medical nursing and in-patient care.
Out of work Amy has a one-eyed rescue cat called Eric and enjoys watching films, reading, singing & playing piano.
Job Titles:
- LEAD REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
Anna qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2000 and joined us in Feb 2018. Anna is based at our Ashington branch as lead nurse.
Anna has bought almost 30 years of veterinary experience to the team having experienced a diverse range of roles in the veterinary industry during this time. As well as being a veterinary nurse, Anna has been a pet nutrition advisor, a practice manager and also a lecturer in veterinary nursing. In 2022 Anna qualified as a Fear Free practitioner.
Anna really enjoys the clinical side of her work and for the last few years had been working nights exclusively in Emergency and Critical care before changing to our day team in 2019. In September 2018 Anna achieved her certificate in this specialized field.
Out of work, Anna owns two dogs Tuli and Crumble, and along with her partner Edric, is a great traveler. Over the years they have taken part in veterinary charity work in countries such as India, Kenya, South Africa, Thailand and India. Anna is particularly passionate about Elephant conservation and volunteers for the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.
Job Titles:
- REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
Becky joined the AVG team in 2021 after qualifying as a registered veterinary nurse the previous year. Prior to qualifying Becky has participated in internships in New Zealand caring for an endangered bird species and also at a big cat rescue in Florida.
Becky has a special interest in Anaesthesia and Emergency and Critical Care and is currently working towards an anaesthesia certificate.
Out of work Becky enjoys cycling and scuba diving. She is also Mum to her two naughty cats!
Job Titles:
- QUALIFIED VETERINARY PHYSIOTHERAPIST and
Becky began her training in 2009 out of Harper Adams University, qualifying in 2013 and joining the AVG team in 2014.
Whilst she has always wanted to be a vet nurse, making a difference to the lives of pets and their owners, Becky discovered a love of orthopaedics early on in her AVG career, and went on to re-train as a Veterinary Physiotherapist, graduating in 2017 and joining the RAMP register shortly afterwards. She now heads up our rehabilitation department, and fills her days with helping our post-op or acute patients, as well as those suffering with ongoing chronic pain and their families.
Becky understands our clients and their pets can be at their most vulnerable when they come to see us, and that her skills can offer them comfort, reassurance and, in essence, a way forward.
With this part of the industry becoming more widely recognised in the last few years, she is looking forward to developing the AVG service further - watch this space!
At home, Becky has two troublesome cats, Merry and Pippin, as well as a well-loved Musterlander called Remus. Becky loves nothing more than getting lost with Remus out on country walks. She has a penchant for all things "gardening", and fancies herself a poor-mans Monty Don, with an enormous plant collection to match!
Becky initially joined the reception team in August 2019. And has since begun her training to become a veterinary nurse. Prior to Becky joining us, she graduated from Kent university with a degree in animal science.
As you would expect, Becky is quite an animal lover and shares her life with Pepper, her dog. Out of work Becky has been on adventures to Botswana and also enjoys trampolining.
After working for the practice for several years, Ben took a short break to broaden his horizons. It didn't take long for Ben to realise how much he missed us and the benefits of working for an independent practice. We were therefore delighted to welcome him back in August 2021. Ben is based at our Pulborough clinic.
Ben qualified from Bristol vet school in 2013 after previously completing a degree in neuroscience. Ben has worked for a number of West Sussex practices after having completed internships at Fitzpatrick referrals with Ashington vet Suzanna, and a medical internship at another small animal hospital. Ben's medical interest has continued and he is shortly due to complete his certificate in Small Animal Medicine.
Ben is a doting dad to his young son Finn, balancing work and family time. He lives locally with his girlfriend and two dogs. Daisy, a very clever Border Collie and Nellie, a cheeky French Bulldog. When Ben is not chasing after Finn, Ben is quite a regular in the gym and after years of martial arts training is now co-founder of a fight club. Most recently Ben has taken up cycling and can now be found occasionally sporting a lycra number in the county lanes of West Sussex.
Beth joined the team in June 2022 and will be based at our Chichester hospital.
After gaining A-levels in Biology Chemistry and Psychology, Beth attended the University of Plymouth to study Animal Behaviour and Welfare. As part of her course, Beth went on placement at Brent Lodge Wildlife Hospital in Chichester which sparked her ambition for wildlife care, conservation and veterinary nursing.
In her spare time Beth loves to bake, crochet and paint pet portraits. She also loves to walk her families two springer spaniel siblings, Gus and Gem and she also has two cats Luna and Penny and a rabbit she called Bwian.
Job Titles:
- LEAD REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
Bethan is based at our Westergate clinic after joining the team in November 2021. Shortly after joining the team, Bethan was promoted to lead nurse.
Bethan has been working in practice since 2009 when she started out as a Saturday girl in a local practice. Bethan then went on to become a veterinary receptionist before embarking on her veterinary nursing career which saw her qualify in 2016.
With a lot of experience under her belt, Bethan has previously worked in an orthopaedic and neurosurgical referral practice and also as a Head Nurse in a first opinion practice.
Bethan is passionate about the more clinical side of nursing so is perfectly suited to her role at AVG. Bethan is a clinical coach so part of her role will be supporting the many student nurses who complete their training with us.
Outside of work Bethan is a true county girl and enjoys spending time with her Beagle with the odd pub lunch thrown in!
Job Titles:
- FINANCE ASSISTANT
- Member of the Support Team
Bev had been a client and friend of AVG for over 10 years before joining us in 2019 from another large veterinary practice.
Originally from Devon, Bev has been very much welcomed into the practice and has quickly become an integral part of the team.
Bev is married and lives locally with her two ragdoll cats. She is a very proud Mum to her two grown up children and most recently Bev has become a Grandma!
Bev has a real passion for motor racing - both modern cars and classics. Bev is quite an expert on all the racing circuits - both in the UK and overseas.
Cameron qualified in 2004 and after working in both mixed and small animal practice he soon found his passion for emergency medicine. He joined us at SDEV in February 2018.
During the past 8 years Cameron has worked in different parts of the UK as a sole night vet in emergency medicine and critical care.
In 2019 Cameron achieved his BSAVA Certificate in Emergency Medicine and Critical Care. His knowledge and empathy along with his vast experience enables us to offer a first class emergency service to our AVG clients and other practices subscribing to SDEV.
When not working or spending time with his partner and twin sons. Cameron enjoys walking, photography and karate.
