Local vets open second practice after years of treating everything from piglets to wallabies 

Local veterinary duo Dr Jonathan Hadley and Lee March have officially opened their second practice after a career of remarkable exotic cases which have ranged from treating a blind piglet, resetting a wallaby’s pelvis and helping a deer recover from a collision with a car.  

The pair, who also run Eastwood Vets for Pets, opened the doors of their new practice inside Pets at Home in Giltbrook Retail Park last week (Thursday, 26th March). 

In the last few months alone, the Eastwood team has treated some of their most memorable cases.  

One that made headlines was Benny the Piglet, a one-week-old commercial pig found wandering on the side of A641 with noticeable eyesight issues. After being brought in, Jonathan confirmed irreversible damage to both his eyes and that surgery was the best option to give Benny the best quality of life. Since then, Benny recovered exceptionally and is living out his days at Brinsley Animal Sanctuary.  

Livestock are not the only unexpected visitors that the practice has seen recently. They also treated a Wallaby, which was brought in with a dislocated pelvis. Jonathan reset the joint and ensured it would go on to live a comfortable life. And a couple of weeks later, a deer involved in a road traffic accident arrived; it was placed under anaesthetic, X-rayed and fully examined. Once Jonathan was confident it had no lasting injuries, the deer was transferred to an animal rescue facility for rehabilitation. 

With nearly 30 years of specialist expertise, his passion for treating unusual species began in 1998 when, as a newly qualified vet, he volunteered to operate on an injured bird when others hesitated. These cases also landed him a role as the resident vet for a local zoo, which houses animals such as lions, lemurs, penguins and capybaras.  

Since taking ownership of Eastwood in 2016, Jonathan has grown the practice from a small team of just himself, two nurses and two non-clinical colleagues, to a thriving team of 19 with just shy of 150 years of veterinary expertise.  

As cases ranging from normal check-ups to surgery on wildlife continue to rise, Eastwood Vets for Pets had started to reach capacity. Adding Giltbrook Vets for Pets to their portfolio ensures the local community can continue accessing high-quality care. 

Throughout this growth, Jonathan has been supported by Practice Manager and now Practice Owner, Lee March. Lee joined Eastwood Vets for Pets on work experience more than a decade ago, before training as a Registered Veterinary Nurse and eventually stepping into management. From coordinating Jonathan’s schedule of surgery on Lions and Wallabies to helping grow the team, Lee has been an integral part of the Eastwood team. Stepping into the role of Practice Owner at Giltbrook is the natural progression of his work and partnership with Jonathan. 

The new practice is fitted with three consultation rooms, a theatre and an imaging suite, with space available for future expansion. Giltbrook will focus on first opinion care for dogs, cats and small animals, while Eastwood will continue developing its exotic and referral services. Operating together, the two practices will strengthen the support available to local families and allow the team to continue growing. 

For more information on the practice, the team, and to register your pets, visit the Giltbrook Vets for Pets.