GHP February 2017

30 GHP / February 2017 , We have gathered together a team of people, who as well as being suitably qualified, have a genuine love of animals, are caring, compassionate and professional. We might be a bit biased, but we truly believe that our practice is one of the best vets around, and not just because we now have an award to prove it. We believe it’s our friendliness that makes us stand out from other similar services in our area, from our website, social media and other marketing materials to our welcoming reception, our image is one of warmth, understanding and community. Of course, we have all the latest “High Tec” equipment and skills, in common with other vet practices, but we firmly believe that building a rapport with our clients, giving each a personalised experience is what has them returning time and again as well as recommending us to their friends, family and colleges. We feel this is what has made our practice into such a thriving and successful business, very much at the centre of the local community. AH160031 Quality Care and Compassion for Pets Wangford Veterinary Clinic is an independent practice, based in amodern purpose-built building in a small village on the very beautiful Suffolk coast and as such GHP recognises it as the Best Small Animal Practice in Suffolk. Currently with a teamof 12 staff, the practice first opened its doors in April 2002 and since thenwe have grown into a flourishing, caring small animal practice. Jill Asquith lends her views on the practice’s promise to clients and their pets, attesting to its 14-year reputation. Walter Stöhr, the practice owner and veterinary surgeon, vets Boris, Vicki and the rest of the team share the same deeply held values and practical objectives, believing passionately that how we do things is just as important as what we do. Our passion is to provide excellent healthcare for our clients’ pets, and we understand that pets don’t always become unwell inside our regular opening hours, so provide 24/7 emergency care. We are very proud that our patients can be seen by members of our team whatever day of the week, whatever time of day, on our own premises and we know that our clients value this service immensely. We aim to provide a highly professional approach where people and pets are treated with respect and consideration and where owners are given the time that they need during an appointment to explain concerns and be involved in a discussion about options for treatment. For this reason, our clients each receive a fifteen-minute consultation as standard. Doing the right thing is also vitally important to us – we work hard to keep the team’s training and development up to date with every member of staff given an annual budget for training and self-development. Continually investing in our team, facilities and new equipment all help to make our aim of providing excellent healthcare a reality. The practice is accredited by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). Wangford Vets is performing very well and this year has seen an exceptional increase in new client registrations. The whole place is buzzing at the moment and we just seem to be going from strength to strength. The following client testimonial attests to this: “Very many thanks to Walter for his terrific handling of our rescue dog Chiel! Walter had the patience and took the time to win Chiel round in what was a difficult situation for him, meeting a new person in a confined area. By the end of the session Walter had him eating from his hand, not at all what I would have expected when he had just given the dog an injection! We knew you were wonderful from your care of our previous dog Bailey, now doubly convinced’! Samantha MacLeod “The team from Wangford believe in giving something back to the local community and organise many fundraising initiatives. Our Santa Paws Appeal helps local pet rescue charities and we don’t stop there either, we run an annual event called Strutt Your Mutt Charity Dog Day, celebrating the relationships owners share with their pets. Last year the event raised an astonishing £4571 for Dogs for Good and our 2017 event will raise funds for Hearing Dogs for the Deaf. For the first time this year we launched a new appeal called Poppies on 4 Paws, supporting the Royal British legion. We asked dog owners to clip a fluorescent poppy to their dog’s collar and upload photos of their dog to a dedicated page on our website. The result was truly amazing and £2552 was raised for the charity. “We feel that the main challenges for the future will be the ever- increasing corporatisation of the sector and the increase in the range of products sold online and in non-veterinary channels with the inevitable loss of individual care and advice that this brings. We, however, feel being independent is a distinct advantage and believe we can thrive by marketing ourselves properly, promoting our superior and individual personal customer and patient care and identity.”