Meet the Team - All of us

After a short spell helping MAFF in Dumfries with the tragic Foot and Mouth Outbreak, Kevin joined Capontree Vets in 2001.

Initially Kevin was involved in all sectors of the practice, working at Haltwhistle surgery and on the road on farms and stables in the Brampton area.

Kevin comes from a dairy and beef suckler farming background, and has a real passion for cows and productive cattle farming. He opted to study for further qualifications in this area. By 2005 Kevin had been awarded by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons a “Certificate in Cattle Health and Production”. 

Kevin generally can be found out and about doing routine farm work but also gets a lot of enjoyment from doing companion animal emergency work where many will have met him.

In 2006 when Esk Vets in Longtown merged with Capontree Vets, Kevin became a Director of Capontree and has been based at Longtown as Senior Clinician since then.

When not at work Kevin spends time at the family farm back in Lockerbie where he now has a small suckler herd of his own and with his wife and three kids they have recently set up a small calf rearing unit at his smallholding near Longtown. He can be seen there at weekends with his wife, children, calves, ponies, Jack Russell dog, two cats and now 12 sheep as well.

Fiona’s previous job involved caring for animals at Walby farm park, and from there she came to Capontree Vets in 2009 and after 12 months she embarked on a 3 year course to become a registered veterinary nurse which she successfully completed in 2013. At work Fiona has recently joined the Administration team and helps organise everything from health & safety to staff rotas!

Fiona has a passion for fitness, especially running and the gym. She has successfully completed events such as Total Warrior (2014, 2015, 2016) and the Cumbrian Run (2015). Fiona’s other hobbies include travelling the world (Iceland, USA, Tanzania, Thailand), reading, films and walking her Labradors Rhogan and Thea.

Joanne joined Capontree straight from school, when the practice was still on Longtown Road, and after a spell both nursing and as a member of our support staff, is now our head receptionist, working primarily with our farm clients at Brampton.

Joanne has two children and is married to Peter, who farms locally.

After leaving school in the summer of 2014, Lindsey began working at Capontree in November that year as a Trainee Veterinary Nurse. Lindsey completed her training and became a fully qualified and Registered Veterinary Nurse in 2018. She has recently taken on more administrative duties as our Lead RVN and is as likely to be seen on reception as she is nursing a patient through the back. . 

Outside of work Lindsey is a keen horse rider and likes to hack across the Langholm countryside and is a regular at the Border Common Ridings. Being from Langholm, typically she enjoys rugby, playing for her school team side whilst a pupil. She has now turned to more of a supporter, following both local teams and Scotland whenever possible. Other spare time is spent socialising with friends and hill walking around Langholm.

Joanne joined the practice straight from school in 1997 when the new purpose built building at Brampton opened.  She began her work as a trainee veterinary nurse but later joined the administration team where she now continues her role.  Joanne lives with her husband John and 2 daughters on the family farm in Northumberland. She has always had an interest in animals and their welfare.  During her spare time, Joanne enjoys spending time with her family and friends and can often be heard from St James Park supporting her local football team…Newcastle United!!

David qualified from Edinburgh University in 1998 having enjoyed 5 years of learning the science of being a vet. He has worked in Scotland, Australia and Northern Ireland and has gained a wide knowledge of farming and farm practices. David is a mixed veterinary surgeon however his main interest lies in farm animals.

David enjoys working closely with farmers trying to improve the health of their animals. He is a firm believer in the team approach to animal health and welfare; with farmer education and development an important role of the modern vet. David is a LANTRA-approved trainer which enables him to gain funding to run workshops and courses on behalf of XL Vets. He also keeps up to date with new information by reading veterinary publications and attending courses.

David enjoys the outdoor life - hill walking, gardening, attempting to keep fit and spending time with his wife, two children and their many pets.

Dan graduated from Bristol University in 2000. After 2 years in mixed practice he joined the PDSA where he worked until 2008.