Caroline has been with us for an impressive 26 years. Before she became one of our family she was a sewing machinist. Caroline loves her job at the practice, thriving on the atmosphere and working with the team. She's always on hand to make refreshments and keep our spirits up.
In her spare time, Caroline enjoys walking her dogs and keeping chickens. If we're lucky we sometimes get to take some of her fresh eggs home. When the weather permits it, Caroline also loves spending time in the garden and with her wonderful family.
Job Titles:
- REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
Carrie gained her degree in Veterinary Nursing in 2009. Upon completing her qualification, Carrie furthered her education by gaining a post graduate diploma from the Royal Veterinary College in London.
We were absolutely delighted to welcome Carrie to the practice in September 2020 and she will be based at our busy Pulborough branch.
Carrie has had quite a varied career in the past 13 years, spending time initially training and and working in a first opinion practice in Reading. Carrie then moved on to a busy referral hospital where she extended her knowledge and skills in surgical and medical nursing.
Carrie is really looking forward to getting to know the clients and pets of Pulborough and providing that friendly, familiar face that is all so important to AVG.
Job Titles:
- REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
Charlie qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2011. She went on to spend several years working a busy veterinary hospital before joining AVG in 2015.
Charlie loves all aspects of being a veterinary nurse, but in particular is passionate about wildlife and is extremely knowledgeable on the subject.
Out of work, Charlie is a keen gardener and owns a variety of pets - including 2 cats, 3 parrots and a tank of fish!
Job Titles:
- REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
Chelsea qualifed as a veterinary nurse in 2022 after studying at Brinsbury College and is based at our Pulborough Clinic.
Outside of work Chelsea is kept busy seeing friends and keeping up her job of social butterfly in her circle of friends!
Job Titles:
- NURSING MANAGER and REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
Chloe was born in England, moved to Australia when she was 13 and returned to the UK in 2013. Veterinary nursing is in the family as 2 of her sisters are also vet nurses (her older sister Jenny is part of our team). Chloe's love for nursing began at The Cat Protection Centre. Once she returned to the UK she intended to locum with us but as with many others, she stayed permanently.
Chloe tells us that she loves coming in to work everyday! Her 2 cats, Sonic and Athena keep her on her toes and she spends her spare time enjoying motocross and snow boarding. Chloe became a mother to Harper in 2018 and we were delighted to welcome her back as a nursing manager.
Christian qualified as a veterinary surgeon in 2013, he joined the Arun family in November 2017. Christian has a lot of experience within the surgical field, he leads our laproscopic key hole surgery based at our Storrington hospital. In 2020 gained his surgical certificate. His favourite part of his job is seeing sick pets make a full recovery, he enjoys carrying out diagnostic work ups to ensure the best possible care can be given and a smooth recovery.
In his spare time Christian is very active, he does a lot of running and cycling and is partial to a few hours gardening.
Job Titles:
- NIGHT and DAY VETERINARY SURGEON
Christina graduated in 2017 from St George's university in Grenada.
Swiftly moving away from the sunny shores, Christina begun her career in a mixed practice in North Wales. She then moved on to Surrey where she worked nights and this is where her love for emergency work begun.
As well as nights, Christina also does some day shifts and divides her time between our two hospital sites.
Christina is passionate about critical care cases and in her spare time loves to go hiking on the beautiful South Downs.
Claire qualified from Cambridge University in 2012 and has worked in small animal practice in West Sussex ever since, originally joining AVG in March 2020. After having to relocate to Hampshire, Claire waved a sad goodbye to the Storrington clinic but is very excited to be returning to our new Chichester hospital as one of our two Clinical Directors.
Having developed an interest in internal medicine, Claire gained her Certificate in Small Animal Medicine in 2018 and became an RCVS Advanced Practitioner in 2019. Her passion is getting to know each individual patient and finding the best treatment option to suit them.
Claire enjoys walking in the South Downs with her husband and spaniel, Ember. At home Claire tries her hand at gardening with her keen "helper", Pod the cat!"
Job Titles:
- NIGHT REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
Courtney qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2020, joining the SDEV team in August 2021. After moving from Wales to West Sussex, Courtney quickly found her feet with the night team - having previously gained experience in both small and mixed animal practice.
With her strong passion for inpatient care, Courtney is well suited to her night role caring for some of our more critical patients.
Courtney lives locally with her partner and rescue dog Django who Courtney describes as a ‘proper Heinz 57'! In their spare time the family love to explore the local area and can often be found on the beach. Courtney is super sporty and plays rugby for a local team. Her talents do not end here as she is also rather a dab hand in the kitchen and can whip up a mean batch of chocolate brownies!
Having worked in retail since leaving school, Danielle joined the AVG team in July 2022.
Danielle was a team manager in a previous retail role and seized the opportunity to bring her skills to Arun, whilst combining her love for animals.
Out of work Danielle enjoys to travel and has previously volunteered for a dog charity in Cyprus. It was during this visit that Danielle met a tiny pup who she fell in love with - before bringing him home to the UK.
This little chap is now called Toby and he keeps Danielle busy with long walks and training.
Job Titles:
- NIGHT ANIMAL NURSING ASSISTANT
Debbie joined the SDEV team in September 2019 and loves her role as an assistant to our qualified nursing team.
Debbie was bought up in the New Forest so it will come as no surprise that Debbie is horse mad! During her teenage years, Debbie begun her career working for a local racehorse trainer. Currently, as well as her role at SDEV, Debbie also works for The Racehorse Sanctuary and rehoming centre which gives these incredible horses a second chance after their racing careers are over.
As well as the above, Debbie loves to spend her free time with her two Bernese Mountain dogs, Poppy and Blossom and also riding her two horses Ted and Murphy.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Support Team
- RECEPTIONIST
Debbie has been with us since 2013 and is a full time receptionist at Ashington. She was the village dog walker for 4 years but wanted a career change where she could meet more clients and pets. With her extensive local knowledge and bubbly nature she is a great asset - thankfully we snapped her up before she embarked on her other dream of becoming a fire fighter!
At home she has 3 senior dogs, Digger, Poppy and Dillon who still love to walk for miles up on the South Downs. Alongside the dogs there are also 2 cats and 2 guinea pigs. Her love of walking has led her to twice completing a 26 mile overnight charity walk in London. When she's not walking Debbie is devoted to her husband and children.
