Meet the Team

All members of veterinary and nursing staff update and maintain professional veterinary training and research to allow us to provide this excellent standard of care.

The veterinary surgeons are all members of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association and the nursing staff  of the British Veterinary Nursing Association.

THE PARTNERS

Iain Richards BVSc Cert VA MRCVS
After qualifying. Iain worked in a mixed practice in Yorkshire for 8 months before moving to a mixed practice in Ulverston.  He remained there for the next 3.5 years and during that time studied for his certificate in anaesthesia.  Following a brief period as a locum, he then moved to Derbyshire to an equine and small animal practice.  He came to Kendal in 1996 and bought the Stramongate Veterinary Centre in October of that year.  In 1999 he bought the neighbouring practice in Kirkby Lonsdale and he is currently senior partner of the Westmorland Veterinary Group, which comprises both those practices.  Iain's veterinary interests include sheep and cattle medicine, horses and surgery.  Beyond the practice Iain is married with 3 young children, a dog and 4 cats.  When not being a vet he likes cooking, golf and most outdoor sports especially walking and skiing.

Richard Knight BVM&S Cert CHP LFHom(Vet) MRCVS
Richard qualified from Edinburgh in 1995 and started work in Aberdeen shortly afterwards. He moved to Grange over Sands in 1997 and began to study for his certificate in Cattle Health and Production, which he passed in 1999 shortly before joining the Stramongate practice. Since that time he has helped drive the farm side of the practice and he is at his happiest at the back end of a cow, either with his scanner or trimming feet. With the rise in Organic farms he undertook homeopathic training quite recently and will run homeopathic consultations by appointment. He became a partner in 2002. His veterinary interests include all matters relating to farm practice. He is married with two young children

If you visit the surgery, Richard is the one with the green forearms.

Gerard Winnard B Vet Med Cert VC MRCVS
Gerard is a London Graduate and worked in a few places in the south of England after qualifying. He saw the light in 1999 and joined the practice that summer. Since then he has helped develop the small animal medical side of the practice especially at the Kirkby Lonsdale site. He gained his cardiology certificate in 1998 and sees the occasional second opinion for neighbouring practices. He is married with three young children. If you visit the surgery, Gerard is the one concentrating busily on tying his trout flies.

Jane King B Vet Med MRCVS
Another London graduate, Jane worked for many years at Stramongate Veterinary Centre before moving away in 1996 to Dorset. She returned to the practice in 2000 to help develop the cattle side of the practice. However, for the last couple of years her skills and reputation for equine work has seen her much in demand as this side of the practice expands. Jane is married with two children, two horses and an assortment of rapidly breeding cats. If you visit the surgery, Jane is the one who can’t be seen and we’re not sure when she’s back.

ASSOCIATE VETS

Mary Crackles BVM&S MRCVS
One of the veterinary assistants at Kendal, she was brought up on a farm and graduated becoming a vet in Edinburgh in 1986.  Originally worked at the Kirkby Lonsdale practice in 1998 and then for MAFF in Preston.  Started work for us in 1998 as a mainly small animal vet working 3 days a week mainly at the Kendal practice.

Judith Lee BVMS DBR MRCVS
Qualified in Glasgow.  She originally worked in Kendal and developed her excellent cattle skills, becoming one of the first vets in Cumbria to pass the Diploma in Bovine Reproduction.  She recently returned to work with us, working part-time and mostly from the Tithe Barn Veterinary Centre.

Ben Sapsford BVSc MRCVS
A Liverpool graduate.  Ben qualified in 2003 and has rapidly become very much a part of the practice.  His particular interests lie in cattle health and he is very keen on helping develop working health plans.

Ben's just currently returned from a 6 month sabbatical leave travelling around the southern hemisphere and New Zealand. 

Paul Hibbin BVMS Cert SAO MRCVS
Paul recently joined us having worked for many years in Barnard Castle.  He gained his certificate in orthopaedics, which provides a valuable addition to our surgical work, also offering a referral service to neighbouring practices.

