Celebrating 25 Years of Extraordinary Nursing

This year, as we celebrate 25 years at Veterinary Specialist Services (VSS), we want to honour some of the very first people who made this journey possible - the incredible nurses who have been with us since almost day one. From the moment our doors first opened, they have been the heart of our hospitals. They’ve cared for thousands of patients, supported countless families, mentored generations of new nurses and stood alongside our clinicians through every challenge and triumph. Their dedication, compassion and skill have shaped who we are today. They didn’t just help build VSS, they are VSS. To our founding nurses: thank you for 25 years of unwavering commitment, exceptional care and the deep kindness you bring to every shift. Your impact is immeasurable and we are endlessly grateful. Here’s to the past 25 years and to all the lives you’ll continue to touch in the years ahead. 

Anita Parkin
 

Anita joined VSS in 2001 and has been an important part of our story ever since. After many years of dedicated veterinary nursing, she now plays a vital role as our Employee Engagement Officer - championing staff wellbeing, fostering diversity and supporting the professional growth of our entire team. With advanced qualifications in surgery and emergency/critical care, Anita is a Registered and Accredited Veterinary Nurse (VNCA), an internationally recognised Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner and a Veterinary Technician Specialist in Anaesthesia and Analgesia. Her leadership extends far beyond VSS. Anita currently serves as President of the Academy of Veterinary Technicians in Anaesthesia and Analgesia (AVTAA) and contributes widely to continuing education and conference committees. She also created her own initiative, N.I.T. Nurses in Training, inspiring and empowering the next generation of veterinary nurses and technicians through meaningful, hands-on learning. Her excellence has been recognised widely, with honours including the Dr Steve Haskins Scholarship, the Dr Earl Rippie Scholarship and the 2022 VNCA Vet Nurse of the Year Award. Beyond her professional brilliance, Anita has a warm, gentle side - happiest when she is relaxing at home with her many, much-loved kitties. Anita, thank you for your passion, leadership and the heart you bring to VSS every single day.  

Sue Moore
 

Sue joined VSS 20 years ago, beginning her journey as a rotating nurse across both our surgery and medicine departments. When VSS transitioned from Compton Road to its new home on Lexington Road, Sue stepped into a senior internal medicine nursing role, where her skill, knowledge and calm professionalism made a lasting impact on patients and colleagues alike. Today, Sue is Underwood’s Inventory Officer - the quiet engine behind so much of what keeps our hospital moving. She meticulously manages stock optimisation, stock-take, reconciliation and reporting, ensuring our teams always have what they need to deliver the highest level of care. Despite driving an hour each way to work, Sue continues to show unwavering dedication, reliability and loyalty to the VSS family. Outside of work, Sue is an avid hiker who has taken on some incredible trails - from the Coast-to-Coast walk in the UK, to the iconic Inca Trail, to the rugged wilderness of Tasmania. Sue, thank you for two decades of exceptional service, hard work and heart. VSS is better because of you. 

Katie Dargan
 

When VSS first opened our doors in December 2000, just days before Christmas, Katie was there. One of our very first nurses, Katie helped shape VSS from the ground up, long before we became the multi-hospital specialist service we are today. In those early days, Katie wore every hat imaginable: nursing patients, answering phones, cleaning, checking inventory, taking out the rubbish and working 15-plus-hour shifts with barely a moment to rest. It was busy, chaotic, exhausting... and somehow, still full of joy. 25 years later, Katie is still with us. She has seen VSS grow, evolve and flourish. She has moved hospital sites, witnessed staff come and go, celebrated triumphs, supported families through heartbreak and stood beside countless patients through their most vulnerable and challenging moments. Through every change, one thing has stayed the same: Katie’s unwavering compassion, steady presence and deep commitment to the pets and people who walk through our doors. Katie, thank you for being part of VSS from day one. Thank you for your resilience, heart, humour and extraordinary dedication over a quarter of a century. You are a cherished part of our story - and always will be.