Deborah qualified in 2014 at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Teramo. After moving to the UK, Deborah has worked in small animal clinics and hospitals between London, Northamptonshire and most recently, West Sussex. Deborah joined AVG in February 2022 and is based at our Worthing clinic.
Deborah is passionate about small animal medicine and is currently working towards her post gradate certificate in this field.
Out of work Deborah enjoys the outside life and spends time hiking and exploring nature. She has also spent time volunteering in Cyprus on a small animal neutering program and hopes to repeat the experience in the future.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Support Team
- PRACTICE ADMINISTRATOR
Diane's career started as a sales and service administrator before becoming a personal trainer for 15 years. As much as she enjoyed boot-camps and whipping people into shape, she longed to work with animals. Diane was a valuable part of the reception the team since 2014, relishing the interaction with owners and pets. In August 2019 Diane was promoted to Practice Administrator.
She still enjoys her fitness training which keeps her dog Daisy in shape too! Diane is often found advising our team on health and fitness as they try and work off those sweet treats that our clients bring us. She's also famous having once appeared on the Generation Game with Jim Davidson and Mr Blobby!
Edric arrived as a locum but was persuaded to stay after falling in love with the practice. He graduated in 1986 and brings a wealth of experience to the practice. Edric is holds a certificate in small animal surgery and is an Advanced Practitioner. Edric is based at our Storrington hospital and can mainly be found in theatre performing various procedures in orthopaedic and soft tissue surgery.
In his free time he enjoys wildlife, photography and taking Crumble, his Hungarian Vizsla for country walks. Crumble is a very popular member of the team and is often seen being spoilt by one of us when she comes to work!
Eleanor graduated from University College Dublin in 2014 after which she moved to the UK. She has worked in Hampshire for several years in small animal practice before venturing across the border into West Sussex. She is currently working towards her certificate in Small Animal Medicine but enjoys work as a general practitioner. Eleanor is based at our Chichester hospital.
Eleanor lives with her partner in addition to a feline companion called Purcy. Eleanor treated Purcy as an injured stray and he has had her wrapped around his paw ever since. In her spare time, Eleanor enjoys gardening, baking and exploring the local countryside.
Elena graduated in 2009 from the University of Camerino.
Shortly after graduating, Elena completed an internship-gaining significant experience and started to pursue her interest in Diagnostic Imaging and Internal Medicine. Elena then decided to broaden her experience across all aspects of veterinary medicine by working in general practice whilst still maintaing a focus on ultrasound.
After moving to the UK, Elena gained further experience helping to solidify her skills and develop her knowledge in CT and MRI.
Elena has been working on the South Coast since 2015 and is currently studying towards her Postgraduate Certificate in Diagnostic Imaging.
Elena joined us at AVG in March 2019.
Prior to joining AVG in July 2020 and after completing a years work experience at our Storrington hospital, Ella has achieved a diploma in Animal Management at Brinsbury College.
Out of work Ella has 3 rescue dogs and enjoys horse riding and scuba diving - of which she is currently working towards her open water qualification.
Job Titles:
- REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
Emma is based at our Storrington hospital having joined the team in 2020.
Before qualifying as a veterinary nurse Emma worked previously in the equine industry. A hobby very close to her heart, Emma has remained very horse focused and still enjoys spending as much time around her equine friends as possible.
Prior to joining Arun, Emma worked in a busy charity veterinary hospital and has retained her strong passion for the welfare of animals and the community education of the RVN role. It therefore comes as no surprise that like several of our other nurses, Emma is one of our clinical coaches and will be responsible for her very own student nurse.
Emma loves the outdoors and feels lucky to be living in Sussex where we have not only the South Downs but also quite a choice of beaches to walk on.
Emma is a big fan of sight hounds and currently shares her life with her beloved dog Molly.
Emma qualified in 2012 from Liverpool University and has been working as a small animal vet ever since. Emma joined the team in August 2022 and is based between our Westergate clinic.
Emma is a huge cat lover and holds a certificate in Feline Practice. Emma also loves being a GP vet, getting to know owners and their pets and enjoys building good relationships.
Outside of work, yoga loving Emma loves being outside - especially the beach. She can often be found waking her Cocker Spaniel alongside her young family and husband.
As well as a dog, Emma also has a small flock of chickens at home.
Eoin graduated in 2021 from the University of Surrey and immediately joined the team at Ashington. Eoin has since joined the team at Pulborough and divides his time between this clinic and Storrington. Eoin had previously spent a considerable amount of time with the team ‘seeing practice' which is part of a veterinary university degree.
Eoin is super active and a bit of an adrenalin junkie. When not at work he enjoys several thrill seeking sports such as white-water kayaking and rock climbing. Eoin also enjoys down time and is a rugby supporter, often enjoying watching a game or two from the fantastic selection of West Sussex Pubs the South Downs have to offer.
Gabby qualified from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2017 and has worked in small animal practice ever since.
Gabby joined the team at our Storrington hospital in 2021 and has a passion for small animal medicine. Gabby is currently working towards her certificate in medicine which she hopes to achieve soon.
Out of work, Gabby lives with her family in Surrey, including her rescue dog Alan who makes the perfect partner for a walk in the country and a pub lunch!
Job Titles:
- REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
Gemma qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2007 and is based at our Westergate branch.
Gemma enjoys nursing clinics and the face to face relationships our nursing team are able to build up with families. She also enjoys the more clinical side of inpatient care and of course the many puppy cuddles we are fortunate enough to receive.
Out of work Gemma is also a super busy Mum to her two young children and rabbits Coco and Daisy. Its hard to believe Gemma has any spare time but when time allows, she can be found enjoying a cup of tea with her latest crochet project in hand.
Job Titles:
- REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE and SDEV MANAGER
Gemma qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2008 and very quickly moved away from general practice into a referral work. Here Gemma gained her passion for Emergency and Critical Care work, gaining her certificate in this field of expertise.
In 2019 Gemma joined the AVG team and was initially based at our Westergate branch as a day nurse. In November 2021 Gemma moved from AVG across to our sister night service, South Downs Emergency Vets, where her ECC certificate was put to great use caring for our critical and high dependence cases. In early 2022 Gemma was promoted to SDEV manager and now manages the teams at both our Storrington and Chichester hospitals.
Out of work Gemma is a busy Mum to her two children. She also cares for her two cats and two dogs. Gemma is also a keen runner and enjoys unwinding up on the Downs, with her two dogs running alongside her.
