A Wigan couple have just started their own mobile veterinary care business to ensure Lancashire’s pets are in tip top condition
With backgrounds in veterinary care and agricultural animals, it only made sense that husband and wife duo, Paul and Lorraine Hobday, set up their own animal care business together. Developed earlier this year from their home in Winstanlely, Wigan, Vet Nurse Direct is a business aimed at pet owners and pet care professionals who want a quality bespoke service.
‘I am a qualified veterinary nurse with 17 years of experience within practices and teaching,’ said Lorraine. ‘Paul has a business background and has worked in rare breed farming so it just made sense to pool what we are both good at and start our own company.’
The Hobdays, originally from Liverpool, operate their mobile vet nursing service to various locations around the north west. They cater for those who don’t want the stressful experience of taking their pets to vets and assist those who perhaps have no way of reaching a place of veterinary care.
They also run an online shop selling essential items for pets which has been accredited by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate
Although veterinary nurses are unable to offer surgical procedures or diagnose and treat animals, Lorraine can provide other services normally found at a veterinary surgery such as micro-chipping, clipping and tick removal. Vet Nurse Direct are also able to administer injections, such as insulin for diabetic animals, and provide palliative care for pets reaching the end of their lives.
‘Many nurses want to break away from the life in a practice, but not many offer a mobile service,’ said Lorraine. ‘Customers we have visited have said it is a breath of fresh air for us to come into their home and provide this care. Most animals don’t enjoy travelling so this removes stress as they are relaxed in their own environment – and most importantly we can build a relationship.’
‘We are not trying to take away the role of the vet,’ added Paul. ‘We just want to act as a support.’
The couple not only provide veterinary care, but also offers a pet sitting and dog walking service as well as a range of courses and educational workshops for pet owners to take. ‘I want to give people advice,’ said Lorraine. ‘There are so many products on the market and people don’t know what is best to use. I can specifically recommend what is best for their pet due to my qualifications and experience working in surgeries.’
Both Lorraine and Paul also have extensive backgrounds in teaching, so they have designed bespoke courses such as canine first aid to advise owners and encourage responsible pet ownership. ‘We listen to the client and see exactly what they want to achieve,’ said Paul. ‘At the moment we have mainly been focusing on companion animals but we may branch out to include agricultural livestock.’ They are also looking to develop specific fully accredited courses with recognised qualifications such as animal nursing via correspondence, to appeal to pet owners who are under time constraints.
‘We aim to provide a friendly, professional service to a range of individuals. Our aim at the moment is to build up a client base but we have a range of long term goals,’ said Lorraine. The couple want to be able to carry oxygen to use in emergency situations and they are designing their own first aid veterinary kits.
‘When you are passionate about something and you want to really do it, this pushes you to achieve it,’ said Lorraine. ‘The two of us have created this business from scratch, even the website. I had to teach myself how to use social media which was hysterical! We are both enjoying what we are doing and are willing to put our all in to helping you if we can.’
To find out more about Vet Nurse Direct and their services, visit: www.vetnursedirect.co.uk
