Leadon Vale Collars Top Award For Canine Care

Linnaeus-owned Leadon Vale Veterinary Centre in Ledbury has received Dog Friendly Clinic accreditation from the UK’s largest canine charity Dogs Trust and the British Veterinary Behaviour Association (BVBA).

The practice has introduced specific canine-friendly measures including welfare friendly treatment and low stress handling techniques to make patients feel calmer and more comfortable.

These include appointments in the garden, longer appointments and phone consultations to reduce stress on the dog. The team also offers ‘cuddle visits’ to build up positive experiences for pets visiting the vets

Leadon Vale has been providing care for pets across the region for more than 60 years and clinical director Leanne Osborne says this recognition shows their continued commitment to the wellbeing of their patients.

Leanne said: “We are delighted to have been recognised as a dog-friendly clinic. It shows our team is committed to optimising our knowledge, skills and resources to ensure visits to us are positive and stress-free for both dogs and clients.

“Dog friendly status will help put our clients at ease as they know we are going to treat their pets with the utmost respect and care for them with the affection they deserve.

“Our vets, nurses and receptionists have all been involved with in-house training so we can continue increasing awareness and understanding of canine behaviour within our clinic.

“We will also continue working very hard to make the practice even more canine-friendly and ensure we reduce and relieve stress as much as possible.”

Dr Rachel Casey, director of strategy and transformation at Dogs Trust, said these actions all help to minimise the anxiety some dogs can feel during vet visits.

She explained: “Veterinary care is an essential part of dogs’ lives but some do find their visits to the vets stressful.

“So, we are very pleased to collaborate with the BVBA to create the Dog Friendly Clinic scheme and help veterinary practices embed the principles of behavioural medicine into clinic life.

“Vet clinics are at the forefront of recognising and preventing the development of problem behaviours in dogs, and this scheme will help them develop the skills and knowledge to optimise the wellbeing of the dogs in their care.”

Chris Laurence, chair of BVBA, said: “Encouraging welfare-friendly treatment of dogs in veterinary practices is one of our primary objectives so every additional practice means many more dogs will benefit.

“We’re delighted Leadon Vale Veterinary Centre has joined our dog friendly community and, by doing so, they are helping ensure every dog has as positive an experience as possible within their clinic.”

For more information on Leadon Vale Veterinary Centre, visit www.ledburyvets.co.uk or search for Leadon Vale Veterinary Centre on social media.