"It's important that we keep the healthcare of guide dogs at the top of our priorities list." - Tim Davies.

The charity is 'delighted' to announce the appointment of Tim Davies.

UK-based charity Guide Dogs has appointed its new chief veterinary officer. The role has been taken over by highly experienced veterinary surgeon Tim Davies.

The role involves ensuring that Guide Dogs has understanding of and access to the best veterinary knowledge available, and that every one of the charity's dogs are provided with excellent veterinary care. 

Tim Davies commented on working with the dogs: “Guide dogs are fantastic to work with – they are good-natured and easy to handle, and the owners always have the best interests of the dog at heart. 

“Plus, you know you are helping more than someone’s pet, a working dog making a real difference to a person’s life. A guide dog needs to be happy and healthy to fulfil its role. It all adds up to a very different flavour of vet work.”

Previously, Tim worked as the national veterinary director for CVS, helping the company to expand from 200 to 1200 veterinary surgeons. 

He has also worked as the principal veterinary surgeon at Nine Mile Veterinary Group in Wokingham, expanding the business from one veterinary surgeon and three staff to 16 veterinary surgeons and 60 staff in his time there. 

This new role for Tim also marks a return to Guide Dogs, as he has worked for the charity previously in the role of centre veterinary advisor from 1987 until 2007 at Wokingham. 

Commenting on his return to Guide Dogs, Tim said: “I am looking forward to being back, but in a more central role with more strategic responsibility. The veterinary world has changed so much, even in the last ten years, and it will be good to draw on my experiences to help Guide Dogs traverse that change.

“I am particularly looking forward to help utilise the cutting-edge genomic research and behavioural science approach Guide Dogs are leading, to improve the health of our dogs and indeed of dogs in general.”