Finding out about furry animals, pets and fleas and ticks too
Ipswich’s new veterinary centre opened its doors to welcome the local public on Sunday,
A large number of local families and their pets gathered for the official opening of Ipswich Veterinary Centre.
More than 2,000 people attended the fun-packed event, which was opened by TV presenter and client of the practice, Jimmy Doherty.
Practice manager Denise Wright said: “It was lovely to see so many people interested in what we do. There were fifteen veterinary surgeons and nurses running presentations and demonstrations from the minute the day started right to the end. The turnout was truly amazing and we are grateful for the additional parking provided by the Suffolk One college.”
The day provided an excellent opportunity for the public to look behind the scenes of the state-of-the-art veterinary hospital and find out first-hand about the work of veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and allied professions.
There were presentations on a wide range of farm, equine and pet-related issues, including an opportunity to take a close-up look at fleas, ticks and some of the other unwanted visitors that frequent our pets.
The hydrotherapy pool and treadmill were fully operational, and visitors were able to watch the dog groomers at work in the new grooming lounge. In the ultrasound room, staff pets helped to demonstrate the new equipment, and visitors were able to test their surgery skills in a game of ‘hunt the foreign body’.
Veterinary surgeon Tom Webster said: “It was a pleasure to open up the centre to everyone. We’ve received so much thanks and praise from everyone that attended and are really pleased that Ipswich Veterinary Centre has been a complete success so soon after opening. We’d like to thank Jimmy Doherty for his kind words of support and for joining us on the day despite busy commitments elsewhere.”
To mark Remembrance Sunday, a free educational workshop was set up and run by the team from PetFocus magazine for visitors to explore the remarkable contributions made and being made by animals in war. As well as lots of informative displays, books and wartime artefacts, visitors were able to enjoy famous songs from World War Two and a range of video clips about animals in war.
Children took part in an ‘around-the-bases’ quiz and there were lots of animals to meet and to learn about, including some more unusual pets such as snakes, tortoises and miniature donkeys.
All proceeds from the event will be donated to animal charities, Help For Heroes and The Royal British Legion.
To find out more about Ipswich Veterinary Centre visit www.ipswichvetcentre.co.uk
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