Meet the Team

a Andrew received his undergraduate veterinary training at University College Dublin in 1986 and then completed his thesis entitled “Behaviour Problems in the Domestic Dog” at Cambridge University. He has a keen interest in internal medicine especially the fields of oncology and clinical haematology and obtained Certificate in Small Animal Medicine in 2000. Andrew leads the Internal Medicine service at the Abington surgery, accepting referrals in cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, oncology and nephrology and also runs the CT and MRI scanning service at the Moulton surgery. Outside of work Andrew enjoys gardening, reading and walking. Age and injury have intervened in his sports but he remains a keen Munster and Ireland rugby supporter.

a Jeremy qualified from Bristol Veterinary School in 1999 and gained his certificate in small animal surgery in 2004. He is one of four partners of the Abington Park Veterinary Surgery. Jeremy leads the soft tissue and orthopaedic surgery team and has particular interests in arthroscopy of the elbow, shoulder and stifle (assessment and treatment of joints via key hole surgery with a camera) and treatment of cranial cruciate ligament injury in the dog. He enjoys complex fracture repair and management of the trauma patient, wound repair and reconstructive surgery. He has a strong interest in the management and treatment of hip dysplasia and hip replacement surgery, and treatment of growth deformity with use of external and circular fixators. His spare time is spent with his family and the outdoors with the odd game of golf.

a Nigel qualified from Cambridge University in 1979 and is one of the founder partners of the Abington Park Surgery. He gained his certificate in small animal dermatology in 1987 and continues to show a keen interest in this as well as all other aspects of veterinary medicine, including soft tissue surgery. In his spare time he plays the cello and is an enthusiastic gardener.

a Zena has been with the practice for ten years and seen many changes within that time. Her previous background was mainly in accounts, payroll and IT and she plays a large part in the general running and maintenance of all three practices. In her spare time she loves spending time with the grandchildren, reading, walking and playing golf.

a Mandie joined the team in October 2010 as HR administrator. She has gained her HR knowledge and experience within the distribution and retail sectors. Mandie’s key responsibility is to support the team with all employment relation issues. In her spare time she enjoys walking her dog, gardening and interior design.

a Gemma has been nursing for 12 years, qualified for 9 years. Her interests are internal medicine and critical care nursing. One of her key roles is to ensure the nursing team are up to date with their professional development, which ensures they are working to the highest standard. In her spare time she enjoys socialising with family and friends, she has a serious passion for cooking and loves walking with her dog.

a Caroline graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2009. She worked for two years in mixed practice in Warwickshire before deciding to specialise in small animals. She joined the practice in September 2011 and is looking forward to developing her skills in medicine and surgery. Outside of work, Caroline enjoys socialising, sport and cooking

a Lisa qualified from the University of Bristol in 1998. She joined the practice in April 2010, having been in general practice around the UK and Australia prior to this. In 2008 she trained as a veterinary acupuncturist, and can offer this service to our clients, or those referred from other local practices. In her spare time she enjoys cake decorating, skiing and scuba diving and spending time with her Bengal cat Kimi.

a Hans qualified from the University of Pretoria in 2004 and has joined Abington Park Vets in August 2010. He has an interest in surgery & diagnostic imaging and will soon be enrolling in the Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice (Small Animal Surgery). In his spare time he enjoys reading and the occasional boating holiday.

a qualified as a vet from University College Dublin in 1986 and has worked in many types of small animal practice, working initially for the RSPCA and the PDSA and then several stints of locum work in private practice. She now works part time for the practice, mainly running the regular MRI and CT scanning sessions at the Moulton surgery, but also helping out with our advertising and website admin. She has two grown up daughters and spends her spare time gardening, cooking and tidying up after her husband Andrew.

a Riccardo Minelli, DVM MRCVS – Riccardo qualified in Turin University in 2002 and has worked there for a short time; since 2004 he’s been working full time as a Veterinary Surgeon, in Italy first and in UK since 2008. He joined the practice in January 2011. His main interests are Internal Medicine and Diagnostic Imaging (ultrasound in particular). He’s currently working towards the RCVS Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice – Small Animal Medicine. In his free time he enjoys walking in the countryside with his Golden Retriever Maya and playing videogames.

a Before working for APVS Samantha completed a National Diploma in Animal Care at college and went on to work in various animal based jobs such as dog groomer and kennel assistant for a boarding and breeding kennel. She also worked for the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association for 2 years where she completed a City & Guilds qualification. For the last 7 years Samantha has been a receptionist at APVS with the last 2 years at the Wellingborough road surgery as the Reception Manager.

a After working in the IT industry for over 10 years, Steph decided to change career paths and joined the practice in May 2011 as part of our  busy Reception Team as a dedicated Client Service Co-Ordinator.  Steph enjoys working in a more customer focussed environment  where  she can really make a difference. In her spare time Steph is a DIY enthusiast and likes to keep fit.

a Bron joined the practice as a part time receptionist in 2005 and became full time when Abington Park Vets acquired the Acorn Surgery in St James in 2007. Bron works mornings at the Acorn Surgery and afternoons at the Wellingborough Road Surgery. She has 2 dogs, 4 cats, over a hundred tropical fish and in her spare time enjoys gardening, computing and DIY.

a Emily has been with Abington Park Veterinary Group since 2008 and works as a receptionist, mainly at our Moulton surgery. She formerly worked as an archivist but is now enjoying her new role working with animals. She loves working with the friendly team here at Abington Park Veterinary Group and finds she is still learning new things every day. Outside of work Emily enjoys walking her energetic labrador and catching the latest cinema releases.

