Caring vet nurse up for top award
A local veterinary nurse has been shortlisted for a national award after seeing off competitors from around the UK.
Ellie Tappenden, who works at Albyn Veterinary Centre in Broxburn, is a finalist for Veterinary Nurse of the Year in two national awards; the Animal Star Awards and National Veterinary Awards, both ceremonies taking place on November 3 at different locations in the UK.
Ellie, who is 26 years old, graduated from Edinburgh Napier University in 2014 with an honours degree in veterinary nursing and started working at Albyn Veterinary Centre the same year.
She has always had a love of animals and knew from the age of five that is what she wanted to do.
Ellie has also recently been promoted to practice administrator.
Her favourite area of nursing is running consultations, particularly weight consults as this is where she feels she can make the biggest difference in helping owners keep their pets in the best of health.
Since joining the Albyn Veterinary Centre, she has helped two student nurses qualify to registered veterinary nurses and she has started a whole selection of nursing consults covering weight clinics, geriatric pet checks, new puppy and kitten chats as well as general nursing care such as nail trims and preventative health care advice.
On hearing that she had been selected as a finalist for Veterinary Nurse of the Year for both National Awards, Ellie said: “I was absolutely shell shocked.
“It’s an incredible achievement and I’m just delighted that all the hard work I’ve put in to my career these last four years is being recognised in this way.”
One of Ellie’s clients, Colleen Hume, said: “Ellie doesn’t just care for the animals she works with, she cares for any animal she comes across and treats all her friends’ pets like family too.
“I can’t thank her enough for how she supported me whilst ‘Tali’ got surgery, gave me updates and even brought her home to me, despite it being all the more stressful to assist on an operation with a friend’s pet.”
Ellie has two rescued dogs, Bosun a twoyear- old New Foundland, and Charlie a seven-year-old cross breed who she rescued from being a street dog in Romania.
She has recently been hand-raising a small kitten she now calls Raven, who was barely weeks old when it was rescued and had a slim chance of surviving.
Ellie spent the first three weeks feeding the kitten at regular two- hour intervals, night and day, and now Raven has joined the family along with her other cat, Milo, who was handed in as a stray at work.
In her spare time, Ellie enjoys taking Bosun to swimming training with the Scottish New Foundland group.
She also takes both dogs to fun dog shows and makes bandanas and slobber cloths.
Clients have praised Ellie, saying nothing is ever too much for her and she helps some of the elderly clients by dropping off their pets’ medications or prescriptions at the end of her working day.
I can’t thank her enough for how she supported me