Meet our small animal team

Alistair joined our team in 2009, and has played a key role in developing our practice and services over the years. He has a particular interest in surgery and orthopaedics, and has introduced new techniques and surgical services to our practice, so that most cases can be done in-house. Away from work, he enjoys spending time with his family and their many pets, as well as racket sports, golf and skiing

Rebecca joined the practice in 2020 and completed her postgraduate certificate in small animal medicine later that year.  She enjoys the variety of cases we get to see, and joined our team of clinical directors in 2022.  Outside work, she keeps a few sheep, cows, pigs and chickens, as well as a family of dogs and cats.

Originally from Newcastle, Emma’s background is in accounts and business administration. After joining our practice admin team in 2011, she took on the role of practice manager in 2017. She holds the AVLM veterinary management qualification, and is currently working towards a diploma in veterinary leadership and management. Outside of work, she loves spending time with her family and their pets, as well as heading out for tea and cake.

Jacob graduated from the University of Life Sciences in Poland in 2008, after which he moved to the UK and settled in Gloucester in 2014. He has been with us since 2022, and has a particular interest in orthopaedics and laparoscopic surgery, having established a keyhole surgery service at our hospital and previously completed a certificate in small animal surgery. In his own time, he enjoys spending time with his family, reading, watching films and cycling. He also has a Dog called Bulka (which is Polish for “bun”).

Anna qualified as a veterinary surgeon in 2002 and has been with us since 2008. She holds a post-graduate certificate in anaesthesia and analgesia (pain relief), which included learning about the intensive care of pets. She lives in Bristol with her husband, children and dog, with whom she loves trail running as an attempt to maintain her sanity.

Catherine graduated from Bristol University in 2002 and joined the Wood team in 2009. She has a keen interest in cardiology, and outside of work she is kept busy with her children and her cats, Obi and Treacle, leaving little time for hobbies!

Jenny graduated from Bristol University in 2010 and joined our team a few years later. She has a particular interest in diagnostic imaging and cardiology, and recently completed a certificate of advanced veterinary practice. Outside of work, she is kept busy with her two children and dog, Fudge. Any remaining free time is spent catching up with family and friends. 

Sarah began working with our team in 2017, and graduated from Bristol University in 2022. She has a passion for medicine and acupuncture, and her dog sometimes makes special appearances at our Longlevens branch.

After graduating in 2016, Anna gained valuable experience at a small animal practice in the North East, before joining the Wood team in 2022. Her clinical passions include medicine and dentistry, and she is currently working towards a certificate in small animal medicine. Outside of work, she is a qualified yoga teacher and loves going hiking with her dog.

Before joining us in 2021, Jenny spent seven years working at a mixed practice across all species. She has a particular interest in small animal medicine, an area that she has completed a certificate in.

Zolly studied at Bristol University, and worked at a mixed vet practice before joining our team in 2023. She loves the variety of her job, and has a specific interest in ophthalmology. When she’s not working, she enjoys climbing, hiking and spending time outdoors.

After graduating in 2022, Marta worked at a small animal clinic in Barcelona. She joined our team the following year, and has developed a keen interest in medicine work. In her own time, she loves exploring all that the local area has to offer. While she isn’t a pet owner herself at the moment, she hopes to change this in the future.

Ellie joined us in 2023, shortly after graduating from the Royal Veterinary College. She enjoys all aspects of her role, especially her varied caseload. Outside of work, she enjoys baking, playing racket sports and walking her dog.

Abi joined the practice in her student nurse days and has been here ever since! She has been our deputy head nurse since 2020, and her favourite part of her job is running our nurse clinics and caring for hospitalised inpatients. She enjoys spending her free time with her young family and pets.

Sammie joined our reception team in 2006, and went on to qualify as a registered veterinary nurse a few years later. After taking a short break to go travelling, she returned to the fold in 2015 and has since held various roles in our nursing team. She is passionate about inpatient cases and the nursing of medical conditions, and holds a certificate in medical nursing. She shares her home with two dogs and two cats.