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a Tina has been with Abington Park Vets for the past three and a half years , and has worked for twelve years as a shop assistant .Tina is married, has two cats and is also a keen gardener and vegetable grower

a Fiona Russell came to Abington in 2006  having worked as a  veterinary receptionist  for many years in at a veterinary hospital in Hertfordshire. She works at the Wellingborough road surgery.

a Katie qualified as a veterinary nurse in 1998 and has been at the practice since 2004. She plays an important role in the training of our student nurses. Outside work Katie is interested in reading and gardening.

a Katy qualified as a VN in 2006 – She studied her Vet Nursing NVQ at Moulton college whilst employed with Abington Park Veterinary Group. She has worked for the company for 8 years and now feels part of the furniture. Katy has completed her first year studying for RCVS Diploma of Advanced Veterinary Nursing at Myerscough College. She has a passion for orthopaedic and soft tissue surgery and coordinates the nursing team at our Moulton branch. Her spare time is spent mainly studying but also in the gym training, kick boxing and horse riding.

a Kay qualified in 1999 at the College of Animal Welfare and has worked at Abington Park Surgery for seventeen years. She takes on many different roles within the practice, being responsible for the ambulance and also drug and equipment ordering. She has a keen interest in Veterinary Medicine and Chemotherapy. Outside of work she is a wife and mother of two, and tries to fit in gardening and cooking in her spare time!

a Anna qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2006 and has been nursing for eight years now. She started at Abington in February 2008 and works at the Moulton Surgery as part of the surgical nursing team. She has a special interest in carrying out rehabilitation work with patients post operatively in order to aid their recovery, as well as running puppy socialisation parties on a regular basis.

a Kate has been nursing for 12 years and qualified in 2004. She shows a keen interest in inpatient care and all aspects of surgical and medical nursing. In her spare time she enjoys reading and travelling

a Lisa qualified in May 2008 as a veterinary nurse and has been in practice since 1998 and joined Abington Park Vets in April 2010. Lisa enjoys all aspects of veterinary nursing, especially surgery and caring for the inpatients throughout their stay with us. Outside of work Lisa also has a keen equine interest and enjoys caring for her own pets, which include 2 cats and an English Bull Terrier who are very much part of her family!

a Laura has been working in practice for 2 ½ years now and has enjoys all aspects of the job especially inpatient care. She has just passed her second year exams. In her spare time she likes to socialise.

a Alice joined us in 2008 as a full time laboratory technician. Since graduating in 2004 with a degree in Equine Science, Alice has worked in hospital laboratories and at the Royal Veterinary College, with haematology being her particular area of interest. Outside of work Alice enjoys horse riding and cooking.

a Becki has been a student veterinary nurse since September 2008 and has been attending college for the past six months . She has completed a degree in animal studies and also has training in canine behaviour. Becki has a keen interest in her inpatient care and assisting with medical cases. Outside of nursing Becki shows an interest in socialising and will soon be attending horse riding lessons.

a Magda joined the practice as a Kennel Assistant in 2008, after studying as a Veterinary Technician in Poland. Magda has now begun her veterinary nurse training. In her spare time Magda enjoys reading books and walking with her dog.

a Tess has completed a national diploma in equine management in 2007. She then went on to complete a year at university studying equine science. Tess was employed as a student nurse at Abington park vets in October 2009 and will continue her training with us. She has a keen interest in all animals and has worked with large animals at a farm for 5 years before joining us. Her hobbies are horse riding and motocross which she does in her spare time.

a Craig began his career as an electronic engineer at Panasonic in 2001, but as he had a keen interest in animal anatomy and physiology he left Panasonic in 2007 and completed a degree in Animal Biology at Nottingham Trent University. He is now working towards becoming a qualified veterinary nurse and is thoroughly enjoying the process! In his spare time he enjoys playing sports, socialising and increasing his knowledge of veterinary medicine.

a Lauren is currently studying for a BSc in Applied Animal Studies following the veterinary and zoology routes, at the University of Northampton. She has previously worked at other veterinary surgeries voluntarily and on an animal welfare unit. She enjoys spending her spare time with her two cats, two dogs, and six hamsters.

a Jenny gained her degree in animal behaviour from Aberystwyth University in 2010 and incorporated animal related volunteer and work placements to support her learning. After extensive travelling she joined us in January 2012 as a Full time Kennel Assistant. In her spare time Jenny enjoys Ballet, Baking and visiting new places of interest.