The committee

Sarah Heath

Dr Sarah Heath BVSc PgCertVE DipECAWBM(BM) CCAB FHEA FRCVS

RCVS Veterinary Specialist in Behavioural Medicine

EBVS ® European Veterinary Specialist in Behavioural Medicine

President

Sarah qualified from Bristol University and spent four years in mixed general practice before setting up Behavioural Referrals Veterinary Practice in 1992. She is an RCVS and European Veterinary Specialist in Behavioural Medicine. In 2018 she was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons for meritorious contributions to the profession. Sarah is an External Lecturer in small animal behavioural medicine at Liverpool University and also teaches on the veterinary undergraduate course at Surrey University. She is a Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist under the ASAB accreditation scheme. She sees clinical cases across North West England. Sarah lives in Chester with her 2 cats, Luis and Didi who were hand reared at Cats Protection Warrington and came to live with Sarah in 2017. And Jamie, her Flat-coated Retriever.

Wendy J Cummins NCert(AnBeh) DipAVN(Surgical) DipAVN(Medical)RVN

Treasurer

Wendy has been a Veterinary Nurse since 1989. She was Head Nurse and Clinical coach of a small animal dermatology practice from 1989 to 2018 where due to a background in Competitive Obedience with her own dogs and a special interest in behaviour she began to see training and behaviour cases for the practice.

Since 2015 she has been working for Donaldsons Vets in West Yorkshire, a multi branch mixed practice, nursing, helping to train the student nurses and running a Behaviour and Training referral service. She is a full member of the Canine and Feline Behaviour Association and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, having been awarded their Advanced Dog training Instructors certificate in 2018.

She is passionate about preventing behavioural problems in dogs and cats by educating clients and those working in veterinary practice.

Kevin J. McPeake BVMS PGDip(CABC) PhD AFHEA CCAB DipECAWBM(BM) MRCVS

Committee Member

Kevin qualified as a vet from Glasgow University in 2005 and completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour Counselling from Southampton University in 2011. Following 6 years completing a PhD and residency in behavioural medicine at University of Lincoln, Kevin joined the R(D)SVS in 2021 where he is Lecturer in Clinical Animal Behaviour and head of the canine and feline behaviour referral clinic.

Mrs Caroline Bower BVMS MRCVS

Education Officer

Caroline graduated as a Veterinary Surgeon at The Royal (Dick) Veterinary School in 1981 and after working for several years in mixed practice, joined the Veterinary Hospital Group in 1992, where she worked until retiring in July 2019.

Clinically she treated a broad spectrum of small animal medical and surgical cases, but in addition treated small animal behaviour cases which were referred from within the practice but also from other veterinary practices in Devon and Cornwall. Caroline holds a postgraduate diploma in companion animal behaviour. She believes strongly that the veterinary team has an important part to play in prevention of behaviour problems, as well as identifying those problems which do arise and then ensuring that they receive the diagnosis and treatment they deserve.

Hannah Donovan BSc (Hons) BVM&S MVetSci MSc MRCVS CCAB

Committee Member

Hannah graduated with a 2.1 Bachelor of Science Honours degree (BSc (Hons)) in Animal Science from the University of Leeds, UK, in 2006. She then went on to study for her veterinary degree, Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVM&S) at the University of Edinburgh, UK, and qualified as a vet in 2011. During her time at the University of Edinburgh, Hannah also obtained a Masters of Veterinary Science in Canine Behaviour Research (MVetSci). She then worked as a mixed vet in Lincolnshire and during this time, completed a Master of Science in Clinical Animal Behaviour (MSc) at the University of Lincoln, UK, she graduated with distinction in 2013.
Since then, Hannah has worked in small animal practices in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, she has also travelled and volunteered around the world in clinics and shelters, and spent some time working in a large RSPCA hospital and shelter in Sydney, Australia. Hannah has worked as a veterinary surgeon since 2011 and has been seeing behaviour referrals simultaneously since 2013. Hannah has enjoyed providing continued education for vets and vet staff around the world about animal behaviour and how to improve handling and understanding during veterinary visits, rehabilitation of rescued animals or teaching young animals and preventing behaviour issues. Hannah’s aim has always been to improve animals’ quality of life and welfare by continually learning herself and teaching veterinary and shelter staff.
Hannah is an ASAB (the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour) accredited Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CCAB), an ABTC (Animal Behaviour and Training Council) registered Clinical Animal Behaviourist and registered Veterinary Behaviourist, a Full Member of the APBC (Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors), a Committee Member of the FABC (Fellowship of Animal Behaviour Clinicians) and a Committee Member of the BVBA (British Veterinary Behaviour Association).