Katherine joined our team in 2006 and qualified as a registered veterinary nurse four years later. She has a particular passion for cat care, having achieved ISFM feline nursing and advanced feline behaviour certificates, and is a Cat Advocate at our hospital. In her own time, she loves taking care of her own cats, reading, watching films, attending comic book conventions and playing Ludosport (which combines sport and light saber wrangling)

Becky graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in London in 2011, and has been part of the Wood family since 2014. She enjoys the surgical side of veterinary nursing, particularly taking blood samples, diagnostic imaging and dental procedures. When she’s not working, she loves exploring the countryside with her dog, Max, followed by a lovely snuggle on the sofa.

Natalie has been with us since 2019 and loves working on complex medical cases. Her favourite part of her job is seeing an inpatient that she’s been taking care of feel better and be able to go home.  She enjoys spending her free time walking her dogs, Marley and Rose, and catching up with family and friends.

Jessica joined us shortly after graduating from Hartpury University in 2023, and loves all parts of nursing. She is keen to continue expanding her knowledge and experience. She has a cat called Tinker, who loves cheese flavoured dreamies and dinner time

Laura joined our team in 2023, a few years after she qualified as a registered veterinary nurse. She particularly enjoys caring for inpatients and getting to see them go home feeling like themselves again. In her spare time, she loves taking her dogs, Freddie, Henry and Charlie, for walks in the countryside and watching true crime documentaries.

Sophie qualified as a registered veterinary nurse in 2018 and joined our team a few years later. When she’s not studying or working part-time at our practice, she is kept busy with her dogs and five pet sheep.

Blake first joined us as an animal nursing assistant, and loves getting to support our inpatients and make their time with us as comfortable as possible. When he’s not taking care of his own pet rabbits or volunteering at a local rabbit rescue centre, he enjoys diving and rock climbing.

Emma worked as a boarding kennel manager before joining our team in 2021, and loves applying the knowledge she has learnt as part of her veterinary nurse training to her day-to-day work. She has two dogs of her own, who she enjoys taking for long walks in the countryside, and likes hitting the gym.

Natasha studied animal behaviour and welfare at Hartpury University, and joined the team in 2023. As a reptile owner herself, she particularly enjoys working with exotic pet species, as well as surgeries and performing blood tests in our laboratory. Outside of work, she has a passion for horse riding, especially cross country and dressage events, and has a pet cat.

Debbie joined our team in 2006, having previously worked at another large veterinary practice. She has a particular fondness for big dogs, as well as behavioural cases. Outside of work, she loves going for walks with her children and supporting them in their passions for rugby and football.

Louise has been a qualified veterinary surgeon for over 20 years, many of which have been spent doing emergency and critical care work. She has done lots of overseas voluntary work in Europe and Africa, helping to care for animals in need. Outside of work, she can often be found enjoying a good meal with friends, whether she’s in the UK or exploring more far-flung cuisines.

Ionut graduated from the Bucharest Veterinary School in 2019, after which he spent a year in a mixed animal practice in Romania, before relocating to the UK. He joined our team in 2023, and loves spending his free time with his family and their dog, Kenya.

Hayley qualified as a registered veterinary nurse in 2018 and joined our team the following year. She has been part of our out of hours team since 2020, and is always willing to help out pets in an emergency, whatever the time of day (or night). In her spare time, she loves crafting and walking her dog, Ronnie, in the Forest of Dean.

After graduating from the Royal Veterinary College in 2018, Charlie joined our team and went over to the “dark side” of out of hours care in 2022. He loves the fast pace and rewarding nature of emergency and critical care, which he has recently started a certificate in. He enjoys spending his days off walking his dog around the Cotswolds.

Robyn graduated from Harper Adams University in 2019 and joined our team in 2024. She enjoys the varied nature of her role, but has a particular interest in inpatient care, anaesthesia and emergency and critical care, which in 2023 she completed a certificate in. She has two cats called Nellie and Zephyr and a dog called Bailey, who she loves taking for long, muddy walks.

