The organisers of the Burgess Excel Vet Awards, which celebrate the dedication and hard work of veterinary practices and individuals to improving the welfare of the UK’s rabbits and guinea pigs, are delighted to announce the 2023 winners and finalists.
A judging panel comprising industry experts, veterinary professionals and rabbit specialists have chosen one winner across seven award categories, who will each receive a cash prize of £250 along with a Burgess Excel Vet Awards trophy.
Endorsed by the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund (RWAF), this year’s winners were assessed on a range of criteria including evidence of outstanding knowledge of rabbit care and husbandry, ongoing training, and dedication to educating the public on how to care for rabbits correctly. The same criteria was applied when choosing a winner for ‘Guinea Pig-friendly Practice of the Year’.
The winners and finalists for each category are as follows:
Rabbit Vet of the Year
Winner
- Catherine Thomas, Suffolk Exotic Vets
Finalists
- Agata Witkowska, Whiteley Village Vets, Fareham
- Michaela Betts, Suffolk Exotic Vets
Rabbit Vet Nurse of the Year
Winner
- Michelle Taylor, Market Vets, Devon
Finalists
- Emily Evans, Vets4Pets Leeds
- Rosie Braithwaite, Oakhill Vets, Preston
Rabbit-friendly Veterinary Practice of the Year
Winner
- Suffolk Exotic Vets
Finalists
- Highcroft Exotic Vets, Bristol
- Godiva Vets, Coventry
Rabbit Support Staff of the Year
Winner
- Jo Hambling, Suffolk Exotic Vets
Finalists
- Carly Sedgemore, Bridges Veterinary Surgery, Cardiff
- Sharene Perkins, Medivet Dover
Rabbit Student of the Year
Winner
- Lucy Ellis, College of Animal Welfare (CAW), Leeds
Finalists
- Courtney Davey, Dick White Academy, Newmarket
- Kaitlyn Foster, Askham Bryan College, York
Rabbit Awareness Week (RAW) Campaign of the Year
Winner
- Plymouth Vet Group
Finalists
- Highcroft Exotic Vets, Bristol
- Just Exotics, Bristol
Guinea Pig-friendly Veterinary Practice of the Year
Winner
- Vets4Pets, Newmarket
Finalists
- Little Hoppers Veterinary Surgery, Kent
- RVC Beaumont Sainsbury Animal Hospital, London
This year’s Burgess Excel Awards also include a Lifetime Achievement award, which has been presented to Frances Harcourt-Brown, a renowned veterinary specialist in rabbit medicine and surgery, in recognition of her pioneering work about the negative health impact of selective feeding in animals arising from muesli-style diets.
The accolade acknowledges the instrumental role that Frances Harcourt-Brown’s research played in the launch of the Burgess Excel range, the UK’s first single component extruded nugget for rabbits, which this year celebrates its 25th anniversary.
Dr Suzanne Moyes MVB MRCVS, Deputy Managing Director and Veterinary Director at Burgess Pet Care, organisers of the Awards, said: – “On behalf of all of the judges, I would like to offer our huge congratulations to the winners and finalists of the Burgess Excel Vet Awards, who are evidently taking great steps and regularly going above and beyond to improve the wellbeing of rabbits and guinea pigs in the UK.
“Now in their fourth year, this year’s Awards saw the highest ever number of entries and once again, the quality was outstanding. Our winners and finalists should be incredibly proud not only of their achievement, but also of their hard work and commitment in going the extra mile to look after the wonderful creatures in their care.
“For decades, Frances Harcourt-Brown has been a vocal advocate for the health and well-being of rabbits and has written extensively on the subject. We are absolutely delighted that Frances has accepted our first ever Lifetime Achievement award, which recognises her enormous contribution to improving rabbits’ diets and overall health.”
Dr Catherine Thomas BVM&S MRCVS CertAVP (ZooMed) of Suffolk Exotic Vets, winner of Rabbit Vet of the Year, said: – “It is amazing to have won this award. I am so grateful for everyone who nominated and voted for me. Since I was a child with my own pets, my aim was always to become a vet who could provide the best care for rabbits and exotic pets, and I really appreciate that I am lucky enough to be able to do this for my patients.
“For a long time, rabbits were seen as children’s pets and kept in small hutches at the bottom of the garden. The advances in standards of rabbit diet and care over the years have been sorely needed as well as the advances in veterinary care. It is a great honour to be able to contribute to that and to be recognised for it with this award.
Dr Thomas added: – “”Our whole team works so hard to be able to provide the best care for our rabbit patients and we are all so thrilled not only to receive awards for rabbit vet and rabbit support staff, but also for the practice as a whole.”
The Burgess Excel Vet Awards will return later this year. Further information, including how to nominate and apply, will be announced on the Burgess Pet Care website in due course.
