2 Mar 2026
Clients have launched a petition to save the hospital, which Vets Now said lacks ‘sufficient, consistent demand’ to remain viable.
Chris Simpson
Job Title
Great Western Exotics (GWE) in Swindon. Image: Street View / Google Maps
One of the UK’s leading exotic pet referral services has been proposed to close later this month.
Vets Now, part of IVC Evidensia, announced the news today (Monday 2 March) in relation to Great Western Exotics (GWE) in Swindon, a tier three RCVS-accredited 24-hour avian and exotic referral service and training centre.
A spokesperson for Vets Now said: “After a thorough review and careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to propose to close our Great Western Exotics hospital, a specialist centre which treats exotic and avian pets. The proposed closure date is 27 March 2026.
“Specialist avian and exotic hospitals are rare in the UK, and unfortunately there isn’t sufficient, consistent demand at our Swindon hospital to sustain a dedicated centre long-term.
“Despite the dedication of our team and significant efforts to secure the hospital’s future, these ongoing challenges around fluctuating demand in this specialist area have made it increasingly difficult for the service to remain viable.”
The group had contacted clients to announce the news earlier in the day.
It said it is supporting colleagues through a consultation period, advised pet owners to speak to their local vet practice for advice on suitable hospitals based on their species’ needs, and shared a list of exotic services – Chipping Norton Veterinary Hospital, Castle Vets in Reading and Highcroft Exotic Vets in Bristol – within approximately 60 minutes’ drive.
Almost 1,000 people have signed a Change.org petition to save the hospital.
GWE client Ruth Hemingway, who launched the petition, said: “For certain exotic species, clinical deterioration can occur rapidly, and timely access to experienced clinicians and appropriate facilities can be outcome-determining.
“My concern is that removing a centre of this scale may increase travel times and reduce specialist capacity in a way that materially affects patient welfare and referral pathways.”
She added: “A sub-four-week timeframe raises legitimate questions about referral capacity modelling, travel time implications for prey species, and continuity of care for complex cases currently under specialist management.”
Mary Parsons, a GWE client who owns peafowl and rabbits, said she was “absolutely devastated” by the news because GWE are “in a different league” to local vets when it comes to exotic and avian care.
Cheltenham-based Virginia Trott, a GWE client for more than 26 years and former co-owner of The Parrot Lodge boarding service, said she felt “incredibly let down”, adding: “I’ve done the whole bereavement cycle. I’ve done the shock, the panic, the disbelief, the horror and [anger].”
She argued there is a “world of difference” between local small animal vets and avian specialists and that she had now registered with Valley Vets in Cardiff, which also runs a 24-hour exotics referral service.
She also expressed concern regarding additional travel times, noting: “That extra hour can literally be the difference between life and death.”
She added: “I feel incredibly sad for the staff at the practice, they provided exceptional care.”