Rachel Malkani BSc (Hons) MSc (AWSEL) PhD (VetMedSci) LSHC-S CDBC CCAB ABTC-CAB

Veterinary Engagement Officer

Rachel is the Scientific Officer for the PDSA and has both undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications in Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law, and a PhD in Veterinary Medicine and Science. She is a clinical animal behaviourist and certificated member of the FABC. Research interests are canine behaviour and welfare, welfare assessment, laboratory animal welfare, and improving mental health in the veterinary profession.

Mandy Roshier BSc(Hons) PhD PGCHE PgCert MA (higher education) MSc (behaviour counselling)SFHEA

Education Officer

Mandy is an associate professor at the University of Nottingham Vet School teaching anatomy and behaviour. As a member of the School’s foundation team involved in the design of the Nottingham course, she has championed the inclusion of behaviour teaching throughout the curriculum. Mandy completed an MSc in Companion Animal Behaviour Counselling at the University of Southampton in 2011. Her interests include an evidence based approach to developing the learning environment.

Nicky Trevorrow BSc (Hons)PG Dip (CABC) RVN

Secretary

Nicky is a full member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC) and an Animal Behaviour & Training Council (ABTC) Registered Clinical Animal Behaviourist.

Nicky works in the Cats Protection’s Veterinary Department as Behaviour Manager, implementing the charity’s strategy to promote feline behaviour and welfare. Nicky is a registered veterinary nurse. She holds a BSc (Hons) degree in Animal Behaviour from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge. She undertook a Postgraduate Diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour Counselling from the University of Southampton. Nicky represents Cats Protection on the Animal Behaviour and Training Council.

Lynn Hewison MSc

Committee Member

Lynn is a Practicing Clinical Animal Behaviourist registered with the ABTC. She runs a private behaviour consultancy business which supports clients in and around Lincolnshire who have pets with problematic behaviours. In addition, she is a partner in a business which offers mentoring and support to those working within the field of Clinical Animal Behaviour. She has been on the committee for a number of years and really enjoys being a part of the team.
For the 10 years prior to running her own business Lynn worked in an academic setting where she taught companion animal behaviour at both undergraduate and postgraduate level whilst also consulting in a Behaviour referral practice. Here she worked primarily with owners and their dogs who presented with unwanted behaviours. However, she also mentored and supported students and interns who spent time in the clinic. In addition to a wealth of extensive practical experience working closely with clients to help change behaviours, teaching classes and working in a variety of settings, with both private clients, rescues and other professionals Lynn also has a BSc in Animal Behaviour Science and an MSc in Clinical Animal Behaviour.

Benjamin Cross

Committee Member

Benjamin graduated from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in 2019. He has since been working in small animal general practice and is currently undertaking a rotating internship. Benjamin’s love of animal behaviour was especially inspired by his dogs, who showed how great an impact positive training and understanding of behaviour can have. Meanwhile, he was seeing the positive impact a veterinarian knowledgeable in behaviour could have on patients and clients. Benjamin pursued further education on behaviour and training in addition to his veterinary studies. He is especially interested in preventive behavioural medicine and behaviour medicine applied in general practice.

Amy Miele

Membership Secretary

Amy graduated from the University of Edinburgh Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies (R(D)SVS) in 2006 and worked in mixed and small animal practice while undertaking an ESVPS certificate in Clinical Animal Behaviour. After completing her PhD in 2015 she helped to create the online MSc Clinical Animal Behaviour at the R(D)SVS and became the Programme Director in 2017. She is currently undertaking a part time residency with the European College of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine alongside her teaching role and is passionate about promoting behavioural awareness among the veterinary profession