A DOG lover who manages several veterinary clinics in our area has been nominated for a prestigious award.

Emma Bartlett, practice manager at Bridge Veterinary Clinic, which has surgeries in Lechlade and Fairford, has been shortlisted for a Petplan Veterinary Award.

She was nominated by her colleagues for Practice Manager of the Year, after stepping up to the role after nine years as head nurse.

These awards recognise teams and individuals who make a difference to the lives of clients, pets and veterinary teams. 

More than 38,500 nominations were made across the UK this year, and Emma is one of just 15 finalists across five categories.

The practice manager said: “I knew I’d been nominated, but I was shocked when I received a call from Petplan to tell me I’d been shortlisted. 

"Thousands of people were nominated so I didn’t expect to make it to the final three in my category.

“We have an amazing team of vets, nurses and receptionists and everyone is brilliant at what they do and it makes me very proud that they trust me to make the best decisions for the practice.

"I always aim to be open and honest and keep the team informed of any changes, and I think people really appreciate this.”

In addition to managing the practice, Emma regularly steps in to help the nursing team care for pets when colleagues are away.

When not on duty at the practice, she enjoys spending time with her four dogs, including six-month-old Pomeranian puppy Ted. 

Ted was born with a cleft lip and couldn’t feed from his mum, so Emma stepped in to care for him round-the-clock, and he’s now thriving.

An independent panel of judges from the industry selected the finalists, and the winners will be announced at a ceremony in Manchester on Thursday, March 21. 

Winners of the other categories, including Vet of the Year, Veterinary Practice of the Year, Vet Nurse of the Year, and Practice Support Staff of the Year, will also be announced at the ceremony.