Telford vet team celebrate 20 fantastic years - and recall X-raying a dog to help police search for evidence
A Telford veterinary clinic that has cared for thousands of animals - and even once helped police in a search for evidence - is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
From a critically ill Great Dane so large it could barely be lifted onto a table, to a cat choking on a six-inch-long, sausage-like hairball, the Vets Now clinic in Telford has seen more than its fair share of animal emergencies over the past two decades.
There has been little time to pause and reflect for vet Karen Booth and principal nurse manager Fiona Scrimshaw, who have been there every step of the way since the clinic first opened in 2005.
The pair recalled being asked by police to X-ray a dog believed to have swallowed potential evidence from a crime scene, as well as treating countless pets who had eaten mince pies over the Christmas period.
"Because we are open right through the festive period while most vets are closed, we are always incredibly busy then," said Fiona.
"We had one Christmas when we had about 10 dogs come in one after another having eaten mince pies. We have to make them sick straight away, but there were so many we had used up our full stock of the drug we use."
The Telford clinic was originally based at Haygate Veterinary Centre in Wellington before moving to Gladstone Vets in Hadley. It is one of more than 60 Vets Now emergency clinics and hospitals across the UK.
The clinic sees thousands of pets a year through its doors, and there have been several memorable experiences, including during the clinic's early days when Karen and Fiona had to lift a Great Dane weighing 90 kilograms who had a potentially deadly stomach condition onto a specialist table to be operated on.
"Think of us as an A&E for pets," said Karen. "Just like in a people’s hospital, our doors are open to everyone, but we also work with local daytime vet practices around the area."
