Our Mission...
Fife Exotic Vets is the realisation of our life-long dream to find a place where we can not only treat your non-human family-members with the expert care they deserve, but to also be able to teach others to do the same.
Why?...
With over one hundred years of experience in the Veterinary field between us, we've seen some things in our time. We want to be able to provide the safe space for pets, owners, vets and students that we didn't have.
Our Story
In 2008, Dr Kevin Eatwell joined the exotics team at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Medicine. He was brought in to lead their clinical service workflow and revamp their procedures. The department, with both a constant rotation of temporary staff (made up of Vet students, Interns and Residents looking to learn) and a permanent team of Exotics Vets and Nurses all trying to work together to deliver consistent care to clients proved challenging. Seeing this, Kevin encouraged the permanent staff to use their full skill set to manage the medical cases, their social interactions with the owners and to trust their individual senses of leadership among the temporary staff.
Empowered in this new approach, the nursing team and Kevin quickly found themselves mutually understanding each other's thoughts and processes when managing clinical cases. They felt a huge improvement in their quality of life knowing that they could trust one another to manage a large team of temporary staff and found that this new attitude provided cohesive leadership for the Students, Interns and Residents.
​
Learning from each another, the nurses and Kevin attempted to integrate more positive approaches to community building, authenticity, openness and inclusivity into the wider work force. Getting a large team of staff with a high turnover of Internships and Residencies, to buy into a long term strategy was not possible and as a result, a joint dream arose.
​
Kevin and the nurses mused about one day being able to build a place where such a vet team could be created. One where each vet shared the same values in animal welfare, compassion, understanding and patience. A place where both clients and their animals were welcomed and integrated into a caring community of like-minded people who provided support or one another and their pets.​
​
​In 2017, the newly founded Fife Zoo invited Kevin to be their vet, not only to oversee the treatment of their animals, but also to ensure that the creation of their exhibits surpassed standards, providing cosy, enriching and exciting habitats for exotic species. Kevin was impressed by Fife Zoo's passion for animal welfare, not only their focus on both conservation and sustainability, but also their perseverance in the face of set backs and the pandemic putting their efforts backwards.
​Knowing the nurses had extensive experience in Zoo Medicine, post-graduate qualifications in the field and shared beliefs concerning animal ethics, Kevin brought them on board to see what Fife Zoo was working hard to build. Soon, a supportive friendship blossomed between both Kevin’s team and the Director of Fife Zoo, Michael Knight.
​
​Michael shared his own dreams of having onsite Vets to care for the animals, and with spare land he was willing to use for such a venture, a once distant dream became an actual plan.
​
​In 2023 plans were settled for Kevin to set up and run a specialist exotics practice as an extension of and a new partner to the community at Fife Zoo. Both adjacent businesses working together to create a community with sustainability, conservation, welfare, ethics, accessibility, education, awareness and compassion at its heart. The nurses quickly fell in love with the plan with much excitement.
With our families on board to help get our new practice off the ground, we will be moving into our fully-fitted building made from recycled shipping containers, situated just left of the Fife Zoo parking lot. Here, we will be able to fully carry out our specialist services. We open this November, with pre-registration and a full online presence available this October.
​
​Our profits go towards upgraded spaces and equipment so that we can improve the quality and the range of services that we are able to provide for our clients. As well as -obviously- paying our staff fairly and donating to welfare and conservation charities!
​
Have a look at the graphs below that break down how we split our profits and our value to you...
We value Transparency...
When you pay for a service at our Fife Exotic Vets, where does that money go?
-
First we pay our super-star staff
-
Then we purchase Medicine and Surgical Consumables so we can continue to do our work
-
Next, we pay our bills (eg. utilities, rent, insurance, bank loans, lease on equipment, etc)
-
Lastly, we pay our TAXES to HMRC
With money left over we:
​​​
-
Invest into Phase 2 of our build which will house more specialised equipment so that we can provide even better care to our patients (such as a CT unit and overnight stay facilities for students and pets)
-
Giving back to welfare and conservation charities
-
Giving back to our families who helped us get this practice off the ground
Total Earnings
CT Unit
Facilities for Overnight stay
Staff Salaries
Medication and Equipment
Bills
Profit
Taxes
Expanding our facilities for providing even better care
Community Building
Green Spaces, Nature Trails, Dog Park
Local Charities
Our families and our pets
40%
20%
20%
20%
You matter to us...
You may not have really thought about it, but just by being here, you provide us with a great deal of fulfilment.
We love making animals feel better, and you could have animals that might need to feel better! We've just accidentally exchanged something that makes us both happy! Communities are built on positive exchanges, and building a community of like-minded people is all we've ever wanted to do.
​
Below are a few graphs of all the value exchanges that happen between us, you, your pet, our staff and the wider community.
​
Eek! We love symbiosis!
​
-
Bespoke, high quality healthcare and advice from a team of hand-selected experts with lifetimes of experience
-
A safe space to share your concerns
Our Value to you...
Our Relationship with our Clients (Owners of Exotic Animals)
Fife Exotic Vets
Clients
-
Fullfillment and purpose doing what we love
-
Financial stability for our clinic and our families
Your Value to us...
Our Relationship with our Patients (Exotic Animals)
Fife Exotic Vets
Patients
-
Compassionate care from experts with lifetimes of experience
-
A safe and cozy space to get better
Our Value to Patients...
-
Fulfilment and purpose doing what we love
-
The privilege of watching pets and owners thrive together
-
The pleasure of building a life-long realationship based on mutual trust
-
Joy in seeing animals feel better
A Patient's Value to us...
Our Relationship with our Team
Fife Exotic Vets
Our Team
​
-
A community of like minded professionals
-
Fulfilment and Purpose
-
A safe, caring and inclusive work environment
-
Financial Stability
-
Professional development
Our Value to our Team...
-
Skills and expertise
-
Team stability, friendship and a happy work environment
-
Comprehensive patient and client care
-
Fulfilment and purpose
-
Fundamental to delivering comprehensive care
Our Team's Value to us...
Our Relationship with our wider Community
(Local Groups and Organisations)
Fife Exotic Vets
​
-
A space for education
-
Collaboration and business development
-
Social Media coverage
-
Access to our facilities
-
Bespoke, high quality healthcare and expert advice
-
A space for education
-
Collaboration and business development
-
Social Media coverage
-
Access to other facilities
-
Friendship, support and a happy work environment
-
Fulfilment and purpose