Mixed Veterinary Surgeon

Are you a mixed vet looking to enjoy a better work-life balance in beautiful coastal Dorset?

About Us

Bredy Vets is a progressive independent mixed practice in Bridport, just a mile from the Jurassic Coast and the beaches of West Bay. We have an interesting and varied caseload, which is approx. 80% small animal and 20% farm, including dairy, beef, and sheep, with some smallholdings. We have built an excellent reputation locally for our high standards of patient care and client service.

Our brilliant, friendly team of 9 vets, 9 RVNs, 2 ATTs and 7 receptionists/admin enjoy working together and genuinely support each other. Our vets, led by Directors Jon, Claire and Barry, have various interests and a wealth of experience, from recent graduates to over 35 years in practice. We’re a collaborative team and have regular case discussions and vet meetings. We will encourage you to follow your interests and develop your skills, and if you want to take on a certificate, this will be supported. One of our vets has just started her sheep certificate.

“I have worked at Bredy Vets for 16 years and can thoroughly recommend the practice to others. It’s an independent practice with a supportive, collaborative environment and great clinical freedom.

It's a beautiful part of the country with the Jurassic Coast on your doorstep and unspoilt Dorset countryside to explore. I really thought I would see out my career here, and I will be very sad to say goodbye to what truly feels like my work family. They would love to welcome someone to the team to fill my role.

We have a fantastic team of highly experienced nurses to assist you. That practice is mixed, predominantly small with limited equine, but there is the opportunity to develop your own role to maximise or minimise the large animal depending on your preference.” Laura, MRCVS

We are an RCVS Tier 2-accredited and an ISFM Silver Cat-Friendly practice. Our spacious, purpose-built premises include separate cat and dog waiting rooms and wards, four consult rooms, one theatre, and a dedicated dental suite with dental X-ray. We have all the usual kit, including digital X-ray, ultrasound with cardiac probes, rigid endoscope, multi-parameter monitor, and an in-house lab with an OvaCyte faecal analyser for farm and small animal egg counts. For farm work, we have a yard, a secure shelter, and the facilities to perform surgical procedures, such as umbilical hernia repairs or ewe caesareans, at the practice. We also have three portable Easi-scan/Draminski ultrasound scanners for cattle fertility work & diagnosing pregnancy.

The Role

One of our lovely vets, Laura, is relocating after an incredible 16 years with us, so we are looking for a mixed vet with some experience who has completed their Vet GDP to join us. We value a good work-life balance so that everyone has time to enjoy life outside of work, so our full-time vets work a 4.5-day week (average 36.5 hours) with an afternoon off each week. You will have either a 5 pm or 6 pm finish, and we prioritise lunch breaks and time for admin. Our vets share consultations, surgical duties, farm calls, and house visits, so there is plenty of opportunity to use and develop all your skills. We are also happy to consider part-time applicants.

We provide our own out-of-hours service. There is always support available and the opportunity to collaborate on cases, as we operate a second on-call rota to provide backup in addition to our team of experienced RVNs. Our 7-week rolling OOH rota of one 1^st and one 2^nd weekend on-call means you can make plans in advance, and within each 7-week block, you will have five completely free weekends (starting at 5 pm on Friday). Following your weekend as 1^st on-call, you will have a 4-day week, giving you a lovely long weekend. The bank holidays are shared within the team, with a day off in lieu of the 1st on-call and half a day in lieu of the 2^nd on-call. We also run a separate Christmas and New Year rota with additional leave so all our vets get a festive break.

Outside of Work

Our team enjoys getting together outside of work, from pub quizzes and meals out to live music shows and trying new activities, such as craft evenings. We also enjoy getting involved with the local community, holding Farmers' meetings at the practice, serving as official vets at events like the Melplash Agricultural Show, collecting donations for the Bridport Food Bank, and sponsoring the Bridport Bee-Friendly Trail.

This area is great for outdoor enthusiasts, offering beautiful beaches, scenic coastal walks, and picturesque countryside. Lyme Regis and Weymouth are nearby, and Poole, Bournemouth and Exeter are just an hour away.

We offer:

• A salary of £36,000 - £65,000, depending on experience
• 7.3 weeks holiday, including bank holidays
• Bank holiday on-call shared and separate Christmas/New Year rota with additional leave so all vets get a festive break
• CPD fully funded, with certificates supported & funded
• Fees paid for RCVS, VDS and BVA
• Mobile phone provided
• Social events organised

We’d love to hear from you! Apply now, or call Jon, Barry or Claire for an informal chat.