WILSON VETERINARY - Key Persons
Alison graduated in 2009 and has worked in practices across the UK and abroad. She joined our team in 2015 and became one of our clinical directors the following year. She loves all aspects of her role, especially watching our team grow and support each other! Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family and looking after her dogs.
Amanda graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2020 and joined our team shortly after. Originally from Glasgow, she has now happily settled in the north east with her partner and ginger cat, Pudding. They hope to have a rescue dog join their family soon! Outside of work, she enjoys travelling, visiting friends and family, yoga, climbing, hiking and paddleboarding.
Arianna is Italian and graduated from Alma Mater Studiorum in Bologna in 2017. After a few years working in Italy, she moved to the UK and joined our team. She has a special interest in medicine and cytology and is currently working towards a certificate in the field. She enjoys spending time with loved ones, travelling, yoga, salsa dancing and learning new languages. She also has a cat called BruBru.
Ava joined us in 2019 and is now training to become a veterinary nurse. She has two dogs called Jet and Winnie, and they love going to the beach and Hamsterley Forest with her. She also enjoys spending time with her horses and exploring new places.
Chris joined the team in 2007, and has a particular interest in cat welfare and behaviour. He spent a few years away from our practice working for animal charities in the north east, but returned to our reception team in 2017. He is proud to work somewhere that prioritises animal welfare and client care, and enjoys caring for his cat Bert in his free time.
Claire has been with us since 2006, having previously worked for Morrisons for nine years. She graduated from Sheffield University with a degree in physics in 2002 and went on to complete the Morrisons graduate training scheme. She has since completed a master's degree in human resources management. Outside of work, she is a Beaver scout leader, a governor at a local primary school and is actively involved with her local church.
Courtney has been with us since 2021 and enjoys a varied role as an animal care assistant. When she's not wearing scrubs, she can usually be found getting her wellies muddy at her family's dairy farm.
Cristina graduated from the University of Cordoba in 2014 and has worked in various small animal practices around Spain. She joined our team in 2020 and has developed a keen interest in general medicine. Her current goal is to expand her skills in soft tissue surgery! Outside of work, she is a travel fanatic and loves to explore different places across the UK.
Denise joined our reception team in 2011 and loves the hustle and bustle of busy practice life. She enjoys helping clients and pets relax, and appreciates that no two days are the same! She is also a keen gardener and can often be found taking her cockapoo Millie out for long walks.
Dorota graduated from the University of Life Sciences in Warsaw in 2008 and has worked in small animal practices across Poland and the UK. She enjoys every aspect of small animal internal medicine work, and is the proud owner of three rescue cats.
Ellie joined our team when she started nursing in 2021. Her love of animals stems from time spent volunteering at her local veterinary practice as a teenager, and she is now enjoying studying to become a nurse and developing her knowledge!
Ellie joined our team in 2021 as a business administration apprentice. She enjoys meeting new clients and pets, and loves that every day on reception is different! When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with family, friends and her pet bulldog, Miley.
Emily joined our team in 2017 as an auxiliary nurse and qualified in 2021. She has always been passionate about caring for animals and is excited to continue her veterinary career!
Fritz is originally from South Africa and graduated from the University of Pretoria in 2016, before working on disease control and outbreak investigations for the South African government and at a small animal clinic. He joined us shortly after moving to the UK in 2021, and enjoys working as part of the out of hours and emergency team at our Bishop Auckland branch.
Gayle has owned pets all her life and joined our team in 2021. She has two dogs called Blue and Amber and two cats called Paddy and Imp, and enjoys volunteering at her local animal rescue centre and relaxing with her family in her free time.
George graduated from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in 2008, joined the team in 2018 and became a clinical director in 2021. He enjoys all aspects of internal medicine and has a certificate in haemodialysis. He has also participated in research studies, lectured veterinary students and vets, and had his work published in peer reviewed veterinary and medical journals. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and pets.
Helen has been a member of our team for many years and is a nursing team leader. She loves to get involved with all aspects of veterinary nursing! Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family and their two cats, Max and Daisy.
Helen joined us as a receptionist in 2007 and deals with our pet insurance claims. She lives in Witton-le-Wear with her husband Michael and their three cats, and would love to open her own animal sanctuary one day.
Hugh graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2019. After enjoying a well-earned summer break, he began his career as a veterinary surgeon the same year. He is the proud owner of a talkative ginger cat and enjoys watching, playing and talking about football, golf and cricket!
Isha and her dog Frankie were clients of ours before she joined our team in 2021 as an auxiliary nurse. She has always been interested in animals, so she was delighted to get her dream job in a familiar practice! She is keen to continue gaining veterinary experience and hopes to train as a veterinary nurse in the future.
Jeremy graduated from the Veterinary School of Lyon in France in 2001 and moved to the north east in 2003. He joined our team in 2012 and has since achieved a postgraduate certificate in small animal surgery and the RCVS advanced practitioner in small animal surgery status. He has two cats called Amy and Vincent, who enjoy getting up to mischief!
Job Titles:
- Registered Veterinary Nurse
Jessica joined the team in 2010, and qualified as a registered veterinary nurse six years later. She has a passion for emergency and critical care, and enjoys supporting patients and owners through stressful situations as part of our night team. She has three rescue cats at home, as well as a young son who shares her love of animals.
Julia has been part of the team for over 15 years, first as auxiliary and then as a qualified Veterinary Nurse since 2010. She has always been passionate about caring for animals but also caring for her colleagues as well! Besides her nursing duties, she makes sure that biscuits are always available for the rest of the team during their breaks! Julia has a soft spot for spaniels and it is not surprising that she is the proud owner of two working cocker spaniels, Briar and Dutch.
Julie has been with us since 2019, and enjoys walking and going to the gym in her spare time.
