Kingswinford veterinary practice crowned the Savoy of the pet world
An independent veterinary group is pushing the boundaries of pet care by becoming ‘The Savoy of the pet world’, after introducing a host of initiatives designed to make pets feel ultra pampered and relaxed.
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Independent and family-owned, Harrison Family Vets launched in the UK in 2021 with a practice in Reading, and then opened in Kingswinford in the West Midlands, Didsbury near Manchester, Stockton near Middlesbrough, Armthorpe in Doncaster, Middleton in Leeds and Tyldesley in Wigan.
Managing director, Tim Harrison, said: “We are really pushing the boundaries when it comes to delivering ultimate comfort and the very best five-star experience for pets visiting our practices.
“Every pet visiting us for an appointment or staying with us for an operation receives the VIP treatment from the moment they walk through the door. With a pre-treatment questionnaire that allows us to find out everything about them, from what sort of treats they prefer to their personality traits, we are fully prepared to give them the warmest of welcomes.
“The individual dog and cat waiting pods each pet settles into with their owners on arrival are more akin to a first-class cabin than a traditional veterinary waiting room! Even our weighing scales are covered with grass, so dogs don’t have to stand on a cold weighing scale!
“Research dictates that cats don’t feel safe on the floor, so our cat waiting pods have a raised shelf for their carry cases and we provide a towel that is sprayed with pet remedy to cover the carrier whilst they wait. We are also rolling out fully closable panelling to make each cat pod even more private.
“Dogs tend to be the opposite, so where possible we treat them on the floor, rather than making them stand on a table and have non-slip mats, as lots of dogs are unsteady on tiled floors, as well as having cooling mats for the summer months.
“The bespoke pods, which give clients their own space and offer pets privacy, shield them from the stresses of facing other pets in a traditional waiting room. Each pod also has its own screen displaying information about our clinics, services and interesting pet facts and we are currently installing relaxing cloud sky panels into the ceiling of the waiting room.
“Our waiting areas also boast lots of other stress-reducing features including specialist lighting, calming white noise sounds and pheromone inducing smells that all combine to create the ultimate peaceful environment. We also give each pet a pet remedy wipe on arrival, which has natural calming properties.”
Tim added: “It’s all about the experience and we have gone all out behind the scenes too – even installing en-suite, high-end kennels for cats with a separate toileting area and double suites so family pairs don’t have to be separated. Each of the kennels has its own mini-speaker to deliver bespoke sounds, and with three different lighting modes which can be set to daylight mode to reduce stress, recovery mode to aid undisturbed rest and cleaning mode to allow precision hygiene cleaning – we are creating an individual experience for each pet.”
Tim said: “All this ensures our patients don’t feel stressed or anxious when staying with us. We know how important it is to create a safe, calm environment for all the pets we treat, and we make sure they each get to play with a selection of toys too. The best hotels have a pillow menu, and we have a treat menu, and our pets love the choices, which include everything from whitebait to liver paste and cheese spread, as well as many more! All these touches combine to make a real difference, and we have had great feedback from clients, with one comparing us to The Savoy – but without the price tag!”
Tim added: “There can be negativity surrounding the cost of veterinary care, but as we are a family-owned independent practice, we can provide all these first-class touches alongside an affordable top-notch service, delivering accessible pet healthcare that is second to none.”
Every team member at Harrison Family Vets is fear free accredited, and the practice in Reading became the first practice outside North America to achieve the coveted Fear Free Veterinary Practice Certification having undergone a rigorous assessment and inspection process. Its Kingswinford practice has also recently been awarded the accreditation and other practices within the group will follow in the next few months.
All Harrison Family Vets practices have also been officially named as a ‘Dog Friendly Clinic’, which is a new scheme that was launched last year by Dogs Trust and the British Veterinary Behaviour Association (BVBA) to recognise exceptional standards of care provided to dogs.
