A VET with 20 years experience is bringing care to pet owners through a custom-built mobile van.

Joanna Melville launched Doorstop Vet in April.

Together with her assistant Sarah Brewis, they treat pets across the Tyne Valley, as well as in other parts of Northumberland and Newcastle.

Joanna, who lives in Sandhoe, said: "I've worked as a vet for 20 years now across a few different practices. The industry has undergone a lot of change, particularly over the last 10-15 years.

"Practices have become a lot larger and also incredibly busy, especially as a result of the pandemic and many, many more pets, and a general shortage of vets as well.

"The idea that I had with Doorstep Vet was to try to get back a little bit more of the personal touch between the vet and owners.

"Our appointments tend to be a bit longer than a lot of conventional practices can offer because of how busy they are."

She added: "Because we travel to people's houses, our service is ideal for those people who have mobility or transport issues themselves, or animals that just get very stressed by visits to the vets.

"We have the luxury of being able to spend a bit longer with those patients to put them at ease, and adapt our visits to suit them."

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Joanna said another benefit is "greater continuity of care".

"Because it's just me, you see the same vet every time," she said.

"I think that's one of the challenges of busier vets is that it's hard for owners to be able to see the same vet every time."

Joanna said they have an agreement with Westway Veterinary Group so that when new clients register with Doorstep Vet, they are also able to access emergency or urgent care from Westway if they can't attend themselves.

New clients who register also gain access to their own 'pet portal', where they can view medication details and other records.

"The response has been really good," said Joanna.

"I think the people who have used us have been really happy and we've enjoyed starting to build those personal relationships with clients again which was just becoming increasingly difficult in such busy practices."

She added: "People understand what we're trying to do. We hear the same complaints and issues over and over again from people and we are trying in a small way just to offer something that is a bit different."

Doorstop Vet has partnered with Tynedale Hospice at Home, and is offering half-price consultations to anybody who is a patient of the hospice and is receiving palliative care.

Visit their website at doorstep.vet or their Facebook and Instagram pages @doorstepvet.uk