Richard Hewitt BVSc CertVA MRCVS
RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Veterinary Anaesthesia
Richard is principal vet and owner of Hollybank Vets. He has worked in a number of veterinary practices including two university veterinary hospitals, before returning home to the North West.
Richard has further professional qualifications in Veterinary Anaesthesia and is an Advanced Practitioner in this field. He has a particular interest in pain management, including the use of acupuncture.
He enjoys getting to know people and their pets and being there to help throughout their lives – for both the good times and the sad times.
Helen Hewitt BSc BVSc BSAVA PGCert SAECC MRCVS
RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Emergency & Critical Care
Helen is our senior vet. She qualified from Liverpool Vet School in 2008 and prior to this she completed a degree in Zoology, also at Liverpool. On qualifying, she immediately started work in small animal practice in Leyland and then joined Hollybank for its opening in March 2009.
Helen has further professional qualifications in Emergency and Critical Care. She enjoys all aspects for first opinion practice and alongside emergency and critical care work has an interest in surgery and behavioural medicine.
Born and raised in the South-East Helen lives locally and owns a scruffy dog called Mabel.
Rob Pettitt BVSc CertSAS DSAS(Orth) FRCVS
RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Orthopaedics
After a career in the Royal Navy, Rob graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2002 and spent three years in general practice. He returned to the University as a Clinician Teacher in Small Animal Orthopaedics and in 2010, passed the RCVS Diploma in Small Animal Orthopaedics. Rob is now an RCVS recognised specialist in orthopaedics, has published widely in his field, is the current chair of AOVET principles course and has presented at numerous conferences both nationally and internationally.
Rob continues to work as Professor of Small Animal Orthopaedics at the University of Liverpool but joined the Hollybank team in addition to this in 2024. Rob provides specialist orthopaedic consultations and surgeries at our Winnington practice . Our Orthopaedic service is supported by our own vets and RVNs whom Rob also provides additional support and teaching to.
Outside of work Rob is a keen cyclist and enjoys exploring the local area.
Michelle Rana BVSc CertAVP(SAM) MRCVS
RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Medicine
Michelle graduated from the University of Bristol in 2008 and joined the Hollybank team in 2019.
Prior to this, she worked in several busy small animal practices and also spent a year at the Royal Veterinary College teaching surgical and consultation skills to the final year veterinary students (you may have caught a glimpse of her on the BBC programme ‘Young Vets’!).
She enjoys all aspects of veterinary practice and endeavours to provide the best possible care for your pets. She has recently completed further qualifications in small animal medicine to obtain an RCVS Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice.
Louise Bebbington BVetMed BSAVA CertSAM MRCVS
RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Medicine
Louise graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2014 and started her career at Hollybank as a new graduate. After experiencing a few years in different practice she returned to the team and has since loved being back and part of the team. You will often find Louise as a familiar face at our Winnington Veterinary Clinic.
Louise’s main interest is internal medicine – she was awarded her small animal medicine certificate in 2019 and holds advanced practitioner status in this area. Louise hopes to provide exceptional medical case management for her patients.
Outside of work Louise loves her garden and is kept busy by her spoilt ginger tabby cat George!
Veronika Horakova DVM MRCVS
Veronika graduated from the University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Brno, Czech Republic, in 2018. She has undertaken several externships in small animal referral centres in the UK and Australia and completed a 12 month internship in small animal orthopaedics in West Yorkshire.
Veronika joined the team in 2019. She enjoys all aspects of small animal practice but has a particular interest in both soft tissue and orthopaedic surgery. Veronika is currently working towards her postgraduate certificate in small animal surgery.
In her spare time Veronika enjoys travelling, hiking, gardening and spending time with her friends and family.
Bethany Ripley BVM&S MRCVS
Bethany graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2020, and after 2 years working in a small animal practice in Lancashire, joined the Hollybank team in October 2022.
Bethany enjoys all aspects of small animal practice, especially internal medicine. In her spare time, Bethany enjoys cooking and baking, going for walks with her Jack Russell, Penny, and reading books curled up with her cat, Esme.
Elysia Hackett – BVMS (HONS) MRCVS
Elysia graduated from the University of Glasgow in 2022 receiving the coveted McCall award as the university’s top veterinary graduate over the five-year course. She also holds the NAVLE qualification, licensing her to practice under North American regulations, specifically in Colorado.
Elysia joined the Hollybank team in September 2022 as a new graduate and hopes to provide the best care for your beloved pets. She has a keen interest in neurology and also behaviour as she heads the behavioural referral advice service at the practice.
Outside of work, Elysia loves to bake and travel, having lived across the UK and Europe. However what she loves best is looking after and training her fluffy German Shepherd, Martha.
Jon Gollop – BVSc MRCVS
Jon graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2023 and joined Hollybank in September 2024 after working in Liverpool for a year.
His current main clinical interests are dermatology and canine behaviour.
Outside of work, Jon likes hiking, camping and training his young Lab, Astro.
Richard Gibbs – BVSc MRCVS
Richard graduated from the University of Nottingham in 2018 with a degree in animal science, he took a year out from education to work before starting his graduate veterinary degree at Bristol vet school in 2020. Richard graduated from Bristol in 2024 this year, having also won the ‘friendliest face on campus award’ as voted by his cohort!
In Richard’s spare time he likes cooking, going to the gym, meeting up with friends and exploring new places over the UK and the world! He would like to own a variety of animals in the future, big and small, given he has enough land to keep them!
Richard is looking forward to learning about all aspects of veterinary medicine and surgery whilst at Hollybank but also has a keen interest in Neurology.