VIP veterinary surgery, Lagos, Algarve, Portugal

Opening early in 2008, VIP Veterinary Surgery was set up in Lagos by partners Scott Miller, Lars Rahmquist and Geoff Platt. Originally from Australia, the partners met whilst working under the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in London, UK.

Visiting the Algarve for the last three years, Scott had worked with local animal charities and began writing for the Algarve Resident in 2005. With all three partners having travelled to the Algarve and falling in love with it they agreed to go into business together and, drawing on a combined total of 32 years experience in clinical veterinary medicine, formed VIP in 2007.

Working with local lawyers, architects, builders and tradesmen, work began on the surgery in November 2007, with an estimated completion and opening date of April 2008. The practice has provided top quality veterinary care in a compassionate and professional manner, with comprehensive medical and surgical facilities on site. The clinic also now provides a mobile equine service to the local area.

Understanding that your time is important, the clinic operates an appointment system six days a week, though urgent cases will always be seen without an appointment.

All medical and surgical cases are seen by VIP. There are a number of other local practitioners that we can also refer cases to such physiotherapists, behaviouralists, farriers, horse dentists and other veterinary colleagues.

VIP also works closely with the local animal charity organisations, namely Nandi, LAPS and APAA. VIP does emergency veterinary work and vaccinations of stray animals at a cost price. Nandi and LAPS both contribute to this cost price by collecting donations and raising money through their shops. Together we also have neutering programs and re-homing efforts to help minimise the number of homeless, stray animals in the community. Nandi and VIP also help cover people's costs of neutering and vaccinating any stray animals which they adopt.

Geoff and Scott both now live in London with their families...both the guys are new, proud fathers of little baby girls.

Lars is the practicing clinician at the clinic and appreciates being able to contact the partners for second (or third) opinions on those tricky medical cases.

VIP has now been open for nearly two years and is enjoying the growth of animal cases and charity work so as to help the animals across the Algarve.