A North Cornwall and Torridge based veterinary practice that is helping to inspire the next generation of small animal and farm vets has been voted number one by university students.

It came after a poll of students on locations where they’ve been on placements as part of their studies.

Penbode Vets, which has practices across Devon and Cornwall, has been presented with the Student Choice Award by Bristol Veterinary School students for both its farm and small animal teams.

The University of Bristol celebrates veterinary practices that support its students by providing final year placements and present awards to those that have received positive feedback from students.Penbode Vets was awarded both Best Small Animal and Best Farm Practice Student ChoiceAwards after being rated as excellent for the quality of teaching, support and feedback it delivered.

Penbode Vets, which is part of VetPartners, one of the UK and Europe’s largest veterinary groups which is led by vets, provides placements for around 75 Bristol Veterinary School students each year. The students, who are in their final year of vet school, work with either its small animal orfarm vets and are given the opportunity to develop their clinical and surgical skills under supervision.

Penbode provides two- or four-week final year rotation placements for up to three farm vet students and two small animal students at a time. Farm vet and clinical director Lesley Bingham said it allows the students to gain valuable experience that will benefit them when they enter the workplace once they are fully qualified.

Lesley said: “We decided to offer placements to Bristol Veterinary School students last year and thought it would be a great way to help the next generation of vets find out what it’s like to work in practice and prepare them for their new careers.

“At Penbode, we pride ourselves on providing our patients with the very best levels of care and we want to help new vets share our ethos and equip them with the skills and confidence to be the very best they can be.”

Mark Banks, a vet and small animal clinical director at Penbode Vets visited the University of Bristol to accept the award, alongside Lesley and colleague Sally Rowlands.

Mark added: “It was a very proud moment when we heard we’d won the award and that the students had felt very welcome at Penbode. All our team members get involved with teaching the students and giving them encouragement and feedback, and they’ve enjoyed taking part and seeing the students progress while they’re here. We’re also grateful to our clients who have been supportive and have enabled the students to observe their pets and animals being treated.”

Penbode Pet, Farm and Equine Vets have been caring for pets in Devon and Cornwall for 185 years and have branches in Holsworthy, Stratton, Bradworthy and Camelford. As well as offering routine and preventative healthcare services, the team is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to provide emergency and critical care.