Meet A Member | Co-Chair Sarah Keith

Meet A Member | Sarah Keith
​
NAVP prides itself on the quality and professionalism of its members. All of our veterinary physiotherapists are passionate about working with animals, but they are also academically robust. They must have a minimum of an undergraduate Honours degree in Veterinary Physiotherapy and commit to extensive CPD.

We want to showcase our members’ diversity, qualifications and expertise, so each month we will be profiling one of our Veterinary Physiotherapists.







Meet our co-chair, Sarah Keith.

​Name
Sarah Keith

Qualifications
Post-Graduate level Veterinary Physiotherapy, BSc (Hons) in Animal Behaviour and Welfare.

Affiliated Groups
NAVP member and Co-chair, Animal Health Professions’ Register (under the Veterinary Physiotherapy sub-group)

Place of work
Owner of White Rose Veterinary Physiotherapy

Where did your love of working with animals come from?
SK: When I was little, our house was nicknamed “Noah’s Ark” because we were known for taking in and caring for any stray animals in our neighbourhood. We had a house full of pets and I’ve always preferred animals to people, so it was only natural that I went into this line of work. My mum was always animal orientated - although she told me to get a proper job rather than working in this field. I’m glad I ignored that advice completely!

What has your career path been?
SK: After getting my undergraduate degree in animal behaviour and welfare I worked for the RSPCA as an inspector and specialist equine officer for about seven years. I then went on to teach animal science, vet science and equine therapy and rehab. While I was teaching, I did my master’s degree in Veterinary Physiotherapy, and I’ve been running my own practice ever since.

Why did you want to take the role of Co-Chair of NAVP?
SK: As well as my experience of working with animals, I’ve also held management roles including one for a blue-chip company. It made sense to utilise that mix of experience to benefit NAVP as an organisation.

Having been part of the Executive for a year and also sitting on a couple of committees for other charity organisations, it felt like a natural step to take on the role of Co-Chair.

Why should a vet or animal owner choose an NAVP Veterinary Physiotherapist?
SK: Vets and animal owners come to us because they know our members maintain the highest standards of professionalism. When our members qualify, they are day one competent, but we ensure they maintain those standards throughout their career in Veterinary Physiotherapy.

We thoroughly assess all the applications that come into us and constantly check that our members are reaching the required standards through our category memberships.

It doesn’t matter whether our members are working in the industry full-time in a practice or are sole traders – our category membership means they have that constant check in with us to bounce ideas, discuss cases and continue to operate to the highest level.

What is your vision for NAVP going forward?
SK: I want us to be nationally and internationally recognised as an organisation that really serves its members and professionally represents our industry. I want us to be known for being robust and rigorous in terms of membership criteria and for supporting our members with high quality CPD.

We want our support to be all encompassing, not just on the clinical side, which is why we’ve launched a mentorship scheme to develop our members in all areas - such as business management for example.
​
I want NAVP to have a reputation for listening to feedback and being communicative and supportive.

---