104-year-old Isabelle Vets joins VetPartners

Thursday 27 July 2023

Guernsey's Isabelle Vets has joined one of Europe's veterinary groups, marking a "new chapter in its 104-year history".

The business is already the island's oldest veterinary practice in Guernsey having opened in 1919, and is now the first to connect with VetPartners.

It is following in the footsteps of Jersey's New Era Vets which became VetPartners' first Channel Islands practice in 2019.

VetPartners was established by vets in 2015 and has 11,000 employees working across 700 sites.  

Isabelle Vets directors Doreen Munn-Litten and Sarah-Jane Heathcote have run the practice in joint partnership for the last three years. They will remain as practice leaders with their team of 45 colleagues, including 11 vets.

Pictured: Isabelle Vets Directors; Sarah-Jane Heathcote and Doreen Munn-Litten.

Ms Heathcote primarily focuses on looking after Guernsey’s horses. She joined as a director in 2015, and holds a Certificate in Equine Dentistry.

Surgeon, Ms Munn-Litten holds a Certificate in Small Animal Surgery and has been a director of the practice since 2012.

“What makes Isabelle Vets so special is that we are the longest established practice in Guernsey and generations of islanders have used our services so everyone feels we are a big part of the community," said Ms Munn-Litten.

“Having provided more than 100 years of service for the animals of Guernsey, it is important to us that we continue to progress for future generations with the practice in safe hands. We look after all the dairy herds on the island, most of the horses and many small animals, and partnering with a larger veterinary group will provide huge benefits."

VetPartners CEO Jo Malone said because no two practices are the same, VetPartners encourages its practices to embrace their independent spirit, while supporting them by investing in people, facilities, equipment and latest technology so they provide outstanding care for patients and an excellent service for clients.

She said: “We are excited to welcome our new colleagues from Isabelle Vets. They are a highly respected practice and are rightly proud of their reputation for providing outstanding care for the animals of Guernsey. We will support them to continue to deliver the best possible care for their patients and an excellent service for their clients, as well as being a great place to work.”

Ms Munn-Litten said Isabelle Vets’ long-serving clients will still see their same familiar faces at their main practice site in Route Isabelle in St Peter Port and the branch surgery in L’Islet in St Sampsons.

She said the practice is excited about fresh opportunities for investment, career development for colleagues and expansion of facilities that will come with being part of a larger veterinary group.

“Through VetPartners, we will be able to access greater resources and expertise covering all species. We can tap into the knowledge of specialists who are part of VetPartners, which will be beneficial in an ever-changing environment when medicine and surgery are moving on as we want to stay at the forefront of excellence.

“VetPartners is clinically focused and our vets will have access to top-quality education and CPD. They can then put new knowledge and skills into practice in the service we deliver daily. Everything will look and feel the same for our clients but it will enable us to remain at the leading edge of premium veterinary care.”