Kiersty joined us in 2004, and loves getting to work as part of a fantastic team to support our clients and their pets. She has a dog called Doughnut, who is as soft and sweet as his name suggests, and a cat called Frazzle. She is an arts and crafts enthusiast and enjoys tackling DIY projects with her husband.

Alice joined our practice at the age of 16 and has been here ever since! She loves all aspects of her job, from answering phones to catching up with clients and pets. She has a dog called Oscar, a cat called Autumn and two rabbits, Chester and Cookie. When she’s not working, she loves spending time with family and friends, watching TV and retail therapy.

Kerry joined our reception team in 2014, and loves getting to know the personalities of all the pets that visit us. She has a dog called Sulley and a cat called Peter Parker, and enjoys spending her spare time with her family and watching the latest true crime series on Netflix.

Sheila joined our team in 2018, having previously worked at an equine practice for 17 years. She has a rescue dog called Echo, who has been with her since her days living in South Africa.

Before joining us in 2019, Anna spent three years working at a 24-hour vet hospital in Swindon. She holds a non-clinical veterinary assistant diploma and is registered with the BVRA (British Veterinary Receptionist Association). A proud cat owner, she assesses catteries for the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy and holds a certificate in feline psychology.

Vicky is a lifelong animal lover, making our practice the perfect workplace for her. She enjoys getting to meet all of our patients, and has many pets of her own – two rescue dogs, two budgies and a hamster, to be precise.

Hannah worked as a complaints manager at an insurance company before joining the Wood team in 2021. She loves chatting to our clients in our waiting room, and has a dog called Jimi, who likes going for walks in the woods and coming home for a  snooze. In her spare time, she enjoys running marathons, weightlifting and CrossFit training.

Merissa has been with us since 2019 and helps to organise our saying goodbye protocols, ensuring our clients receive compassionate support and guidance during difficult times. She has also completed mental health first aid training.

Helen has been part of our reception team since 2020, and loves catching up with our clients and their pets. She also covers for our pharmacy team from time to time, which has allowed her to expand her role and learn new skills – every day is a learning day with our team. She enjoys spending her free time outdoors with her own dogs and horses.

Before joining us in 2020, Tiffany worked at a five-star kennels and cattery. She enjoys all aspects of her role, but has a particular interest in dispensing medication and front of house work. She shares her home with two cats, a dog and a rabbit, and loves spending her spare time baking for her friends and family.

Emily joined our team in 2022, having previously worked at a boarding kennel for seven years. She greatly enjoys working with our team and meeting our clients and their pets. In her own time, she loves taking cat of her dogs.

Helen had worked at another vet practice and at a kennel before joining our team in 2020, so was well prepared for practice life. Away from the reception desk, she enjoys spending time with her family and her own pets.

Laura worked at a VetPartners equine practice for 12 years before joining our team in 2022. She loves the variety her role brings and getting to work with her lovely colleagues. In her own time, she is an avid reader and a keen cook, a hobby that she puts to great use when hosting dinner parties for her friends and family. She also has two dogs, who she competes in events.

Anna has been with our practice for over 20 years, during which time she has developed lovely relationships with our clients (often over the phone). Her favourite part of her job is catching up with the people and pets that visit us. She loves nothing more than being at home with her family, and has two rabbits called Thunder and Lightning.

Before joining our accounts team in 2022, Julie worked in accountancy practices for many years. In her own time, she enjoys gardening, theatre, baking and meeting up with friends.

Emma joined us in 2008 as deputy head nurse, and joined our insurance team a few years later when her children came along. She splits her time between admin and stock control, and loves getting to support clients. She enjoys spending her free time with her daughters and walking her dog.

Amy is a qualified registered veterinary nurse with a degree in animal science, and joined our administrative team in 2023. Before joining us, she worked as a locum veterinary nurse and as a pet sitter, having achieved her dog boarding licence. She loves getting to use her clinical skills while dealing with our insurance claims, and has a dog and a cat at home.

After graduating, Alex worked in the equine industry, in stud management, as an international groom and at an equine veterinary practice. She joined us in 2016 and spends much of her free time running around after her three children, as well as umpiring, coaching and playing netball.