WRAS would like to welcome on board veterinary surgeon Lourdes Cortes Saez MRCVS. Originally from Albacete in Spain she studied to become a veterinary surgeon at Complutense University of Madrid between 2009 and 2015.
Today (15th November 2021) will see Lourdes start her new part time role at WRAS. She has moved down from Chesterfield for the part time position after successfully applying for the role over the summer. She brings with her wildlife experience including a year’s internship at the RSPCA Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre in Cheshire back in 2018 as well as having worked as a locum vet for the centre until this autumn. Her work has also included undertaking emergency work with Vets Now Chesterfield and at Lincvet in Lincoln. Lourdes is also currently studying a Masters in Conservation Medicine. Lourdes experience has not just been in the UK, as originally from Spain she has spent a year working at a small animal internship at Rof Codina Veterinary Hospital, University Santiago de Compostela Lugo, Spain where she trained in diagnostic imaging, surgery, anaesthesia and internal medicine. Her experience with wildlife abroad has taken her to the South Floria Wildlife Center Fort Lauderdale in the USA assisting in the treatment and rehabilitation of wild animals as well as for GREFA a wildlife hospital in Madrid Spain. She has also shadowed and assisted in the treatment of marine turtles, marine mammals and fish at Oceanographic Valencia Spain in their veterinary department.
This will be a big step up from our current consultant vets who have to balance their own full time work whilst trying to visit WRAS at suitable opportunities. Having our part time vet will ensure casualties have faster and even more regular access to a veterinary surgeon improving the quality of care we can provide. Lourdes is set to be a great asset to the WRAS team. A big thank you to our existing main vet Mike Symons who has helped so much over the last 7 years, as well as vets Chris Hall, Simon Harris and Sophie Common for all their continued support. In 2011 WRAS dealt with around 1,100 casualties; we now deal with around 4-5,000 every year.Despite tightening regulations around the treatment and care of animals and use of veterinary medication, WRAS has always been as professional as possible in its approach to the veterinary care provided. As the charity has grown, our vets have become more stretched and the charity needs to now take the leap to employing its own part-time veterinary surgeon.
"What a better way to celebrate 25 years of WRAS by the charity now employing its own part time veterinary surgeon! It is great that WRAS will have an ambitious new person who will take up the baton and who I will be delighted to support and work alongside. The past seven years now of my fill-in role has been a great period for me through the ups and downs at the Shaw Barn. I reached biblical age through the horrors and changes inflicted by Covid and fully enjoyed being an active vet through that period. It kept me sane through being with kind and devoted people. Despite the unfortunate numbers of casualties increasing, the joy for me with WRAS is that the ethos has little changed in the past 7 years as people have left and others join the same high standard for care of wildlife have been retained and remain. The major difference has been in the refinement of how things are done with the ability to use gaseous anaesthesia, a clean operating area and a digital X ray machine, as well as the expansion works with more and better rehabilitation facilities and capacity. All done with passion and compassion as well as constantly aiming to be as professional as possible. Congratulations on WRAS 25th year and my very best wishes to WRAS and Lourdes as it further evolves and moves forward, the next few years will see some exciting opportunities for WRAS opening up."
Mike Symons RCVS WRAS Consultant Veterinary Surgeon
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