AN EAST London vet who has helped a charity prepare around 200 rescue cats for their new homes is feline fine after being shortlisted for a national veterinary award.
Laurence Behrens, a vet at Goddard Veterinary Group’s practice in Dagenham, impressed the judges to be a runner-up at last night’s Petplan Veterinary Awards 2023.
The Petplan Veterinary Awards are regarded as the Oscars of the veterinary profession and recognise teams and individuals who make a difference to the lives of clients and pets.
Nominations are made by pet owners, animal charities and colleagues who are invited by Petplan to tell them about vets and veterinary practices who deliver exceptional levels of care, outstanding expertise and go above and beyond the call of duty to help poorly pets.
Thousands of vets from all over the UK were nominated, but Laurence was one of just three selected as a finalist in his category.
Laurence is from South Africa and qualified as a vet in 2010 before moving to the UK in 2017. He first worked for Goddard Veterinary Group, which is part of VetPartners, as a locum and has just celebrated his fifth anniversary working at its Dagenham surgery in Oxlow Lane.
As part of his role at the Dagenham practice, Laurence visits two RSPCA centres to provide routine healthcare and treatment to rescue cats, including vaccinations and microchipping, to get them ready to be rehomed. One of his nominations came from the RSPCA’s London East branch.
Natalie Chopra, a trustee of the branch, said the first time she met Laurence she could tell he was a special vet.
Natalie said: “He was so kind and patient, and he took the time to talk to the cats and approach and handle them gently, which makes a real difference in terms of their welfare and rebuilding their trust in humans. Ultimately, we couldn’t do what we do without Laurence.
“He’s a truly fantastic vet who always goes above and beyond for us, and he more than deserves to be a finalist. He’s really proactive and often suggests things to make treatment easier or practical improvements, which we appreciate so much.”
Laurence has been nominated for Vet of the Year on several occasions.
He said: “It is such an honour to have been shortlisted this year. I love my job and am lucky to work with such a great team at Dagenham. We are a small local branch with a small team, but this means that we develop a great relationship with our clients, and they trust us to provide the highest levels of care to their pets.
“I find working with the RSPCA centres incredibly rewarding. It is amazing to see first-hand the impact they have on cats, and to be able to play a part in this. What I enjoy most about my job is being there for pets through their whole life. I see puppies and kittens grow up and to continue to care for them in their golden years.”
As well as Vet of the Year, there are categories for Veterinary Practice of the Year, Vet Nurse of the Year, Practice Manager of the Year and Practice Support Staff of the Year.
The winners of each category were decided by a panel of judges from the veterinary industry and were announced yesterday (23rd March) at a ceremony in Manchester.
For media enquiries, please contact Jo Browne, VetPartners PR and Communications Manager (South). Email jo.browne@vetpartners.co.uk