Job Titles:
- REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
Georgia completed her degree course at the Royal Veterinary College in 2022, putting her skills straight into action at our Worthing clinic.
Georgia has a special interest in Feline Nursing and hopes to complete a Feline Nursing certificate in the future.
In her spare time, Georgia loves to get creative with hair and make up, enjoys reading books and also playing video games. She has a wonderful cat called Fifi and her family own another 5 cats back at home.
Job Titles:
- REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
After completing her training at AVG, Georgie graduated from the RVC in 2020. After qualifying, Georgie returned to to university to achieve her BSc in Veterinary Nursing before accepting a permanent role with the practice.
Georgie is based between our Storrington hospital and our Ashington clinic. This arrangement fulfils Georgie's love for both hospital work and more client focused days when she enjoys being able to spend time getting to know our patients. Georgie is passionate about inpatient care and surgical nursing and hopes to further her education in this field of expertise.
Georgie has always been a great animal lover and became a vegetarian when she was 6 years old. Outside of work, she enjoys going for country walks with her dog Henry, and taking him out for a nice pub lunch afterwards. Georgie also enjoys exploring by hoping on a plane to sunny locations.
Job Titles:
- NIGHT ANIMAL NURSING ASSISTANT
Georgina joined the SDEV team in 2021 and is one of our valued nursing assistants.
Georgina has worked with animals for a number of years and holds a Batchelor of Science in Animal Behaviour and Welfare. As well as working at night, on the days that Georgina doesn't work she works for a local dog training and behaviour business holding classes for puppies.
When not in the company of dogs or our patients, Georgina enjoys, riding, baking and travelling.
Hannah graduated for the University of Liverpool in 2004 and has been working in small animal practice ever since. She spent many years working at a Hospital practice in Surrey, latterly as a Clinical Director, before joining AVG in March 2022. She is based at our Chichester hospital.
Hannah has a passion for building long standing client relationships and loves all aspects of caring for pets. Currently, Hannah is studying towards her certificate in Small Animal Medicine and has recently trained in the use of Acupuncture.
In her spare time, Hannah loves to spend time with her young family and her Whippet. They enjoy trips away and adventures in their campervan.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Support Team
- RECEPTIONIST
Hazel joined the AVG team in April 2019.
Prior to her role within the practice Hazel worked part time whilst raising her family and has loved returning to a customer facing role.
Outside of work and when time allows Hazel enjoys reading and caring for her two cats ‘Ronnie' and ‘Reggie'.
Helen qualified as a veterinary nurse from Brinsbury College in 1998. When she started at Arun Vet Group it was a mixed practice and she really enjoyed the variety of work, especially the farming side. As the practice evolved, Helen progressed and moved into a management role. She loves the practice and its team spirit but does sometimes wonder if she might have been pursued the life of a farmer.
Helen has a variety of animals at home, including 2 labradors, 2 guinea pigs, 2 gerbils and 4 fish. She enjoys gundog training and walking her dogs. One of her ambitions would be to take a balloon flight over the Serengeti National Park at sunrise and to walk the Inca Trail.
Holly joined the team in December 2021 and is based at our Chichester hospital.
After graduating in Animal Science, Holly has worked in a number of animal based roles including an interesting job as a Cattle Breeding technician!
Holly loves her role at AVG and especially enjoys the combination of customer facing and meeting all the patients.
Out of work Holly enjoys long country walks with her two dogs, Benson and Lola and she also spends time helping out on the farm where her husband works. The family also have 4 chickens including an ex battery hen called Nugget!
After completing an internship at a specialist referral practice in Ringwood, Ivan then spent the next 3 years working in a small animal practice in Southampton.
Ivan then made the move to West Sussex, competing a surgery certificate before joining the team at our Storrington hospital, where we were delighted to welcome him.
Ivan is passionate about soft tissue surgery as well as laparoscopic, orthopaedic and reconstructive surgery.
Ivan is kept company by his two feline friends, Lily and Auri and in his spare time enjoys martial arts and a range of outdoor hobbies including camping and hiking.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Support Team
- RECEPTIONIST
Jackie joined us as a receptionist at AVG in December 2018 and is based at our Storrington hospital.
Jackie has worked in the veterinary industry for many years - covering a wide range of roles, initially in equine practice but most recently a local small animal clinic.
Jackie enjoys providing excellent customer care and prides herself on going that ‘extra mile'.
As well as being a Mum to her two daughters, Jackie also has a dog called Sydney, a cat called Hattie and also a pony called Lexi. All of Jackie's pets have been rescued through local organisations.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Support Team
- RECEPTIONIST
Jacqui joined AVG in 2017 as one of two receptionists at our Westergate branch.
Having worked within the veterinary field for 30 years, Jacqui brings with her a wealth of experience from veterinary nursing to reception and admin roles. As well as working at Westergate, Jacqui also works within the insurance team at our Storrington Branch. Within her time in the veterinary profession Jacqui has completed many customer service qualifications and aims to provide the best care possible in times of joy and sadness. Jacqui says the best part of her job is getting to see the very cute puppies and kittens, like all of our staff!
Outside of work Jacqui enjoys walking and training her two beautiful dogs, Rosie a 12 year old Patterdale Terrier cross and Ronnie a 8 year old Staffie who Jacqui rescued.
Job Titles:
- REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
Jade joined the Pulborough practice in October 2020, initially as a placement student nurse as part of her degree course.
Jade impressed the team so much with a her hard work and total dedication that in 2021 we were delighted to offer Jade a permanent role within the practice. This would mean that Jade could continue her training with AVG without the need to move on to another practice.
Jade flew through her training and qualified as a veterinary nurse in June 2022. She now makes up an integral part of the team at Pulborough.
After completing her level 3 diploma in animal management, Jade knew that veterinary nursing was a route she wanted to take and has since developed a passion for anaesthesia and nursing clinics.
Out of work Jade cares for her elderly cat Charlie and enjoys travelling, socialising with friends and is also rather talented in the art of Chocolate Brownie baking!
Jasmine graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2021 and joined AVG in 2022.
Jasmine started her veterinary career working in a small animal clinic in Southampton before moving to West Sussex to join the Westergate team.
Out of work, Jasmine has two dogs. Hazel the Cocker Spaniel, Chester the Labrador puppy and two reptiles - a Chameleon called Rambo and a Crested Gecko called Zeus.
