Veterinary surgeons

Steve qualified from Cambridge in 1989 and worked for two years in a mixed practice in Banbury, then for another 10 years in Abingdon, before moving back to Devon 2001 and started work at what is now Filham Park Veterinary Clinic. It was here that he joined David Gabriel in mixed animal practice doing small animal and cattle work, however a few years ago the practice decided to focus on small animal work. Steve and David sold the practice to CVS in 2013. Steve took on the role of clinical director for Filham Park Vets and a couple of years ago also became a clinical director of Woodlands Veterinary Group in Plymouth and Ivybridge. He has since become Clinical Director of Westmoor Veterinary Hospital. Clinically Steve mainly concentrates on surgery, especially orthopaedics, as well as exotics. Away from work he is a football coach and regularly participates in local runs - he has collected a number of Ivybridge 10k shirts in a range of fetching colours. At home Steve has a dog named Bronnie, who he adopted as a puppy from Gables Farm Cats and Dogs Home.

Kristina graduated from Bristol University in 2009 and after a short time working in Ivybridge she moved up to Gloucestershire to work in a mixed practice. But the lure of home was too much, so she returned to Devon and started work at Westmoor in 2011. Kristina loves the variety of cases she sees as a vet but is particularly interested in cardiology and feline medicine. Outside of work she enjoys chatting to her two naughty Siamese cats and walking her parents Springer Spaniels. She is also the ISFM cat advocate for the practice.

Kathy graduated from RVC (London) in 2010 and has always worked in small animal practice. She joined the team at Westmoor in 2012 and hasn't looked back since. Although she enjoys many aspects of veterinary work, Kathy feels most at home in the consulting room, especially when cats are involved. She is the south west point of contact for the Veterinary Christian Fellowship and also helps her husband in providing music for church services and getting involved in youth work. Kathy shares her house with an elderly cat and the garden with two rabbits, who earn their keep as lawnmowers. She has many hobbies but mostly enjoys walking, music, reading and (when she gets the chance) sailing with her dad.

Tom graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2014. After a brief spell working in London he was drawn back to Devon (where he has lived most of his life) and started working at Westmoor in 2015. Tom enjoys all aspects of veterinary work but has a particular interest in diagnostic imaging e.g. X-rays and ultrasound scans. He is currently working towards a postgraduate certificate in this area. Tom is kept on his toes at home by two rescue cats and a wife. In his spare time Tom enjoys going for walks on the moors, cooking and seeing friends.

Hannah is originally from County Armagh in Northern Ireland, but now lives in Devon. She qualified from Royal Veterinary College in London 2014 and spent eight months travelling around Asia & Australasia, volunteering at animal shelters in Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Fiji. Hannah enjoys all aspects of veterinary care, but is particularly interested in surgery and cardiology. She recently adopted a very cute American Bulldog puppy from the local rescue centre called Tilly, who keeps her busy! She is looking forward to meeting everyone and their animals.

Kate graduated in 2000 and worked in general practice in the south-east and Wales until moving to Devon in 2006. She gained the ESVPS certificate in small animal medicine in 2006 and more recently the BSAVA Post Graduate Certificate in Small Animal Ophthalmology. Kate joined Westmoor in 2016 to develop her ophthalmology interest. She lives in Plymouth with her young family who keep her very busy outside of work! They have a lively young Labrador called Rosco who keeps them on their toes. In the rare moments when she has time to herself she enjoys running and playing the piano (not at the same time!).

Michael is a 1995 graduate from the University of Bristol. His interest in ophthalmology developed throughout his early career, culminating in successfully passing the RCVS Certificate in Ophthalmology in 2011, and then being recognised by the RCVS as an advanced practitioner in veterinary ophthalmology in 2015. Along the route to focusing entirely on eyes, he spent eight years as an owner and head vet of a small animal practice in Exeter, during which time he also gained an MBA qualification. He has most recently spent the last few years dedicated to referral-only ophthalmology veterinary work in Cheshire and Bristol, and is excited to be able to return to Devon to continue his work. He is a member of the RCVS British Association of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (BrAVO) and the International Equine Ophthalmology Consortium (IEOC). When not working, you can find him enjoying outdoor sports including running and mountain biking, hiking on Dartmoor, making prints or playing guitar.

Alex joined Westmoor Veterinary Hospital in July 2018 after graduating from the Royal Veterinary College in London. She is interested in all aspects of medicine and surgery. She lives with her Kooikerhondje, Freddie.

Michelle qualified as a veterinary surgeon from the University of Pretoria in South Africa in November 2002. Being of Irish and Welsh descent, she decided to see what vet life in the UK would be like, so arrived in England in February 2003. Her first job was as a mixed vet at Westmoor, when it was still a mixed practice, but she moved to Salisbury to pursue small animal only practice thereafter. She has been looking after small animals and exotics ever since, but also qualified as a veterinary acupuncturist in 2006. Family changes brought Michelle back to Devon in 2010 and back to Tavistock in 2016. She has a keen interest in dentistry and hopes to gain additional qualifications in this field.

Chris has been working in Tavistock for over 40 years, starting under Campbell MacKellar and Michael Vaughan in 1972 when the work was mainly with farm animals. In the last 30 years, he has specialised in ophthalmology and he is on the BVA/ISDS/KC eye panel (only 30 members in the UK). This panel examines dogs for inherited eye diseases before breeding from them. Chris is also able to see second opinion ophthalmic referral cases, including cataract removal by phaco-emulsification. He spends his spare time being a church warden at his local church, exercising his two dogs on Dartmoor and looking after his wife's Galloway cattle and horses.