The team here at WMR are delighted to have been honoured with a prestigious award for our high quality of care for dogs.
We have recently received Dog Friendly Clinic accreditation by Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity and the British Veterinary Behaviour Association (BVBA).
We are one of the first Linnaeus-owned practices to receive the accolade and also one of the first members of the Dog Friendly Clinic scheme.
We implemented several innovations to gain the coveted accreditation including introducing a one-way system, a quiet zone in reception and personalising hospital care plans to ensure patients’ experience is as positive as possible.
Veterinary nurse Kate Young, who is a dog-friendly advocate here at WMR and has been instrumental in spearheading our changes, said: “We are very excited to announce that West Midlands Referrals has earned Dog Friendly Clinic accreditation.
“It is a very worthwhile scheme and has been set up by the Dogs Trust and British Veterinary Behaviour Association to improve the emotional wellbeing of patients and aims to reduce patient fear, anxiety and stress.”
Rachel Casey, head of canine behaviour and research at Dogs Trust, said: “Veterinary care is an essential part of dogs’ lives, but some find visits to the vets stressful. We are very pleased to collaborate with the BVBA to create the Dog Friendly Clinic scheme to help veterinary practices embed the principles of behavioural medicine into clinic life.
“Vet clinics are at the forefront of recognising and preventing the development of problem behaviours in dogs, and this scheme will help them develop the skills and knowledge to optimise the wellbeing of the dogs in their care.”
Chris Laurence, chair of BVBA, said: “Encouraging welfare-friendly treatment of dogs in veterinary practices is one of our primary objectives so every additional practice means many more dogs will benefit.
“We’re delighted West Midlands Veterinary Referrals has joined our dog friendly community. By doing so, they are helping ensure every dog has as positive an experience as possible within their clinic.”