Job Titles:
- NURSING MANAGER and REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
Jenny qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2009. She began her career in a local Veterinary Hospital, gaining a wealth of experience before joining our team. Jenny has become a clinical coach, examiner and more recently one of our two nursing manager. Jenny's passion for wildlife is infectious and her knowledge of the subject is fantastic.
Jenny is a devoted Mum, both to her children and her cheeky cats, Marley and Joey. She once considered a career change to midwifery but thankfully chose to remain with the team.
Jenny qualified at Glasgow University in 2011. She joined AVG in February 2018 and is one of our clinical directors at our Storrington hospital
Jenny loves her job and meeting all sorts of animals and their owners. In particular Jenny has a passion for feline medicine and in 2020 achieved her certificate in medicine.
Out of work Jenny is owned by a 10 year old cat called Myrtle!
Job Titles:
- REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
After working for the Dogs Trust, Jo set her heart on becoming a veterinary nurse - qualifying in 2012. She joined the AVG family in July 2019 and divides her time between our Worthing branch and our Storrington hospital.
Jo enjoys her work but especially working within a family run practice, where she is able to get to know the patients and clients.
Out of work Jo loves living by the sea with her family and beloved 18 year old cat, who Jo describes as the ‘lady of the house'!
Job Titles:
- LEAD REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
Since qualifying Jodie has gained a special interest in anaesthesia and surgical nursing - working closely with the surgical team at Storrington. She also loves nursing our inpatients and forming a close bond with our patients and owners. Jodie loves working within a family run practice and describes the AVG team as her second family. in 2022, Jodie was promoted to lead nurse and now heads up the team at our Worthing clinic.
Outside of work Jodie plays netball, loves to travel and attends the gym as much as possible.
Jodie is a huge Dachshund fan and dreams of one day becoming a fosterer for a local charity.
Job Titles:
- REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
Joe qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2021 and joined the team the following year.
Joe is based at our Storrington hospital, enjoys a varied role within the clinic and is especially interested in our emergency cases.
Joe lives locally with his two cats, Ishtar and Enki. He has plans on adding a dog to the family in the near future, although we aren't sure if his cats are aware of this yet!
Out of work, Joe loves to woodturn and juggle and is also partial to a spot of gaming.
Job Titles:
- REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
Josie has always wanted to be a vet nurse and to dedicate her time to caring for animals. She began working with animals in a pet shop after which she joined our team and completed her studies at Sparsholt College, Hampshire in 2013. She thinks she would have become a zookeeper if Arun Vet Group hadn't come calling!
Dotty, Josie's young Dalmation, keeps her more than occupied at home but she also finds the time to have 2 ferrets and 2 rabbits. In her spare time, Josie enjoys swimming, reading, theme parks and exploring zoos.
Julia is based at our Chichester hospital having joined the team in July 2022.
Kara joined the team in 2021 and is based at our Worthing clinic.
Having previously worked with children, Kara is well suited to her role at Worthing, not only because of her caring nature but also because of her love for animals.
Kara lives locally with her family and they share their lives with Bentley the dog, several chickens and also their horses Oreo, Minnie and David. It will come as no surprise that Kara loves to spend any free time riding and walking with the family.
Job Titles:
- REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
Kate joined us as a student in 2018, since then she has completed her veterinary nursing degree at the Royal Veterinary College and we are very pleased she has taken a permanent registered veterinary nurse role at AVG. Kate has demonstrated an interest and aptitude for surgical nursing and anaesthesia, she enjoys assisting in procedures and hopes to further develop her knowledge of anaesthesia in completing a post graduate certificate.
Outside of work Kate enjoys baking and horse riding, she's had lots of pets but currently is kept busy by her six chickens!
Job Titles:
- FINANCE ASSISTANT
- Member of the Support Team
As well as one of our finance assistants, Kate is also a registered veterinary nurse.
Kate initially joined the practice in 2003, qualifying as a nurse in 2009. After briefly spreading her wings, Kate retuned to us in 2020 and has since hung her stethoscope up in favour of assisting in our busy finance department. Kate does still occasionally help in our clinical areas and her experience and expertise is greatly appreciated by the team.
Out of work, Kate has 2 cats Rocky and Humphrey, both of whom she has more or less reared herself from birth. Kate is quite a traveller and loves a weekend away with her camera and also reading.
Kathryn graduated as a veterinary surgeon from University of Melbourne in 2014 and joined AVG in 2022.
Kathryn is based full time at our Worthing clinic.
Out of work Kathryn loves to travel, cook and get creative in the kitchen cooking for friends and family.
Job Titles:
- REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
After progressing from an Animal Care Assistant, Katie qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2017. Katie joined the AVG team in 2022 and is based at our Chichester hospital.
Katie has a passion for emergency and internal medical nursing. She has extensive experience in this field having worked at a busy referral practice as a medicine nurse. Katie has also worked in ICU, neurology and ophthalmology and is currently working towards a certificate in Emergency and Critical Care.
Out of work, Katie enjoys paddle boarding and walks on the beach with her two dogs Lola and Honey.
After graduating, Katie spent a few years developing her passion for emergency and critical care and achieving her certificate. She loves the challenge of treating very sick or injured pets and guiding their owners through this scary and upsetting situation.
Katie has held various leadership positions within the practices she's worked at, most recently running a 24/7 Small Animal Hospital on the South Coast. After this hospital was bought by one of the big corporate groups, Katie decided that corporate practice wasn't for her. She is delighted to have joined the passionately independent team at AVG.
Outside of work, Katie enjoys spending time with her husband, toddler, terrier and 2 cats, mostly in a state of barely-organised chaos! She likes good vegetarian food, good music and exploring the beautiful South Downs countryside.
Prior to veterinary nursing, Kayleigh had started training as a human nurse before quickly realising her heart lay with animals instead.
Kayleigh loves the variety of cases we see at our Storrington hospital where no two days are ever the same.
Out of work, Kayleigh is pretty green fingered and enjoys caring for her large indoor plant collection. She is also a keen baker and enjoys walks on the beach.
Job Titles:
- LEAD REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
Kayleigh qualified in 2017 and joined the AVG team in 2021 upon the opening of the Chichester hospital. Kayleigh is passionate about laboratory analysis, especially canine and feline haematology, and has gained a lot of experience in this field having previously worked in another busy veterinary hospital.