Prior to joining us at Capontree, Dan worked in the Midlands in the small animal section of a busy mixed practice. He joined us in September 2010 and is one of our dedicated small animal vets, bringing experience in all areas of small animal practice and a particular interest in surgery, especially orthopaedics. Dan has taken this surgical interest to the next professional level available, successfully completing his Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice in November 2014; the product of over 300 hours of study! He joined our board of Directors in April 2016. 

Away from work Dan enjoys spending time in the mountains and the Crossfit gym. In July 2016, 2018, 2022 & 2023 he completed the Lakeland 50, a race around the fells of the Lake District where runners must complete a 50 mile course in less than 24 hours. A glutton for punishment, he has recently started taking on the challenge of Hyrox and Crossfit hybrid-fitness events. 

Laura is one of the senior RVN's having worked at the practice since 2000; starting as a student then becoming an RVN.

She has a keen interest in surgical nursing and wound care and also enjoys doing nurse clinics and caring for our inpatients.

Outside of work Laura enjoys time with her husband and 2 daughters working on the family farm and riding their ponies .

Megan joined the Capontree Vets team in February 2010. Initially a part time member of our reception staff, she has continued to increase the hours which she works.  Megan divides her time between both Brampton and our Haltwhistle branch, where she can be found greeting our small animal clients on reception.  Megan is also involved in the running of our social media pages. 

Megan, who lives in Haltwhistle, spends a lot of her spare time catching up with friends and family.  She also enjoys taking holidays abroad seeking the sunshine and a taste of different cultures; having sampled Africa she is now looking to visit parts of Asia.

Sarah joined Capontree Vets in 2018 as part of the Reception Team. She splits her time between Brampton and Haltwhistle under the Small Animal Practice.

A keen animal lover, her favourite aspect of her job is meeting all of the different pets and animals that are brought in to the surgery. She also volunteers for various animal rescue charities outside of work.

Sarah lives in Northumberland with her husband, their two sons, three dogs, and a growing menagerie of smaller animals.

Brian joined Capontree after graduating from Edinburgh in 2012, Brian settled in well, joining a local rugby team, continuing a life long association with the sport. As well as rugby, Brian is a keen and highly skilled sheep shearer – a skill he developed on the family farm, Brian has even won trophies for his shearing at events including the Highland Show.

Brian took a 7-month working holiday (veterinary work and shearing) in New Zealand, where he learnt a huge amount about different approaches to veterinary care. He works in all sectors of the practice though he has a special interest in large animal work. 

Brian became a Director in Capontree in June 2018 and in July 2021 completed his Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice with an emphysis on Sheep Production.

Serena has been a Registered Veterinary Nurse for over 10 years.  She joined Capontree Vets in June 2006 after doing her Veterinary Nurse training at a small animal practice in Carlisle.  Previous to starting her training she worked as a nurse at a small animal practice in Blackburn.

Serena has a keen interest in small animal orthopaedics, physiotherapy and rehabilitation and also weight management clinics.  She completed a Veterinary Nurse Merit Award in Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation in August 2013.

Away from work Serena plays solo cornet with Langholm Town Band and enjoys playing with them at local events and various competitions throughout the borders and Scotland.  She also keeps herself active by training for varying length runs, regularly participating in 5km parkruns and various routes through woodland and up hills in and around her home town of Langholm.

Sarah started working at Capontree Vets in 2010 after completing a diploma in animal management at Newton Rigg. She qualified as a registered veterinary nurse in 2014. She gained her qualification from Newcastle College.

Sarah lives in Dalston and has been a member of Raughton Head Young Farmers since 2003, she enjoys entering competitions and making new friends.

Her other hobbies include walking her dogs around the Dalston area, Allonby Beach, Talkin Tarn and in the Lake District. Sarah enjoys going to the gym and attending body combat lessons. Another much appreciated hobby is baking, with Sarah competing in local shows and often bringing in baking for the rest of the staff to sample.

