Small Animal Veterinary Surgeon

Ashley Vets is an independent, family-run small animal practice in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, on the south bank of the River Thames. Established in 1983, the practice has continued to grow, and we opened our standalone branch surgery in West Molesey in 2000. Providing the best care for our patients is at the heart of everything we do, enabling us to build lasting relationships with our clients. We strongly encourage our team to keep learning and grow their knowledge and skills, and we will always support career development, whether following your interests or taking on a certificate.  To allow us to continue growing, we are looking for a vet with some experience to work alongside our lead vet, Michelle, in Walton.

Michelle graduated from Queensland in 2008 before completing a Master's in small animal practice at Perth. She particularly enjoys surgery and has a certificate in surgery. Outside of work, Michelle enjoys cycling, running, and taking advantage of our proximity to London for theatre trips. Yvonne, who graduated from Bristol in 2000, works at our Walton Road branch surgery in Molesey. She loves to travel, spend time with her family and go to concerts.

We also benefit from the services of peripatetic orthopaedic surgeons Marcel and Andrei, allowing us to keep orthopaedic cases like TPLOs in-house, and Robert Janiak, an Advanced Practitioner in Cardiology, who assists us with complex cardiac scans.

We are an accredited nurse training practice with a great, experienced nursing team of 3 RVNs and 2 SVNs that provide invaluable support and utilise all their skills. RVN Ann has been with us since we started in 1983, and Tara joined us in 2013. Both completed their nurse training here and have stayed with us, so we must be doing something right! SVN Laura joined the team in 2022 and is about to finish her nurse training. Before this, she spent five years working as a qualified small animal Hydrotherapist at an orthopaedic and neurology centre. Hannah is also training to be an Accredited Dog Instructor alongside her nurse training.

“I feel the practice offers a good work life balance and excellent clinical freedom to follow through with my own clinical cases and allows me to pursue my own interests.  Walton-on-Thames is a lovely place to live and work.” Michelle MRCVS

“I have been with Ashley Vets since 1983.  Over the years I have enjoyed training many nurses and have loved watching them learn and grow in their abilities. It’s a lovely atmosphere, as everyone really works together as a team, and everyone always has fun; no day is ever the same. The surgery has always been very supportive, and I feel I have a good work-life balance.” Ann RVN

“I joined Ashley Vets in 2013. The practice has always been very supportive, from helping to support me in my learning pre- and post-qualification to now helping me find a balance between work and family life.” Tara RVN

Our full-time rota is a 4-day week with an equal share of Saturdays. However, we can be flexible with the rota, so if you have other commitments to work around or prefer part-time hours, we’d be happy to chat about the options available. We schedule our days so you will either start on consults or surgery, meaning there is plenty of time to practice your skills and develop further. We encourage case continuity and have all the kit you would expect, including dental X-ray, ultrasound, lab and Tonovet, to work your cases up in-house. We have scheduled breaks in the diary to catch up on admin and phone calls and to get a proper lunch break. Our out-of-hours are outsourced to North Surrey Emergency Vets.

Walton is a lovely market town and a great place to live if you want to be close to the city while still enjoying the lovely Surrey countryside. You can stroll along the river, go for a boat ride, or relax and soak up the atmosphere. The train station is nearby, making it super easy to head into London, and you can be in the heart of the city in less than half an hour.

We are offering:

• Salary up to £78,000
• £2,000 annual CPD allowance, with certificates supported
• Professional fees paid for RCVS and VDS, and happy to look at other memberships to support your interests
• Visa sponsorship considered
• Accommodation available
• Discounted staff purchases
• Free on-street parking

If you want to know more about us, please call for an informal chat or apply now.