Outside of work, Kayleigh is busy raising her young daughter and trying to tame her daft dog Marley.
Kim is based at our Chichester hospital and joined the team shortly after this clinic was opened.
Keeping it in the family, Kim is married with a son who is a veterinary nurse at a referral clinic.
Out of work, Kim enjoys being creative and produces beautiful pieces of glass which she exhibits and sells. She also has a young Border Terrier called Tarka and together they love to spend many an hour wandering on the beach and taking photos of the local scenery.
Laura joined the AVG team in March 2021 and is now one of our clinical directors at our Chichester hospital.
Laura grew up locally in Chichester and went on to graduate from the Royal Veterinary College in 2011. Laura then achieved a surgical certificate in 2017 and became an advanced practitioner the following year. Laura has experience in orthopaedic surgery and has a passion for all knee conditions.
Out of work, Laura lives locally with her young family, enjoying not only family time but trail marathons, gardening and generally being outdoors.
Laura has a cat called Bramble and also a small flock of hens.
Job Titles:
- REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
In 2022 Lauren qualified with a degree in veterinary nursing science from Sparsholt University Centre. She joined the AVG team in June that same year.
Lauren is based at our Westergate and Chichester hospital and has an interest in feline medicine and emergency and critical care.
In her spare time, Lauren likes to bake and has an interest in cars. She also loves to paint pastel portraits and has two cats called Kiera and Charlie.
Job Titles:
- REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
After attending Plumpton College, Lily qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2019.
In September 2020 we were delighted to welcome Lily to AVG where she is based at our Storrington hospital.
Prior to joining the team, Lily has spent a considerable amount of time working locally at other practices and it was during this time that Lily developed quite an interest in Canine Behaviour. She has subsequently begun studying towards her certificate in this specialised field. Lily is also very much drawn to achieving further qualifications in medical nursing. In 2022 Lily qualified as a Fear Free practitioner and puts her skills to excellent use with our more nervous patients and also holds our Puppy Socialisation classes.
Out of work Lily loves to spend all her time with her 2 dogs, her family and enjoying the great outdoors.
Lisa joined the team in May 2017. Lisa studied veterinary medicine at the Royal Veterinary College in London, and has been based in West Sussex since graduating in 2001. Lisa is lead vet at Westergate and enjoys building lasting relationships with clients.
After spending four years in mixed practice, she decided to mix business with pleasure and so spent the next three years alternating travelling with locuming, including a spell in Greece neutering cats, and also in Kenya, with the duty vet on the Rhino reserve at Lewa. She is hoping not to need her darting skills in Westergate!
For the last eight years Lisa has worked in small animal practice, where her main interests lie in medicine, and building a rapport with clients and their pets, and is proud to think that many clients also come to regard her as a trusted friend.
When not at work Lisa is keen on keeping fit, and spending as much time as she can enjoying the beautiful outdoors of West Sussex.
"I've always been impressed by Arun Veterinary Group's independent, family-style practices. Compared with some of the more corporate practices in the local area they strike a really nice balance between commitment to quality and consistency of care and showing real value when it comes to client costs. I'm really excited to be a part of it."
Job Titles:
- OPERATIONS MANAGER and REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
Liz has been in the veterinary industry since 1994. She trained as a riding instructor before embarking on a career as a veterinary nurse, qualifying in 1997. She has been with us since 2005 and is passionate about the practice. She takes pride in educating our clients so they can educate others about pet care. Liz is an excellent communicator and works hard to make sure both our clients' and team's needs are met.
Liz adores her 4 cats - Sox, Marmite, Little Boy and Squidward and also has 2 rescue dogs, Lily and Paddy. She enjoys keeping fit, walking Lily and Paddy and also reading a good book. Liz freely admits she would love to be a beauty therapist and practices at home regularly - thankfully, only on herself!
Lizzie graduated from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2017.
Deciding to stay in London, Lizzie initially spent 3 years working in a small animal clinic before deciding to move to Sussex to join the AVG team in late 2020. Lizzie is based at our Storrington hospital.
Lizzie has a dog called Sol and a cat called Gremlin and she spends any spare time out and about with her dog, playing tennis and practising yoga.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Support Team
- RECEPTIONIST
Lorraine joined the team in 2020 and is based at our Pulborough branch alongside fellow receptionist Teresa.
Prior to joining the AVG family, Lorraine was a professional golfer for 23 years - 13 of which she spent as a golf coach at West Chiltington Golf Club. It will come as no surprise that Lorraine recognisees quite a lot of faces as a receptionist, especially those pet owners who also play golf!
Lorraine is married with two daughters and they also share their home with Dylan the Miniature Schnauzer.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Support Team
- MARKETING ADMINISTRATOR and SOCIAL MEDIA
Louise joined the AVG team in early 2017.
Louise began her veterinary career in 1993 and brings 30 years of veterinary experience to AVG. After initially veterinary nursing for 7 years, Louise then decided to take a change of path leading and training a team of receptionists as Head Receptionist in a large veterinary practice. Following on from this, whilst her son was young, Louise worked part time as front of house for a busy, emergency veterinary hospital This enabled her to keep up to date with veterinary life whilst focusing on being a Mum.
Moving away from a customer facing role, Louise is the face behind our social media platforms and driver of ‘Landy' the AVG Landrover. She also organises the running of our events and fete days and also keeps the website and newsletter up to date. Louise is extremely proud of the following and community feel on our Facebook page, starting off with just 800 followers and at the time of writing now over 6.3K followers. As well as being an animal lover from a very young age, Louise describes herself as a ‘people person', loves her job and wouldn't change it for the world. She enjoys getting to know our clients and is driven to provide excellent customer service - always with a smile.
Outside of work Louise is a busy Mum to her son, wife to vet Richard and also kept busy by her two delinquent French Bulldogs Myrtle and Rupert. Louise is a lover of all things outdoors and county and is happiest in her wellies, foraging for produce and making homemade preserves and cordials.
Job Titles:
- REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
Luci qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2014, she studied in Cornwall and in 2017 joined the Arun Veterinary Group team. Luci has an interest in anaesthesia and surgical nursing, and works closely with the surgical team at AVG. Luci says the best part about her job is seeing a wide range of different animals, she's previously worked in exotic based practices and enjoys nursing exotic patients at Arun.