At work she is especially interested in working with medical cases and conducting nurse clinics. Currently Sarah is a Senior member of our reception team following her recent return from maternity leave

Andy was brought up on the family dairy farm in Ayrshire. He first came to Capontree as a student in 1998, graduating from Glasgow in 2000. He then joined a mixed practice in Dumfriesshire for a couple of years before the travel bug bite him, leading to 2 years working in a variety of locations in the UK and Australia as well as traveling in Africa and south east Asia.

Andy joined Capontree in a very mixed role in 2004 and has over time developed interests in a wide range of topics – from fertility issues to acupuncture and therapeutic laser treatment. Over time his role has moved from a mixed position to a predominantly small animal role.

Andy has an ever expanding collection of pets, which his wife and 4 children try to add to, from time to time!

He is currently working towards a Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice with a Small Animal Medicine bias

Lauren joined us in July 2022 as part of our Reception Team and is based at our Longtown and Brampton branches. 

Lauren has had a variety of jobs, all focusing on animals of one form or another. After growing up around Penrith working with her family's flock of sheep and always having dogs and cats at home, animals no matter how big or small were always her passion. Firstly, working on a dairy farm just outside Penrith for two years after leaving school and studying Agriculture at Newton Rigg College. To becoming an AI technician, after gaining great enthusiasm and interest for breeding and fertility in cattle, she went to work for Semex and travelled all around Cumbria to help farms with their progeny for number of years. Looking for a change post Covid, Lauren tried her hand in the world of Bee Farming, unfortunately wasn't meant to bee.

Her interests are as much inside as out. Such as going for walks, gardening, trying to keep fit, crafts and curling up with a good film or book alongside her beloved cats Delilah & Dorothy. 

Lauren is fond of change, so you can never be too sure what colour her hair will be from one week to the next, but don't be afraid to ask her about it. 

**Ruth is currently on maternity leave**

Ruth joined us in July 2015 after completing her A-Levels at William Howard School.  She then completed a Business Administration course before going on to complete her veterinary nursing qualification at Newcastle in late 2018.

Ruth is to be found at all three of our sites, and she enjoys running weight clinics and puppy checks. She has recently been recognised as a Weight Management Counsellor and is completing a qualification in Veterinary Nurse Consulting. 

Ruth enjoys spending time with family, friends and her animals; she enjoys taking her dog on walks in the countryside. Ruth got married in August 2021. 

Vicky joined the Capontree reception team in July 2022 and will be based mainly at the Brampton and Haltwhistle surgeries. 

Mark graduated in from the Dick Vet in Edinburgh in 2010 (with Distinction). He started at Capontree Vets the following month and has been here ever since. Having been brought up near Cockermouth, home and the beautiful Lake District are only about an hour away.

Mainly working at our Longtown branch, he has a truly mixed role, with time split equally between work in the surgery with small animals and time spent out and about treating cows, sheep, horses and goats.

In his spare time he enjoys walking the fells with his 2 border terriers, helping out on the farm at home, watching rugby, and has recently been renovating a house.

Louise came to us for work experience in 2018 as part of her studies and joined us officially in 2019. In January 2023 she achieved her qualification as a Registered Veterinary Nurse. 

Louise says:

"I enjoy giving in-patient care and monitoring anaesthetics; I also enjoy going on farm visits. 

In my spare time, I enjoy walking my border terrier Bear and working on the family farm and travelling the Lake District."

Katie was brought up on a farm in the Scottish Borders and graduated from Edinburgh University in July 2008.  She subsequently began her career in mixed practice in Berwickshire and then spent 6 months travelling around New Zealand before returning to the UK to locum up and down the country; from Wiltshire to the Isle of Lewis!

Katie joined Capontree in March 2012. She mainly works out of our Brampton branch and consults at Haltwhistle too. Her main interest is small animal surgery.

In her spare time Katie enjoys cooking, baking and preserving, gardening and walking her Border Terriers Bramble & Thistle. She has also recently started riding again after a long break.