Our team
Meet the team
Rachel Caplan
BSc (Hons), BVM&S, MRCVS, PGCertSAM
Director & Veterinary Surgeon
Rachel Caplan
BSc (Hons), BVM&S, MRCVS, PGCertSAM
Director & Veterinary Surgeon
Rachel graduated from Edinburgh Vet School in 2013 and has worked in small animal practice ever since—though her love for animals started long before that. She holds a further qualification in internal medicine and has a particular interest in those complex, puzzling cases that require a little extra digging.
As the director of Welland Valley Vets, she’s passionate about creating a practice built on honesty, kindness, and clear communication. For her, great veterinary care is about more than just clinical knowledge—it’s about genuinely caring for the people and pets who walk through the door.
Outside the clinic, life is full and lively with her husband, their three daughters, Nala the Labrador (a professional food thief), and Pickle the cat, who—as cats tend to do—rules the house with an iron paw.
Robert Pontefract
B.V.M.S, Cert V Ophthal, M.R.C.V.S.
Robert Pontefract
B.V.M.S, Cert V Ophthal, M.R.C.V.S.
Rob qualified from Glasgow Vet School back when perms were popular and phones had cords. Since then, he’s racked up decades of experience, starting out in mixed practice in Castle Bromwich and Selby before jetting off to the University of Pennsylvania for an intensive small animal internship.
Upon returning to the UK, Rob set his sights on eyes — earning his Certificate in Veterinary Opthalmology in 1989. He’s now on the British Veterinary Association’s Eye Panel for hereditary disease, which means he gets to peer deeply into pets’ peepers and declare whether or not they’re genetically squeaky clean.
In the clinic, Rob juggles a mix of general small animal work (with a special fondness for surgery), opthalmology referrals from other vets, and BVA eye testing for breeding dogs. He’s also your go-to man for matters of the heart — quite literally — carrying out ECGs, X-rays, and heart scans like a true cardiac connoisseur.
When he’s not being a veterinary superhero, Rob leads a double life as a pianist, music-lover, theatre fan, photographer, cyclist, and — wait for it — mountaineer. Whether it’s rock climbing, ice climbing, or something that looks far too vertical to be sensible, Rob’s probably scaled it. Honestly, we think he spends half the year halfway up a cliff.
Knowledgeable, calm under pressure, and always up for a challenge (especially if it involves crampons), Rob brings a huge amount of expertise — and a healthy dose of character — to our team.
Heather Grant
RVN
Charlotte Thorpe
Student RVN
Jasmine Townsend
Student RVN
Dawn Towns
Receptionist
Caroline Sanderson
Bookkeeper
Tara
Receptionist
Jo
Receptionist
