A helping hand in the darkness, A practice Manager who leads with compassion.

Zoe Campbell
Practice Manager
The Grange Veterinary surgery

The context

A man arrived with his dog, very distressed, his dog has been hit by a car and he wasn’t registered at a Vet. He wanted help for his dog but was very concerned about money and when staff we’re trying to get his information to create a record he was defensive and swearing / shouting at the team as they tried to explain why they needed this info. Unfortunately, his dogs injuries were too severe and he had to be PTS. The owner wanted ashes back, he remained suspicious of being asked questions and very defensive making it difficult to communicate or make arrangements. Several of the staff were nervous of him. It was clear he was dealing with other issues also.

The action

Zoe took over the communicating of the situation, she’s great at staying calm and seeing through drama to the root of the issue. She made the team feel safe by ensuring they knew when he was coming and to refer him to her if he came in. She tried to get a welfare check for the man through the council and police and she was concerned for his general wellbeing. She also contacted one of the local cremation services and explained the situation and was able to arrange for his dogs ashes to come back to him with no cost through a fund the crem have set up for situations like this.

The ripple effect

Honestly I think this was the first time in a long time that anyone had shown this man any kindness or compassion. Zoe saw through the loud swearyness to the scared and grieving person underneath. I can’t imagine the impact of being seen that way and having someone help you when you’ve had to build such a no tollerence exterior. His last conversation with Zoe was different, quieter words, softer demeanor. I really think not only did she manage to bring him some comfort at an incredibly hard time, but that she also brought him hope that there’s people in the world that do care and will help when you really need it.

Voting opens 13 November.