1 Sept 2022
Vet nurse is one of a number of long-serving colleagues working at Lancaster Vets.
Rachael Buzzel
Job Title
Samantha Kenny, who is celebrating 30 years in the profession, with her border collie Jazmine.
A Lancashire-based veterinary nurse is celebrating a career milestone after clocking up 30 years of caring for pets.
Despite being told by a school careers advisor the only way to work with animals was in a pet shop, Samantha Kenny defied the odds and qualified as an RVN in 1992.
Miss Kenny, head nurse at Lancaster Vets in Bowerham Road, toasted the anniversary with colleagues at the practice she has worked at for 16 years – often with her devoted 15-year-old border collie Jazmine by her side.
In 2020, Samantha took on the role of practice manager alongside her nursing responsibilities, and is undertaking an advanced diploma in canine behaviour.
Miss Kenny said: “I always wanted to work with animals. We always had dogs as a family, and I had a pony called Sunny. Back then, careers advice wasn’t great. I was told the only career I could have working with animals was in a pet shop. It wasn’t a well-known career or profession at that time, and the training centres were few and far between.
“I have always worked in small animal practices, it was much harder to get into mixed animal or equine practices back then. I have enjoyed it and wouldn’t change it for anything.
“When I first started, I was a spare pair of hands and a cleaner really. Over the years, nurses have taken on more responsibility in caring for inpatients, that’s one of the biggest changes I have seen. The vets can delegate so much more to us now and it definitely makes nurses feel more valued.”
Helen Griffin, clinical director at Lancaster Vets, said: “Samantha is incredibly dedicated and hard-working, and a real asset to our team.”
Miss Kenny is one a number of long-serving colleagues who have each worked at the practice for at least 10 years.