My father wanted me to join the army into which I had been born, my mother wanted me to become a teacher and enjoy all the benefits? Instead, aged 14 years, I volunteered every weekend and school holiday at my local veterinary practice and qualified as a R.A.N.A in 1975. Worked in Small Animal, Equine and Mixed practices throughout the British Isles. Fostered rescue Donkeys and retired Police and Prison dogs for over 20 years. Interested in conservation and animal welfare in general. I idolise Joanna Lumley (actress). I adore Clint Eastwood (actor) and I hate cooking!
Karen has been working with our admin team since 1998. She enjoys the varied nature of her role, as no two days are the same!
Katherine has been working as a veterinary nurse since she left school. She enjoys all aspects of her job and loves sharing her knowledge with colleagues and clients. When she's not at work, she likes spending time with her dogs and entering them into agility competitions.
Kathryn joined us in 2018 and qualified the following year. She has a keen interest in small animal nursing and is currently working towards a certificate in the field. She is also one of our clinical coaches, training the next generation of veterinary nurses. In her own time, she loves looking after her pet rats, riding her horse and walking her golden retriever, Nala.
Kayleigh joined the Wilson Vets team in 2021. She has always had a passion for animals, and has previously owned and cared for cats, dogs, rodents, and reptiles, to name but a few! She is continuing to develop her knowledge in her current role and is learning how to provide the best level of care to our patients and clients.
Kayleigh qualified in 2019 and loves all aspects of her role. She has had a passion for animals since she was a child, and has a particular interest in internal medicine and oncology. She has five dogs and a macaw, so she spends most of her free time walking and entertaining them!
Kylie joined the team in 2021, and previously worked in the retail industry for several years. She can typically be found at our Bishop Auckland and Spennymoor branches and enjoys seeing the variety of pets that come through our doors! In her free time, she can usually be found taking care of her four cats and two dogs.
Lize-Mari was born and raised in South Africa and has been working in small animal practices since 2017. She joined our team in 2021 as a night vet, and has a special interest in emergency and critical care medicine. In her free time, she loves exploring the UK, walking, horse riding and spending time with her husband and cat.
''Maddie joined our team in 2021 as a student Veterinary Care Assistant. After qualifying as a VCA, she has progressed onto the Veterinary Nursing course and looks forward to qualifying in 2024! Maddie has a keen interest in feline behaviour and looks to study this further alongside her current studies
I am a second-year trainee and have now been at Wilson's for 18 months. I'm really enjoying the experience and looking forward to becoming a Qualified Veterinary Nurse. At home I have a large number of animals including cats, dogs and horses. My weekends are often spent competing around the country with my horses.
Mandy joined our reception team in 2006 and has since completed an NVQ customer service level two qualification. Her favourite part of her job is getting to know our clients and pets, and she also helps with the administration of our Pet Health Club. She has four dogs, who she enters into local agility competitions.
Job Titles:
- Registered Veterinary Nurse
Natalie worked with animals for several years before qualifying as a registered veterinary nurse in 2016, and loves interacting with clients and caring for pets. She spends much of her spare time with her little boy and their cat, Dave, and dog, Nelly, who are both very mischievous.
Nicola joined our team in 2011 and qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2016. She hopes to pursue an anaesthesia certificate and maybe even a Masters degree in veterinary nursing in the future! She has a particular interest in dentistry and x-rays.
Originally from Poland, Pawel graduated from the University of Wroclaw before working in small animal practices in Poland and north east Lincolnshire, he joined our team in 2008. When he's not working, he enjoys spending time with his wife, two children and dog, Starlight, as well as visiting different places around the country.
Robyn is originally from South Africa and moved to the UK in 2003. She ran a successful country pub for four years before joining our team in 2008, and has diplomas in customer service, business administration and customer relations. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her young family, reading, cooking and going to gigs.
Samantha qualified in 1992 and has been based in Durham since 2002. She has a particular interest in pedigree dogs and their genetic conditions, and enjoys showing beagles in her spare time.
Savannah joined our team in 2018 as a veterinary care assistant and has since progressed to veterinary nursing. She absolutely loves animals, and when she's not working you will probably find her at a skatepark!
Shelley worked in forensic mental health nursing before qualifying as a vet nurse in 2019. She loves the caring nature of the Wilson team, and her favourite part of her job is nursing patients who have to stay in longer than usual. She also enjoys looking after cats in practice, as she has two cats of her own at home called Fred and Lily.
Summer has worked in first opinion practices since 2012 and gained her VCA certificate in 2013. She has been a qualified veterinary nurse since 2018, and her main interests are emergency and critical care and laboratory work. She finds being a veterinary nurse both rewarding and challenging, and enjoys forming relationships with her patients.
Toni joined us in 2011 as an auxiliary nurse, and qualified in 2019 after studying at the College of Animal Welfare. He is currently based at our Newton Aycliffe branch and can usually be found in our theatre and x-ray room! He has a special interest in general anaesthesia, emergency and critical care and diagnostic imaging.
Tracy began working in practice in 2012, qualified in 2016 and joined Wilson Vet Group on 2018. She is one of our nursing team leaders and a clinical coach, and her previous experience as a primary school teacher is proving useful while training the next generation of veterinary nurses. She has a keen interest in nurse consults and enjoys advising on pet health and wellbeing.
Job Titles:
- Student Veterinary Surgeon
Vasyl graduated from the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences in Ukraine in 2020, and completed his master's degree the following year. After moving to the UK in 2022, he joined our Bishop Auckland branch and began studying to become a fully licenced vet with RCVS recognition.
Xiang grew up in Malaysia and graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2021. He enjoys all aspects of his role, but has a particular passion for ophthalmology and cardiology. Although some days can be busy and challenging, his supportive colleagues and adorable patients make each day a pleasure!