Heather opens first vet physiotherapy business despite pandemic
Pets in need of rehabilitation can now build up their strength and use underwater treadmills at an animal physio centre in Shropshire.
Heather Venables has set up the Pawfit Veterinary Physiotherapy next to the vets she used to work for in Whitchurch. The 31-year-old created the business with a government start-up loan in December and already has a team of four.
Heather, 31, who became a registered veterinary nurse in 2010, has held a diploma in advanced veterinary nursing since 2015.
“I know it’s a difficult time to launch a new business but we offer an essential service to animals and pet owners and I’m delighted to say, we’re incredibly busy,” said Heather.
“We work with all sorts of domestic pets, mainly dogs and cats, and sometimes smaller pets like rabbits and guinea pigs.”
“We’ve invested the loan in fitting out the premises with an underwater treadmill, veterinary physiotherapy treatment rooms with strengthening equipment and a hydrotherapy pool.
"We offer laser treatment used for improving healing, massage, ultrasound therapy and hydrotherapy and we design rehabilitation exercise programmes to increase muscle mass and strength and improve balance. We also give dietary advice as this can play a significant role in pain management.”
Heather, 31, started her career with Leonards Brothers Veterinary Centre in 2006 after finishing her GCSEs at Sir John Talbot's School in the town.
She then did an NVQ, qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2010 and got diploma in advanced veterinary nursing in 2015.
“I wrote my first business plan in 2010 to show how successful a veterinary rehabilitation centre could be and how it could complement the services offered by my employers," she said.
Heather, who lives in Shavington, near Nantwich, graduated from Harper Adams University in 2017 with a post graduate diploma in veterinary physiotherapy, a subject she still teaches at the university.
“I studied for my degree while continuing to work full time at Leonards Brothers Vets," added Heather. “Luckily, they gave me all the support I needed, and now, I’m delighted to say that we’re neighbours.
“In 2019 I was approached by Andy Nelson, one of the owners of Leonard Brothers, and was asked if I would be interested in renting some space in their new purpose-built veterinary practice in Whitchurch.
"I applied for the full government loan and got it, fitted the practice out with the best equipment and now it enables us to work together to offer a seamless, multimodal service. An animal can come to us after being treated for, say, an injury or after surgery and we can carry out post-trauma care and the necessary physio to get them back to complete health and fitness.
“There’s definitely been an increase in business during the pandemic," Heather said. “More people seem to want pets now, but there’s also been a growth in abandoned animals, often due to changing circumstances at home.”
