Meet Dr. Helen Beattie, our new veterinarian, based in Belfast.
Helen's approach to patient care emphasises reducing struggles and improving the overall well-being of animals. She believes in ensuring pets experience a comfortable and safe final period, not just in their last moments, but also in the days and weeks leading up to it.
We are very excited to have Helen join Roundwood Pet Hospice, extending her expertise to assist other families in Belfast. Her goal is to offer families the chance to create joyous final moments.
Here’s a letter from Dr Helen herself…
Dear all,
My name is Helen Beattie and I am a hospice vet based in Northern Ireland.
I ended up as a hospice vet slightly by accident…
When I was 16 my parents gave me Poppy the cocker spaniel. I now have two other cockers but Poppy was my first love. Unfortunately, as happens to us all, she grew older and became sick. She hated going to the vet clinic and so for the last months of her life, I managed all of her care at home. I was lucky that I was a vet and that I had wonderful bosses who would let me borrow equipment from the clinic. I soon had a small hospital set up in my living room. Poppy was always just happy to be with her humans, and contentedly allowed me to give her hospital-level care without ever having to enter the dreaded veterinary clinic! When the time came to say goodbye I was able to help her have a good end at home, surrounded by the family that loved her.
Looking back, what I did for Poppy was Hospice Veterinary Medicine. But why wasn’t it an option for other pets?
As a disabled veterinarian, I have a unique outlook on life and patient care. Quality of life is something I value over quantity. I treat diseases to reduce struggle or improve quality of life.
I believe that as animal lovers we have a responsibility to give our pets a good life, but also to give them a good end. Not just in those final moments but also in the days or the weeks leading up to it. Ensuring that the final period is spent comfortably and in the place they feel safest their home.
I am so excited to now be working with Roundwood Pet Hospice so that I can help other families in Northern Ireland experience those happy final moments that I was lucky enough to have had with Poppy.
Helen
To learn more about Dr. Helen, the services we run, or to book an appointment with her in Belfast, click here.
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