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Pennard Vets appoints first group clinical director
Serina Filler will lead clinical teams and develop new protocols across the group.
The independent vet group has welcomed Serina Filler to its team.

Pennard Vets, an independent veterinary group in Kent, has appointed Serina Filler as its first group clinical director.

The veterinary surgeon, industry speaker and published author will take on a leadership role at the group.

Dr Filler began her veterinary training in Austria, before completing her final year at Washington State University, USA. During her studies in Austria, Dr Filler ran a cat rescue network and, after qualifying, she worked in private clinics and a teaching hospital in Germany.

She studied for her postgraduate certificate in the UK, spending three years studying under professor Severine Tasker for her PhD in feline hemoplasmas.

Dr Filler went on to work at the London Cat Clinic, where she gained a clinical qualification in feline medicine and supported its transition to a 24-hour hospital. After a stint in a non-practice role, she returned to practice as a clinical lead at a subscription-based start-up.

In her role at Pennard Vets, Dr Filler will be mentoring and leading the clinical teams, as well as developing new protocols across the group. Her role will also involve strategic business planning and workflow improvements.

Dr Filler said: “From everything I know about Pennard Vets, it’s a place where people do the right thing, there is a genuine commitment to its teams, clients and pets to deliver excellence in veterinary care, and I can’t wait to be a part of that.”

Founded in 1890, Pennard Vets is an independent veterinary group consisting of eight practices across Kent.

In 2021, it became the largest practice in the world to transfer into employee ownership within an employee ownership trust (EOT). It also became B-Corp certified in 2022 – meaning it has displayed high standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability.

Matthew Flann, from Pennard Vets, said: “Having become an employee ownership trust, B-Corp certified and expanding to eight practices, as well as opening our brand-new state of the art practice in Sevenoaks, all in recent years, we felt now was the right time to create a new role of group clinical director.

“Serina’s qualifications, experience and personality made her the ideal fit for this position, and we can’t wait to see how the changes she implements benefit everyone associated with Pennard Vets.”

Image © Pennard Vets

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Strangles survey seeks views of horse owners

News Story 1
 With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.

The survey, which has been designed by Dechra, aims to raise awareness of Strangles and promote best practices to prevent its transmission. It includes questions about horse owners' experiences of strangles, together with preventative measures and vaccination.

Respondents to the survey will be entered into a prize draw to win two VIP tickets to Your Horse Live 2025. To access the survey, click here 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
DAERA to reduce BVD 'grace period'

DAERA has reminded herd keepers of an upcoming reduction to the 'grace period' to avoid BVD herd restrictions.

From 1 May 2025, herd keepers will have seven days to cull any BVD positive or inconclusive animals to avoid restrictions being applied to their herd.

It follows legislation introduced on 1 February, as DAERA introduces herd movement restrictions through a phased approach. Herd keepers originally had 28 days to cull BVD positive or inconclusive animals.

DAERA says that, providing herd keepers use the seven-day grace period, no herds should be restricted within the first year of these measures.

Additional measures, which will target herds with animals over 30 days old that haven't been tested for BVD, will be introduced from 1 June 2025.

More information is available on the DAERA website.