The Woodbridge Vets: Caring for your pets

“Pets help us so much and being able to look after that human-animal bond is incredibly important,” says vet Dr Kyle Eadie. “We have some clients whose dogs or cats are their best friends. We also have dogs and cats that are passed to someone new when their owner passes away. Either way, making sure they have what they need really matters.”

Kyle, 27, runs The Woodbridge Vets with Dr Laurie Barrow, 31. Since opening their practice in April 2022, they have attracted more than 1,000 clients from in and around Woodbridge, a small town in Suffolk.

They have two consultation rooms and will soon be expanding and buying a CT scanner, which will enable them to take high-resolution images inside of the pets, to help diagnosis, particularly with the more complicated cases. The Woodbridge Vets is a Starling business customer.

“Having our own practice was something we talked about even when we were still studying. We did a business module together and we put together a full business plan for what it could look like,” says Kyle. He and Laurie funded the business with their own savings and capital from a private investor.

“I love that we have the freedom to always do the right thing. We can be ethical about the decisions we make, not only for patients and clients but also for our staff,” says Kyle. “We want to put pets and people first.”

Looking after animals

One way that The Woodbridge Vets practice seeks to provide the best possible service is by assigning one vet to each pet. “It’s so important to have continuity.”

In other practices, pets are sometimes seen by different vets at each visit. “We want to close the gap between animal healthcare and human healthcare and make sure that all the advancements in technology and research benefit pets, as well as people.”

While Kyle has always wanted to be a vet, Laurie came to the profession later, after studying zoology. They met on their first day of Nottingham University, where Laurie studied as a mature student.

Looking after people

Kyle and Laurie head up a team of six, which includes a practice manager, a receptionist and four veterinary nurses. “We were really careful when we were recruiting. People need to be kind and compassionate in what is often a very emotional job. We help guide people through some of the toughest days they have with their pet,” says Kyle. The Woodbridge Vets practice runs on a partnership model and every employee has a share in the success of the business.

Looking after a business

As Starling business customers, both co-founders have access to the Starling app. “There were a few things that really appealed to us: the speed of set up, the fact that we could both have separate cards with separate transactions run from one account, and the prompt responses from Customer Service.”

The Woodbridge Vets practice has banked with Starling from the beginning. “We can pay in cash at any Post Office - we don’t need to find a specific branch. And cheques are nice and easy to pay in too,” says Kyle. Business customers can deposit cheques through the Starling app.