Published: 22 Nov 2021 | Last Updated: 18 Dec 2022 14:31:03

The Royal Veterinary College’s Beaumont Sainsbury Animal Hospital wins “Best Rabbit Practice of the Year” and Dr Nadene Stapleton takes home the “UK Rabbit Vet of the Year” award at The Burgess Excel Vet Awards.

Dr Nadene Stapleton, a Veterinary Surgeon at the Royal Veterinary College’s (RVC) Beaumont Sainsbury Animal Hospital (BSAH) in Camden has won “UK Rabbit Vet of the Year” at The Burgess Excel Vet Awards. The practice also won “Best Rabbit Practice of the Year”, after receiving multiple nominations from clients and the public.

The “UK Rabbit Vet of the Year” finalists were selected based on their exception knowledge of rabbit care and husbandry, as well as evidence of educating the public about the best ways to care for rabbits, while “Best Rabbit Practice of the Year” nominees were based on the practice delivering exceptional rabbit and client care as well as championing best practice in rabbit welfare.

Following hundreds of applications and nominations for this year’s awards, the winners were decided by a judging panel of industry experts, veterinary professionals and rabbit and guinea pig specialists.

Dr Nadene Stapleton was awarded “UK Rabbit Vet of the Year” thanks to her outstanding contributions to rabbit health and welfare. Dr Stapleton oversaw the attainment of the RWAF Gold Standard Veterinary Practice accreditation for rabbits at the BSAH. She also played a key role in the creation of safety guidelines for anaesthesia in rabbits for general practitioners.

A member of the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund, Dr Stapleton, works to improve the standard of care of rabbits by teaching veterinary students, nurses and owners. She often writes about rabbits for various journals and magazines and has two bunnies of her own – Elmer and Nosh.

The BSAH is the leading university teaching animal hospital in London, providing vet services in north London since 1933. The team includes vets and vet nurses with a special interest and advanced qualifications in the treatment of exotic pets and small mammals – including rabbits and has a strong history of also supporting general practice vets with complex cases through its exotics referral service.

Dr Nadene Stapleton, veterinary surgeon and teaching clinician at the BSAH and a member of the exotic and small mammal first opinion and referral service, said:

"I am so excited and delighted to receive this award. I feel really passionately about advocating for the health and welfare of rabbits and will continue to put in every effort on their behalf. Perhaps now my own rabbits will listen to me!"

Anne Richings, hospital director at the BSAH, said:

“I am incredibly excited that our Hospital has won ‘Best Rabbit Practice of the Year’ at The Burgess Excel Vet Awards. We have a world-class team of veterinary surgeons, nurses and customer care support at the RVC’s Beaumont Sainsbury Animal Hospital, and this award recognises the care and expertise provided by our exotics service and role modelled to our veterinary students daily on clinical rotations.

“Receiving this award has delighted our team, and we’re all incredibly grateful to our clients for their nomination and ongoing support. I could not be more proud of our teams achievement and recognition for the work that they care so deeply about.”

In its second year, the Burgess Excel Vet Awards celebrate the hard work of rabbit-friendly vets, vet nurses and practices in the UK. Organised by Burgess Pet Care in conjunction with the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund (RWAF), the awards praise the efforts of vets that help improve the health and welfare of pet rabbits.

Notes to Editors

For media enquiries, please contact:

• Jasmin De Vivo (jasmin.devivo@plmr.co.uk) or rvc@plmr.co.uk
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About the RVC

• The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) is the UK's largest and longest established independent veterinary school and is a Member Institution of the University of London. It was the first in the world to hold full accreditation from AVMA, EAEVE, RCVS and AVBC.
• The RVC is ranked as the top veterinary school in the world in line with the QS World University Rankings by subject, 2021.
• The RVC offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in veterinary medicine, veterinary nursing and biological sciences.
• In 2017, the RVC received a Gold award from the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) – the highest rating a university can receive.
• A research led institution with 79% of its research rated as internationally excellent or world class in the Research Excellence Framework 2014.
• The RVC provides animal owners and the veterinary profession with access to expert veterinary care and advice through its teaching hospitals and first opinion practices in London and Hertfordshire.