For pet owners, their furry friends are an extension of family – no question!
Armagh woman, Laura O’Hagan, is no different but as a trained veterinary surgeon, she is taking her love and knowledge of the industry to the next step by opening up her own practice to provide pet owners with quality, industry leading care in the city.
Realising a lifelong dream of being a vet, Laura qualified from Bristol University in 2010 and has spent her career working locally as a small animal vet in Portadown, Dungannon and Lurgan.
She has a strong interest in surgery and cardiology, having also completed a master’s degree in this area. However, Laura’s favourite part of the job has always been building relationships with her clients and patients and being there for pets through all their life stages.
Laura will be pouring her 14 years of experience into “Armagh Vet Station”, which will open on the Station Road in Armagh later this month.
Like many with an entrepreneurial spirit, Laura always had a dream of owning her own business.
She had a strong vision of a clinic which would provide personalised care to the animals in her community, where decisions could be made based on the individual circumstances of her patients and their families. In 2021, a premises was secured and the huge task of building the veterinary business began.
With the former Southern Regional College building needing some TLC, Laura has been working tirelessly to build her dream clinic, set to finally open its doors to the public on May 20.
Stripping everything back, Laura had one vision in mind and that was to create a warming, homely clinic, welcoming for all.
Works in progress on site at Armagh Vet Station
Speaking to Armagh I, she said: “We have chosen natural, pastel colours and lots of natural wood and plants. White walls and very clinical environments have been found to be a stress trigger, particularly for dogs, and we want to combat this.”
“The clinic will be totally independent and family run, so we are free to make decisions that are best for each pet. We recognise that veterinary fees are a huge stress to pet owners.
“Veterinary care is expensive to provide, that is an unfortunate reality. But our priority is to explore the available options to make treatment plans which are tailored to each individual.”
The clinic will also provide Health Plans, for owners who like the reassurance of spreading the cost of care throughout the year.
The plans will include all preventative care; vaccinations and parasite treatments, but also unlimited consultations with a vet or a nurse.
“We hope this will take some of the worry away from seeking help when pets become unwell. Knowing that your consultation with a vet, or nurse., is included will encourage people to come to the clinic early when their pet is sick, improving the chance of successful outcomes and will improve the wellbeing of pets.”
Registered Veterinary Nurse Judith (left) with Practice Owner Laura (centre) and Practice Manager Joanne (right)
Another modern twist to the traditional veterinary practice will be the use of PetsApp. This app allows owners to communicate directly with the clinic in a convenient way at a time that suits them. Pet owners can message with their questions, concerns, appointment and prescription requests, avoiding long waits in a telephone queue.
The app will also be used to keep owners updated when their pets are hospitalised, with photo and video updates as their pet undergoes treatment.
The clinic will be kitted out to the highest standards, with fully equipped surgical theatre, state of the art digital x-ray and ultrasound machines and separate cat and dog wards which will greatly reduce stress of animals in recovery.
Joining Laura in her new venture are Practice Manager Joanne and Registered Veterinary Nurse Judith, both with 20 years of experience in veterinary practice.
The veterinary profession has been through a very difficult decade, with shortages of vets worldwide and high levels of stress. But determined to do something about it, with a healthy dose of passion and drive, Laura decided it was time to pursue her dream with Armagh Vet Station to create a clinic where animals will receive top class care from a team who genuinely love what they do.
You can pre-register and book your first appointment with Armagh Vet Station on PetsApp now. Visit the website at www.armaghvets.co.uk.
