OUR STORY
Hi, we’re Hilary & Lizzie.
We’ve worked together as vets for years, and for almost as long we’ve talked about
opening a practice of our own. Ottie & George is us finally doing it!
We’ve learnt a lot along the way — about what makes a great vet practice, what really matters to clients and their pets, and the things we think could be done better.
So, we’re taking the opportunity to start from scratch and build the kind of practice we believe in: exceptional veterinary medicine, a brilliant team and a genuinely thoughtful approach to how we look after both pets and people.
We can’t wait to welcome you.
“We want to build somewhere we can practise veterinary medicine the way we believe it should be done — and create a place we’re really proud to work in.”
Hilary & Lizzie
Because great vet care is about more than getting the medicine right.
WHY WE’RE DOING IT
Between us, we’ve spent years working in veterinary practices of all shapes and sizes, from small independents to larger practices, and most recently as Clinical Directors within a large corporate group.
We’ve seen lots of things done brilliantly, and plenty we’d do differently. Ottie & George gives us the chance to take everything we’ve learnt and start again with a blank sheet of paper.
We can think about every part of the practice from the beginning — the building and equipment, how appointments work, how much time people have, how we communicate, how we look after nervous pets and, importantly, what it feels like to work here. We don’t want to do something simply because that’s how it’s always been done. If there’s a better way, we want the freedom to try it.
Some of that will be big. Most of it will probably be quite small, because for us thoughtful care means looking at the whole experience not just the clinical problem.
And underpinning all of it has to be excellent veterinary medicine. We want brilliant vets and nurses, great equipment and a team with the time and support to do their jobs properly.
OUR VISION
What we hope to build.
We want Ottie & George to become a practice that people genuinely trust and value having in their community.
A place where people know the team, where relationships are built over years rather than individual appointments, and where we get to look after pets through all the different stages of their lives.
We want it to be somewhere brilliant people want to work too. A team that enjoys what they do, keeps learning, supports each other and is proud of the care they provide.
And we don’t want to stand still. We’ll keep listening, learning and improving the practice as we grow, while holding on to the things that mattered to us when we started it.
If we get that right, we hope Ottie & George becomes less like somewhere you have to go, and more like somewhere you’re glad exists.
SO WHO ARE OTTIE & GEORGE?
The dogs who gave
us our name.
Ottie and George were our first pets as vets, and they’ve been part of pretty much everything since — our careers, our families, house moves, great days and some much harder ones.
Sadly, George is no longer with us, which makes having his name above the door feel particularly special. Ottie is still very much here, pottering around and doing her best to avoid Kitkat, the latest addition to Lizzie’s family.
We know that everyone who walks through our doors will be bringing in their Ottie or George. We’ll never forget just how much that animal means to them.