Veterinary nurse awarded by animal charity

What: Dick Voigt, BVetMed DCP MRCVS, Blue Cross director of veterinary services, presents the Blue Cross Veterinary Nurse Award 2006 to Pam Quelch of Nine Lives Veterinary Centre, Redbourn, Hertfordshire. From left to right in picture one – Julia Davenport, president of the BVNA, Lars Goran ‘Yogi’ Breisner, who opened the congress, Pam Quelch and Dick Voigt.

When: The presentation took place at the British Veterinary Nurses Association congress on Saturday 14 October 2006 in Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire.

Pam was chosen to receive the award from The Blue Cross for her innovative work educating young pet owners and for improving the welfare of pets in her area.

Pam is a veterinary nurse at Nine Lives Veterinary Centre in Redbourn, Hertfordshire, and organised a Pet Health and Welfare campaign; touring local schools with the surgery’s resident rabbit, guinea pig and tortoise. She focused on educating children in caring for their pets and demonstrating how to handle and feed them in the correctly. She also arranged a trip to the surgery for a local Brownie group.

Pam said: “I am very pleased to receive this award and especially delighted that our new Pet Health and Welfare initiative has been recognised by The Blue Cross. It has been a lot of fun visiting schools and other groups of young people to teach them about pet care – they enjoy it so much too, the interest has been fantastic”.

She was nominated by Emily Boreham, principal vet at Nine Lives Veterinary Centre. Emily said: “She gives such entertaining talks for the children – they have a fantastic time”.

Media contact: Sam Cordwell
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Notes to editors
The Blue Cross is Britain's pet charity, providing practical support, information and advice for pet and horse owners. Through its network of animal adoption centres it rehomes thousands of animals each year. Its hospitals provide veterinary care for the pets of people who cannot afford private vets' fees.