So, sorry for the slow blogging over the pandemic. I hope you are all safe and well out there, I hope your loved ones on 2 and 4 legs (and the ones that slither and slide) are all doing okay.

It has been such a weird time for all of us. COVID-19 has changed all our lives in one way or another and I do not think we will (or should) return to the days of old. There is a new normal for us all, in all walks of life and professions, that will affect our pets and our routines.

I will be honest (always!), at the start of this whole crisis Jen and I were scared. BSEVC is 1 year old. We were doing well in in the first few months of the year, but we did not know how a global pandemic was going to affect us. New businesses are always fragile financially, and then add in that neither Jen nor I have a trust fund or a large bank account to fall back on, we were genuinely concerned. Our houses are on the line. We employ a team of 10 of the most fabulous people on the planet, and they need to pay their mortgages and rents. However, we are vets. We pledged when we opened that we would be here for you when you and your pets needed it most. And you know what, I am so proud of my team and how they have stepped up.

Right at the beginning of this, we took our own out of hours back. Which means we are now here, on call, at the practice 24/7, 365 days a year. You will see the familiar faces, day and night. We knew this would be a tough move. Our lovely, beautiful team all took their jobs on initially thinking we would not do our own on call. But both Jen and I felt we had to be there for you, our clients at the time you need us most. During a global pandemic. Our team agreed and all of them have been super. We have had septic critical care patients that we have sat up and nursed, taking it in shifts to ensure they always have someone watching them. We have had joy with the middle of the night c-sections. We have cried with you when it has been time to say goodbye. It is true, old fashioned morals and values vetting. And we love it. I am really happy to be able to say that our awesome team have agreed to let us continue doing out own on call and it has now become a permanent fixture. We are here for you. Always.

We have more exciting news actually. Partly as the result of the out of hours, and due to us growing faster than we anticipated (or even actually dreamed of… thank you!), we are expanding and taking on a new vet! We can’t wait to welcome Adam. Jen and I both know him, me having known him since he was a student and Jen having previously worked with him. He is experienced, through, caring and has all the qualities that mean he will be the perfect fit for us. He will start in September. He has a great sense of humour and is ready to come and join the team to be able to be your pet’s number 1 advocate. He is also very tall. Apologies if I cant find him uniform in time that will cover his midriff and our uniform looks like a crop top. I’m working on it!

So, I guess the theme of this blog is silver linings. There is no denying that the world is different to how it was 6 months ago. We never thought we would have to lock the doors and consult from the carpark. But even though it is summer, it feels like we are in an emotional springtime for many with sprigs of hope coming through after a dark time.

Please can I take this opportunity to thank you (again) for the support we have received from everyone. The community of trust, love and collaboration that everyone (clients and team members alike) have created is just awesome. Going to sign off before I start the soppy tears again. But thank you all. Everyone who has ever recommended us, told their friends and family about us, send us kind reviews etc. Thank you, more than you will ever know. Carly and Jen x