Double celebrations for Warrington vets, devoted to sick animals

Husband and wife team Sarah and Archie at Victoria Park Vets only opened the business 12 months ago so there are double celebrations planned this weekend as they mark the first anniversary and scooping Warrington’s Best for Pets 2023 honour.

Each week, we will be searching for the best Warrington has to offer in different categories and we’ve given out 10 awards for 2023.

The winners so far:

Best for Hair – Ashleigh Hair and Beauty

Best for Pies – Tomlins Bakery

Best for Nails – Bamboo Hair & Beauty

Best for Roast Dinner – Heaths Kitchen

Best for Cocktails – Dead Eyes

Best for Breakfast -Café Blu

Best for Fitness – Daniel Warburton

Best for Fish and Chips – Fish Net

Best for Tattoos – Danny’s Tattoo

Best for Pizza - Donatello

Voting for Warrington’s Best Independent Shop or Business is currently taking place and we’re also looking for nominations in our latest search - Best for Dessert.

Next up were our furry and feathered friends and the people who take good care of them, with Victoria Park Vets beating off tough competition from nine other businesses taking our latest Best of 2023 crown.

Sarah and Archie have made a great first impression with animal lovers in Warrington

Sarah Cumming and husband Archie are the co-owners of Victoria Park Vets on Knutsford Road in Latchford.

They opened their doors on July 4 last year – independence day for a new independent, family-run business.

The couple moved to Warrington eight years and decided to open their own veterinary practice after noticing that the majority of local practices had sold to large corporate businesses.

Sarah, who is 44, said: “Working for a corporate vets is very different to being in an independent practice as you don't have the control and freedom to practise how you want.

“We realised there was a gap in the market for a local, family run, independent vets which is more affordable for clients and also guarantees that clients see the same familiar faces every visit.”

HS 06 Jul 2023 Warrington Best for Pets 2023 Victoria Park Vets Victoria Park Pets opened on Knutsford Road just 12 months ago

The hard-working team at Victoria Park Vets treats cats and dogs, birds, tortoises, rabbits, guinea pigs and other small furry animals.

They offer a variety of services from routine health checks, vaccines and neutering to more complex orthopaedic and soft tissue surgeries as well as issuing Animal Health certificates for pets going abroad.

Before they opened their own practice, Archie and Sarah were clinic directors for other veterinary practices in the north west.

Sarah has a keen interest in surgery, performing more complicated operations like TTA cruciate surgery, BOAS surgery, patella surgery and fractures.

Archie does animal health certificates and enjoys consulting and medicine cases.

Sarah said: “I think we set ourselves apart from our competitors because we are local and family-run business with a keen interest in our clients and their pets.

“We want to make our treatments affordable but also high quality.

“We have a great pet health plan, which includes unlimited free consultations, vaccines, flea and worming treatments and more.

“We also have an amazing team - Kristy, Ashleigh, Jennifer and Grace - who are brilliant and help make the practice great and run smoothly.”

What do the patients of the practice – and their owners – think of Victoria Park Vets? Why did they think they should win our latest title?

The hard-working team at Victoria Park Vets

One nomination said Archie and Sarah “provide excellent pet care, service and devotion” and another said the whole team “treats pets and owners with love and care”.

It’s these customers who nominated and voted for Victoria Park Pets to win Warrington’s Best for Pets and Sarah and the team are hugely grateful for everyone’s support.

She said: “We were so thrilled to be shortlisted and then to actually win is just fantastic.

“It has been so lovely to read all the amazing comments that people have written on Facebook and the Warrington Guardian website.

“We are incredibly touched, especially as this is the first year of opening our business, which has come with its fair share of stress and worry.

“To win this award and have so many lovely clients as well as see our business starting to fly is very overwhelming.

“We would like to thank all our amazing clients, friends and family for their votes and all their support over the past 12 months and we look forward to all the years ahead at Victoria Park Vets.”

For more details go to facebook.com/victoriaparkvets