Referral Service

Vicky Pearce BVSc MRCVS
Vicky joined us on the 25th July 2005. She graduated at Liverpool University in July 2004 and went on to work for a mixed practice in mid wales. Vicky is a member of the Sheep Veterinary Society. Her interests include swimming, playing football and walking.

Paul Smith BVM&S MRCVS
Paul joined us on 5th September 2005 as a new graduate from R(D)SVS, Edinburgh. He was born & brought up on the family farm at Brookhouse near Lancaster. 

His veterinary workload is split between both large and small animal duties, with a particular interest in surgery.

Outside work his interests include travelling, photography, walking & beekeeping

Anne Bowness - Head Nurse
Started with us in 1979 and is our longest serving member of staff, and is based at our Kendal surgery.  She has two dogs and her main interests include walking.

Jane Bellas
Joined us in April 1986.  Jane went part-time to 4 days a week in 2000 and you will see her at Kendal.   She has two children, two dogs and a few cats. If your pet needs to lose weight Jane is the person to see.

Weight loss Clinic Cases

Janette Murphy
Became a member of our team in October 1998.   Married Alan Murphy (a previous vet of the practice) in 2002 and now lives in Penrith.  She is based mainly at Kendal.  She has three dogs and two cats.  Interests include walking, eating lots of chocolate, sport, shopping and African wildlife.  If you get invited to a puppy party Janette is the member of staff you will see.

Liz Pilgrim
Joined us in December 2003.  You will see Liz at both our practices working 2 to 3 days at each branch.  She has 2 cats and a horse.  She competes at one day events and local riding competitions. She is also involved with various nursing clinics at both surgeries.

Alison Thomson
Alison joined us in August 2005 as a full time nurse at the Kirkby Lonsdale site.  She has 15 years experience and we all look forward to working with her.  Alison's main hobbies include competing in competition obedience with her dogs plus she enjoys camping, walking and socialising with family and friends.

Trea Udo
Trea helps us out at our Kirkby Lonsdale branch working on Tuesday afternoons - helping both the reception and nursing staff. 

ADMIN/RECEPTION/SUPPORT STAFF

Wendy Procter - Company Secretary
Started with us in June 1991 and became office  practice manager in 1996.  Wendy recently had a baby girl named Chloe in January 2007.  She also has three cats.  You will probably find her in a snooker or pool hall hustling, other main interests include watching football and going to concerts, theatre and cinema.

Emma Sutcliffe - Practice Manager
Joined Westmorland Veterinary Group in November 1998 and became practice manager in 2007.  She works mainly from the Kendal branch and sorts us all out in the office.  She lives with Glenn who she got engaged to in 2004 and her beloved dog Buster.  Her main interests are walking her dog and watching horror movies.

Catharine Head - Admin Assistant
Started worked at the Tithe Barn practice in June 1986.  When she is not helping out on the farm Catharine likes painting, swimming, cycling and listening to rock music in her spare time. 

Julie Mayfield - Receptionist/Lab Technician/Out of Hours Phone Service
Joined us in August 1998 working 1 hour a day doing laboratory work.  She now works full time at Kendal.  You will often see her behind the reception counter and she is the lady who deals with all the laboratory samples as well as taking the overnight phone service.  Julie’s main interests include fell walking, reading, handicrafts and going to the theatre.

Angela Harper - Receptionist / Out of Hours Phone Service
With us since 1982, she is the lady you see on reception on a couple of mornings and evenings.  Angela is also the person you might hear when we transfer the phones to our nightly out of hours service.  Showing boxers takes up most of her spare time!

Karen Appleby - Admin Assistant
Joined the team in October 2006 for 9 months covering Wendy's maternity leave, and carrying on working part-time from September 2007.   She is mainly based in Kendal. Karens main interests include walking her 2 dogs, digital photography, music, gardening, eating out and socialising.

Sandra Davison - Cleaner
Joined us in Apr 2003 at Kendal.  She has three cats and her main interests include gardening, reading, talking and singing.

Jennifer Carruthers - Cleaner
Started in October 2001 at Kirkby Lonsdale.  She has a Jack Russell dog and she likes a good chat.