The Important Role of Bay Vets' Transport Service Provider

My role is to transport items between the four sites. Drugs, equipment, consumables and domestic supplies tend to be ordered into our main Lancaster branch, and I distribute them to their end destination. Sometimes I need to collect orders from pharmacies, deliver our treated wildlife cases to rehabilitation centres and assist the team with clerical tasks.

Obviously, the most important cargo is pets and their carers. When clients cannot travel for any reason, they rely on me. This may be for routine appointments, emergencies and when a pet reaches the end of their life. Our 24-hour ward is based at the Lancaster branch so any patients at the other branches who need to stay in overnight will be safely delivered over to the night-team at Lancaster by me at the end of each day.

There are many occasions when an owner cannot travel with their pet, and I therefore act as their representative. I must relay accurately their observations and queries to the vet or nurse, and often hold these pets during that appointment, with the outcome being explained to me; even though the vet or nurse will call the owner, it is likely that I will be asked questions when I return the animal to them. I often must calm and reassure that owner, explaining or reiterating what the vet or nurse has told them. In many cases, there are medications to administer (such as antibiotics or pain relief), and it falls to me to inform them how, when and the dosages.

In doing the above, you can imagine some scenarios that I have to deal with. In any day, I may need to entice a cat out from under a bed, clamber on top of a wardrobe to retrieve a budgie or lift a dog who can no longer make their way into the vehicle by themself. I have had to dress clients, feed them, put notes around house relating to their pet’s care, help them to the loo... Lots of our clients have dementia or mobility-limiting conditions and don’t necessarily have additional support. They want to provide all the care their pets require but are unable and my role assists them in this.

Supporting pets and owners also may be that I help to desensitise anxious pets with travel, with muzzles or with cones they have to wear post-procedure. I get to know every case and help formulate achievable plans with owners, vets and nurses to best improve the pets’ welfare. I empathise completely with owners whose pets have to have special considerations met, I have two rescues myself.

It is ultimately pet welfare which influences decisions made regarding the end of their life and euthanasia considerations. Sometimes, it is unsuitable to move a suffering animal to bring them in, in which case I will drive our vet and nurse to them to perform a euthanasia. Sometimes, pets pass at home and owners don’t want to or have no means to arrange the next steps, so I will go and collect the pet and console the owners. Sometimes, pets have been put to sleep in the practice and owners cannot face coming to collect them so request they are returned home by me. It is difficult, but knowing I am taking a strain off a heart-broken owner or helping the team relieve the suffering of an animal makes it worthwhile.

I have a carpentry background; building and van maintenance fills my time when I am not needed for transport. Fixing locks, tarping over rooves and clearing drains is an example of just one Monday!

Owners and my Bay colleagues are grateful for what I do. I love knowing I make a difference to them and their pets. I get to meet so many people and animals and travel between teams of all the Bay Vets branches. There’s never a dull moment!