Organisational background
Huckleberry Vets is unlike most practices you will come across. We’re a brand new clinic, and after opening in September this year, are looking to expand our wonderful workforce!
Tired of the constraints of the corporate world, our three founders (Practice Manager Gayle, Head Nurse Nat, and Vet Jenny) wanted to create a practice that encompasses our passions of being kind to our pets, kind to the planet, and kind to our people. Those values underpin everything at Huckleberry Vets, from the building’s foundations upwards.
We want to be a practice where our staff love coming to work, our clients love coming to visit, and most importantly, the animals do too. This is why being fear-free and environmentally conscious is at the heart of everything we do.
There is so much to say about our background, and we always love to chat in person. Please take a read of our ‘why’ below, and we are always keen to chat about what makes us, and Huckleberry Vets ‘tick’.
The ‘Why’ behind Huckleberry Vets
Why Wellbeing?
- It is so important it is to us that we have a happy team. Our happy team leads to happy patients, and happy clients too!
- We want Huckleberry Vets to be a place that our team love walking into every morning. No matter what we’ve tackled throughout the day, we want our team to feel like they’re supported and that they have the space to grow, develop resilience, reflect with one another, and most importantly, be happy.
- One of our vets, Holly, is part of a small team that runs a veterinary wellbeing initiative called ‘Vetfit’; aiming to improve mental and physical health in the veterinary profession through exercise and social support. In our short time since opening, the Vetfit ethos has been imprinted onto our team.
Why our logo?
- Lots of people have asked about our logo or commented on how it’s more like a piece of art than a standard logo design. Well, that’s because it is an original piece of artwork from the fabulous artist Sam Toft!
- When Sam heard what we were doing and why she agreed to help us out and drew us some sketches that have since become our logo! Our aim is to create a warm and calm environment and Sam very generously gifted us some beautiful canvas prints of her work to dot around the building.
Why our practice design?
- We are lucky enough to have many windows in our clinic and have lots of natural light throughout. Natural light has many benefits for both humans and animals alike! Studies have shown that natural daylight significantly improves mental health, energy, mood and quality of sleep, this, in turn, aids healing. With this in mind, we have designed our clinic with lots of glass, maximising our roof lights and making sure all rooms benefit from natural daylight.
- When doing some research prior to starting this project, rating high amongst client concerns was their pets being frightened at the vets.
- We have kept a large reception area so that clients are not cramped, and nervous patients are not forced into uncomfortable situations in the waiting room.
- Our feline patients have their own roomy waiting accommodation well away from the dogs with handmade blankets.
- We have used natural colours throughout and have purposely created a non-clinical reception area!
- Our consult rooms are designed to look more like kitchens: a room that most pets are familiar with and are happy and relaxed in.
- The scales have been lowered in our consult rooms and kennel room with just a mat on top that has already proved a great hit, with dogs not even realising they are being weighed!
- Our flooring has a natural feel and is non-slip, which is a massive bonus for our elderly and arthritic patients.
- The dog and cat wards are placed away from each other and soundproofing has been used to ensure the cats can not hear any talkative dogs!
- There are dimmer lights in both kennels and cattery and we have air conditioning in these rooms to create an ambient temperature and environment.
- There is ample free parking and a bridleway adjacent for any dogs that might need a stroll whilst hospitalised or before or after their appointment!
- We have done all that we can to ensure every visit is as ‘fear free’ as possible.
Why be environmentally responsible?
- We all care about our pets and our family, right? Well let’s look at the bigger picture… in order to remain healthy, we need to care further than just our immediate surroundings!
- Every decision we, as humans make, has an impact on the world around us and it is our responsibility as a community to be more environmentally aware. It is imperative that we reduce our impact on the world to help it thrive for generations and years to come!
- There are so many little things that can make a big difference, things that you will barely notice or even think about in your day to day life but that can lead the way to big changes.
- At Huckleberry Vets, we are doing all we can to reduce our environmental impact. We have made conscious choices throughout the build using recycled materials and local craftspeople, recycling as much waste as possible and using responsible suppliers.
- But the build is just the start! We will continue our mission now we are open and have already signed up to Ecologi on behalf of all our staff. This enables us to offset our staff’s carbon footprint by funding top-quality projects that avoid greenhouse gases entering the environment, as well as planting trees which once mature will remove carbon from the environment in large quantities … we already have a small forest growing!
- We are making ‘greener’ choices where possible with our consumables. We use syringes with 30% less plastic, biodegradable examination gloves and have pledged to not use any unnecessary single-use plastics. We recycle as much plastic as possible, with conscious bin choices around the practice. We also have NO blue roll – yes, none! We use washable cloths and towels. Our containers in the consult rooms are glass and refillable.
- When choosing which parasiticides (flea and worm treatment) to recommend we have researched and selected products that not only work well but do so without affecting our waterways and aquatic life. Opting for tablets over spot-on treatments where possible and not supplying any products containing neonicotinoids, which have proven to be detrimental to the environment!
- We are using local services wherever possible to further reduce our carbon paw print and our staff like to combine dog walks with beach, river and countryside cleans.
- At Huckleberry Vets, we believe in looking after our clients, our patients and the world we live in! We take care of each component to help our world thrive!
Why independent?
- Being an independent practice means we are not obliged to use certain suppliers or medications. We can simply choose what is best for each individual patient.
- Being independent means we do not have targets to meet.
- Being independent means we can offer impartial advice.
- Being independent gives us the freedom to do what we believe is the best for our patients and their families.
- Each and every staff member has arrived at Huckleberry’s with the same ethos: we want to take veterinary care back to where it belongs, where the patient comes first!
Organisation aims & mission
Huckleberry Vets provide exceptional patient care and client services alongside ethical and environmental values, offering a service that will be unrivaled by any of the other veterinary practices locally.