Outside of work Luci enjoys keeping fit; going to the gym and cycling on the downs. If she hadn't had followed her love of animals to becoming a veterinary nurse, Luci thinks she would have become a midwife.
Matt arrived as a fresh-faced graduate in August 2000 and never left. He fell in love with the practice, and after supportive mentorship from John Cattell, was offered a partnership in 2004. In 2006 he and his wife Sarah took over ownership.
Away from Arun Vet Group, Matt has 4 young daughters to keep him busy along with 4 Border Terriers and a very patient wife. He was once offered the opportunity to trial for Manchester United Football Club but decided to focus on becoming a vet.
"Arun Vet Group is a very special place to work. It is a practice steeped in history and tradition and I view my tenure as a form of guardianship. I am driven to provide our clients with the highest level of service where excellent communicational skills are paramount, enabling strong, trusting relationships to be built. I am extremely proud to lead such a wonderful team and work with such devoted pet owners."
Meg qualified at a vet from Nottingham in 2018 initially working in a busy farm practice in Wiltshire.
Following this, Meg moved to Sussex and we were thrilled to welcome her to the Westergate team in December 2020.
Meg is a devoted Mum to her beloved Cocker Spaniel, Scout and enjoys spending her spare time exploring the South Downs and taking part in various sports.
Job Titles:
- NIGHT REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
Megan qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2021 and joined the SDEV team in 2022.
Megan completed her training at a neighbouring practice, working her her way up from nursing assistant to qualified nurse. It was during this time that Megan developed an interest in emergency work and since transferring to night work, has never looked back.
Out of work Megan has a dog called Brooke who she enjoys training and helping her to overcome her anxiety and fears. A highlight of Megan's career so far has been a trip to Botswana which she hopes to repeat in the near future.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Support Team
- RECEPTIONIST
Melanie is based at our Worthing branch and joined the team in August 2020.
Melanie has spent most of her career working in retail until 2 years ago when she joined a neighbouring veterinary practice. During this time, Melanie has found her passion for customer care and her love of animals the perfect combination for her role as receptionist and is delighted to have had the opportunity to join the team at AVG.
Job Titles:
- REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
Naomi started veterinary nursing in 2014 joining the AVG team in 2021. After working and volunteering at local pet and wildlife rescue centres, Naomi gained her veterinary nursing qualification in 2018 and has worked locally in a neighbouring veterinary hospital.
Naomi describes herself as feeling privileged to work as a veterinary nurse and she enjoys all areas of veterinary nursing. Her particular interests are emergency and critical care nursing, anaesthesia and she also has an interest in physiotherapy for recovering patients.
In her spare time Naomi enjoys gardening and exploring the countryside with her two curly dogs, Purdey and Poppy.
Natasha is based at our Chichester hospital and joined the team in December 2021.
Job Titles:
- REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
Nikki qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2018, joining the AVG team in 2020. In 2021 Nikki moved across to our new Chichester Hospital taking a year's worth of AVG experience with her. Prior to joining AVG, Nikki has worked in quite a range of practices, gaining experience in both smaller branches and larger veterinary hospitals. Nikki is passionate about animal behaviour and is keen to further her career by studying for a certificate in Canine and Feline Behaviour.
Out of work, Nikki lives with her partner and two dogs - Buddy and Flo. A super keen snowboarder and horse rider, Nikki loves the outdoor life and recently managed to spend the whole of the winter months perfecting her snowboarding skills in France. When not outdoors, Nikki enjoys spending time in the kitchen baking and trying out new recipes.
Job Titles:
- REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
After completing a degree in veterinary nursing, Paige qualified in 2020. Paige had been on placement with AVG from 2017 and we were delighted to welcome her officially to the team shortly after qualifying.
Paige knew from a young age that her heart was with veterinary nursing - after spending most of her childhood playing ‘vets' in her bedroom! Paige has flourished in her role since joining the practice and is passionate about animal behaviour. She hopes to eventually one day further her knowledge in this specialised field.
Outside of work, Paige enjoys walks with her beloved Cockapoo ‘Rosie', and spending time with her family and friends.
Paula is part of the reception team and provides holiday cover in all our of clinics and hospitals.
Paula joined the team in 2022.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Support Team
- INSURANCE ADMINISTRATOR
Penny joined the AVG team in April 2019 and brings over 30 years experience to the practice having qualified as a veterinary nurse in 1990. Penny was based at our Pulborough branch for 3 years as a lead nurse before becoming our insurance administrator in May 2022.
Penny knew as soon as she left school that she wanted to pursue a career in veterinary nursing and started her training immediately.
Over the years Penny has gained a wide range of experience ranging from dogs and cats to exotic zoo animals including elephants! Penny has a real passion for wildlife and travel and has carried out many veterinary projects in Africa, Thailand and Indonesia.
When not working Penny is kept busy at home by her young family.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Support Team
- RECEPTIONIST
Rachel joined the reception team in July 2016. Rachel has previously worked in a number of client facing roles and is now delighted to be able to combine this with her passion for animals. Rachel is one of our Westergate receptionists.
In Rachel's spare time she enjoys photography, cycling and walking. She also makes her own dresses and has been known to take commissions for one-off pieces.
Richard qualified from the Royal Veterinary College, London in 2001. Richard has worked at various small and large animal practices from Somerset to Worthing but also enjoyed a year working as a locum in Australia. Richard joined the practice in 2013 and is an integral member of our team, enjoying all aspects of the job but specifically ultrasound, his true passion. Richard is lead vet at our Pulborough surgery and takes pride from delivering a personal GP style service to his clients.
He is a devoted dad and husband and loves spending time with his family, especially his French Bulldogs, Rupert and Myrtle. In his spare time, Richard enjoys country walks, badminton and good food. Considering his sense of humour, if he wasn't a vet he would have made a great comedian!
Sarah joined the AVG team from a neighbouring practice in February 2020. Sarah is a student veterinary nurse and is based at our Westergate clinic.
Outside of work Sarah enjoys training her two dogs and is a keen horse rider.
Sarah qualified in 1998 at the Royal Veterinary College in London where she and Matt met.
Before taking time away from veterinary work to raise her family, Sarah worked in various practices before settling with Matt in West Sussex. Sharing Matt's vision for AVG, they both took ownership of the practice in 2006. With the girls now growing up fast, we welcomed Sarah back to clinical work in 2018.
