Companion collection - Interviews

Barbara studied veterinary nursing at Rodbaston Agricultural College before joining Liverpool Veterinary School where she became Head Nurse, eventually returning to Rodbaston as a lecturer. She established the College of Animal Welfare, has been President of BVNA and was the first VN to chair the RCVS VN Committee.

Clare Rusbridge started at Glasgow Veterinary School when she was just 16. She worked at the University of Pennsylvania, spent time in general practice in Cambridgeshire and then specialized in neurology. She was presented with the J.A. Wight Memorial Award for outstanding contributions to the welfare of companion animals at Congress 2011.

Sue Shaw grew up and trained in Australia before moving to the post of senior lecturer at the University of Bristol. She set up the Acarus Unit for investigating arthropod-borne infections and has been chairman of the BSAVA Scientific Committee.

Philip Lhermette took 6 years to get a place at veterinary school, finally graduating in 1982. He has since pioneered many minimally invasive techniques and is Editor of the BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Endoscopy and Endosurgery.

Professor John Cooper graduated from Bristol in 1966 and after a postgraduate qualification in tropical veterinary has worked in Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean including a period in Rwanda working with mountain gorillas.

Sandy graduated from Edinburgh in 1969 where he returned as a researcher at the Centre for Tropical Veterinary Medicine. In 1980 he moved to Liverpool as a lecturer and stayed there for the rest of his career. He was elected president of the RCVS in 2009.

Rob Thomas graduated from Bristol in 1974 and after a brief period of mixed practice in the Channel Islands moved to Barton Veterinary Hospital. He’s still there and has cultivated an interest in cardiology leading to a steady referral case load. He’s now the chief examiner for the Certificate of Veterinary Cardiology.

Freda Scott-Park grew up in Kenya and went to vet school at the Royal Dick. She now lives on the banks of Loch Lomond; she became President of the BSAVA in 2003 and went on to become BVA President.

John bought his first practice in Plymouth in 1969; by the time he retired in 2007 it was a 12 vet, 5-centre practice with a veterinary hospital base. He was President of the BSAVA in 1984/5 as well as holding many other representative positions in the profession.

Carmel Mooney spent many years as a BSAVA volunteer before becoming President of the Association in 2006.

John trained at Liverpool where he returned to start a period of work on Veterinary Anaesthesia before returning to Halifax, where he was born, to take over a mixed practice. He’s been President of the BSAVA and received numerous awards.

Noel Fitzpatrick graduated from Dublin in 1990 and after working in the USA and in large animal and mixed practice he set up Fitzpatrick Referrals. He received The Simon Award at the 2009 BSAVA Congress.

Maggie graduated from the RVC in 1986, returning after a period in mixed practice. In 1993 she moved to Worcester and has developed a consultancy in parasitology.

Des Thompson is Belfast born and bred and followed his father, uncle and grandfather into veterinary practice, graduating from Trinity College Dublin in 1961. He’s been president of numerous major veterinary associations including the BSAVA.

Vic Simpson graduation from Bristol and later gained a Diploma in Veterinary Tropical Medicine at Edinburgh. He’s developed a passionate interest in the diseases of wildlife species and is a contributor to the BSAVA Manual of Wildlife Casualties.

Ray grew up in Essex before qualifying as a vet from Cambridge in 1976. After a year as house surgeon at Glasgow he went into general practice and became a partner at Wylie and Partners where he continues to work. He’s also involved in rabies control programmes in Asia.

Jane Balmain is MD of Companion Care, a subsidiary of Pets at Home.

Kim Hamilton worked for 22 years at Citibank before moving to the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders as COO. She’s recently been appointed CEO of The Blue Cross.

Claire Bessant studied animal physiology at Leeds, then worked in advertising before joining the BVA’s editorial department. She’s now chief executive of the Feline Advisory Bureau.

Julian Hector is editor of the BBC Radio Natural History Unit in Bristol having previously worked for the British Antarctic Survey, Bristol Zoo and the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust.

Bruce Vivash Jones was given Honorary membership of the BSAVA in recognition of his role in establishing the Association, his work on JSAP, and his contributions to early BSAVA publications.