At home, Sarah is an extremely busy Mum to her 4 daughters, 2 dogs, 2 cats, 5 guinea pigs and a selection of bantams! Its hard to believe Sarah has any free time, but when she does Sarah likes to squeeze in long dog walks, running, birdwatching and also crochet (which she is very good at!)
Sarah is our HR manager and joined the team in 2022.
Sarah began her HR career journey back in 2004, after working for a few years the travel industry. Then, with a collaboration of talent recruitment and human recourses management initiatives, she progressed through to Senior HR Leadership of which she worked to develop and deliver HR strategies to meet the ever changing needs of the organisation.
Sarah has a degree in Human Resources Management and is still working on her final Masters level studies. She is an associate member of the CIPD HR accreditation.
Coming from a manufacturing corporate company, Sarah is passionate about the AVG glorious independent culture and its values. With a passion and love for animals, Sarah is keen to focus on continuously improving job satisfaction and engagement for all employees at AVG, making it the best possible place to work in the industry!
Outside of work Sarah is a busy single Mum to her two daughters Beth and Evelyn, and to her Shih-Tzu Coco. When she's not running the girls around to their many clubs and activities, she can often be found out on walks with Coco, socialising with friends or trying out a new bar or restaurant somewhere.
Sarah graduated as a vet in 2007 at the Royal Veterinary College.
After spending some time working for the PDSA, Sarah settled into small animal practice where she gained a special interest in rabbits, guinea pigs and rats. Sarah joined the Worthing team in August 2019 but is now based at our Ashington branch where many of her patients have followed her to.
Out of work Sarah lives with her partner and is kept busy by her 3 cats - Poppy, Elle and Darwin. Sarah also has quite a range of hobbies! These included knitting gardening, riding and surfing. Aside from that Sarah is rather partial to a good old pub lunch!
Job Titles:
- DEPUTY NURSING MANAGER and REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
Sophie gained her degree in veterinary nursing and practice management in 2013 from Harper Adams University. Having previously worked in Scotland and Woking, Sophie joined the team in October 2016. Sophie's interests lie in nursing clinics and puppy parties. Sophie was promoted to Head Theatre Nurse in November 2019.
Sophie spends her free time caring for her handsome lurcher Jake and professes to being a keen baker. We are yet to see the evidence!
Job Titles:
- REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE and ANIMAL NUTRITIONIST
Steph joined the practice in January 2018, she graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2009, since then Steph has undertaken extra qualifications in small animal nutrition. Steph especially enjoys nurse clinics and helping build nutritional plans for patients. Steph has always wanted to be a veterinary nurse and enjoys that no one day is the same. Outside of work Steph enjoys swimming, yoga and knitting, she also has a gorgeous cat called Jack, who keeps her busy at home!
Susie qualified as a vet at Liverpool University in 2009. Prior to her veterinary medicine degree, Susie had previously achieved a degree in Bioveterinary Science.
Susie has worked locally in the West Sussex area. In June 2019 Susie joined our Westergate team on a part time basis.
Susie loves being a small animal vet and enjoys all areas of practice, however her real passion is dermatology and she is shortly to commence her studies working towards a certificate in dermatology.
Outside of work Susie is kept busy with her young family and her beloved horse ‘Oliver' who she enjoys competing in affiliated dressage competitions
Suzanna graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2008. Before working with us she completed an internship at the famous Firtzpatrick Referral Centre. She is an enthusiastic team player who believes the sacrifices of the job are worthwhile when you see an injured animal return to full health.
Suzanna enjoys gymnastics, sailing, archery, running and cycling. She would love to complete another triathlon but in the meantime got tremendous satisfaction after completing a charity ‘Mud Run' with the team.
Suzanna returned to us in 2020 after maternity leave and is based part time at our Ashington branch.
"I started at Arun Vet Group in 2014 and feel very lucky to work with such a nice bunch of people, both staff members and clients. Being a vet is a privilege but at times it can be a difficult job. However, coming to work and being alongside such a dedicated group of people who have become friends just as much as work colleagues makes it a lot easier when it gets tough. We have great team spirit proved earlier this year by our sponsored mud run which was unsurprisingly very muddy!!
Job Titles:
- Member of the Support Team
- RECEPTIONIST
- in 2018 As a Receptionist
Teresa joined AVG in 2018 as a receptionist and is now based at our Pulborough branch.
Teresa has extensive experience on front of house having worked locally for a bank for many years.
Teresa is a busy Mum to her two sons and spends much of her spare time cheering them on the side lines of local sporting events.
Rio and Reggie the two dogs also take up any extra spare time and Teresa enjoys taking them for lots of country walks!
Tom graduated from the University of Nottingham in 2016 before working at a busy Veterinary hospital in North Devon for 3 years. He then locumed all over the country including many out of hours and emergency clinics, before deciding to settle with AVG. Tom enjoys the varied caseload and challenges of being a primary care GP vet but has a particular interest in internal medicine. He hopes to undertake a medicine certificate in the near future. Tom is based at our Chichester hospital
Outside of work, Tom enjoys all things outdoors with his Labrador Wilson. They are both at their happiest by the coast and in the sea.
Tracey joined the reception team after a previous career in the travel industry. A very well travelled member of the team, Tracey joined AVG in 2021.
Out of work, Tracey is a busy wife and Mum to their two children, not forgetting Gizzie the stray cat who adopted them several years ago! Tracey enjoys the great outdoors, especially the coast - enjoying sea swims and most recently paddleboarding!
Job Titles:
- Member of the Support Team
- RECEPTIONIST
Veronica worked in the aviation industry for 17 years before deciding on a career move to Arun Vet Group. Their loss has been our gain as she's been a breath of fresh air since joining the team in 2014.
She has a dog called Monty who loves a good stroll and she likes to keep busy horse riding and spending quality time with good friends. Veronica has always dreamt of being a professional dressage rider but has found a home working with us in an environment where she loves helping animals and their owners.
Job Titles:
- REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE
Wendy qualified as a Veterinary Nurse in 1998 and has since watched the profession grow and evolve over the years. Wendy joined the AVG team in 2021 when our Chichester hospital opened.
Wendy enjoys all aspects of nursing and the variety of being a Veterinary Nurse.
At home, Wendy is a busy Mum to her son, they have a tortoise called Crunchie, who Wendy has had since hatching from an egg. And also two cats, Bob and Conker ( who has three and a half legs)
Outside of work Wendy enjoys a spot of gardening , walking and climbing.