Veterinary team
Meet our amazing team of vets, nurses and support staff, every one dedicated to giving your pets the best care possible...
Meet our Veterinary Surgeons
Eric Chant
Wellington local, Eric Chant began his career with Mount Vets over 25 years ago, after graduating from Glasgow University. He is a Director in the Practice and has been instrumental in developing the Hospital site. Eric enjoys medicine and orthopaedic surgery, and has a special interest in cruciate ligament disease in dogs.
Charlotte Freeman
Charlotte has been with Mount Vets since 2003 and joined the directorship in 2011. After her first few years of veterinary work, Charlotte developed an interest in diseases of the eyes and ocular surgery. Charlotte now holds an advanced qualification in ophthalmology, the study of diseases affecting the eyes and is an active member of the British Association of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.
James Cavanagh
James graduated from Bristol Vet School in 2007 and joined Mount Vets small animal team in 2009. James gained his certificate in Canine and Feline Medicine in 2013 and became an Advanced Practitioner in 2014. James has a particular clinical interest in diagnostic imaging (X-rays and ultrasound scanning) and cardiology. James joined the board of directors in 2018.
Kara Brand
Kara graduated from the University of Nottingham in 2012. After a short period working at the University she spent the next 5 years in small animal first opinion practices first in Yorkshire and then in Devon. Kara consults at Taunton Road Hospital and Wiveliscombe. She is currently studying for an advanced qualification in Veterinary Dermatology; the study of skin disease in cats and dogs.
Liz Hynes
I qualified at the University of Sydney in 2005, after working in a mixed practice in Australia and the UK. I moved permanently back to the UK in 2008. After spending several years working in Hampshire I returned to the South West and first started working at Mount Vets in October 2018. With a particular interest in surgery, I completed a post graduate certificate in small animal surgery in 2013. Outside of work I enjoy scuba diving, dog agility and equine pursuits. I have two border collies (Tarquin and Gyr) a Italian spinone (Harvey) and Friesian horses (Trynke and Vrolijk).
Glenn Bengtson
I qualified for the University of Queensland, Australia in 1992 with honors. I worked in mixed animal practice in various states of Australia before moving to the UK in 1996 working as a locum from Cornwall to Scotland until settling in 1998 in a first opinion and referral practice on the outskirts of London.
Izabella Boda
After a rather adventurous period working as a wildlife vet intern at the RSPCA’s Stapeley Grange Centre in Nantwich, Izabella moved to the South West and has worked in the area since 2016. In her time, she has dealt with pets such as a savannah monitor, uromastyx, african grey parrots, tortoises, conures and sugar gliders. Just to mention a few!
She is passionate about all creatures, be they furry pet friends, odd reptiles or birds. She graduated in Budapest, Hungary where she developed a special interest in exotic and wild animals and also obtained a BSc in Wildlife Management and Conservation. She recently gained a certification in treating exotic animals. She loves this part of the country and, in her spare time, loves to seek out interesting historical places or to curl up with the works of the classic English authors. She has a marginated tortoise called Colossus, who now rules the house.
Olivia Selby
Alex Jenner
I graduated from the University of Nottingham in 2021 and have moved back home to the South West to start my career as a vet! I am interested in surgery but I am excited to learn and work on all aspects of the job. Outside of work I enjoy walking my two golden retrievers in the countryside and I am also interested in photography – especially animals!
Amelia Gates
I am originally from London and went to the University of Surrey, but after two of my final year rotations in Somerset I fell in love with the West country and decided to move after graduation. I graduated in August 2020 and started at Mount Vets a fortnight later. Professionally, I love treating all small animals, with particular interest in making vet visits as stress free for pets as possible (meaning giving lots of treats!). I also have an interest in emergency medicine and ophthalmology. In my personal life, I love staying active by hiking, kayaking or practicing yoga.
Michal Kolominski
In 2012 I graduated from the University Of Life Sciences, Faculty Of Veterinary Medicine in Lublin, Poland. I worked here in a veterinary hospital for 2 years and then in 2014 moved to UK. Over the past 8 years I worked in a few small animal practices. In 2021 I gained my BSAVA certificate in small animal surgery. My main interests are small animal orthopaedic and soft tissue surgery. Outside of work I like going for long walks with my family. Playing tennis and exploring new parts of England such as national parks and seaside towns.
Julia Fryczewska
I graduated from the University of Lublin in Poland in 2018 and moved to the UK soon after. I started my career in a first opinion practice in Plymouth and fell in love with the South West. I particularly enjoy medicine and diagnostic imaging, and consider cat friendly approach as very important in everyday practice. Back home I have a Westie called Chaps, and I will easily get distracted if any Westie walks in to the clinic! In my spare time I like to go paddle boarding and hiking in the beautiful sceneries the South West has to offer.
Carmela Burgess
Carmela qualified from the Royal Veterinary College in 2010. She started her career in a farm and poultry practice in Devon, before moving through mixed practice to a small animal hospital in Exeter. Here she developed her interests in small animal medicine, ultrasound and oncology, gaining an RCVS Certificate in small animal medicine in 2018. Carmela is now an Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Medicine, enjoying all aspects of internal medicine cases, but with a particular interest in small animal cancer and chemotherapy. She lives in Devon with her husband, lurchers and chickens, and in her spare time enjoys “the good life”; growing vegetables, cooking, sewing, camping and cycling.
Jade Douglas
On graduating from Glasgow University in 2000, Jade worked in a mixed practice on the west coast of Scotland. Exciting as it was, two years was enough to prompt the search for a warmer, drier climate. She moved down to Dorset in 2002 where she enjoyed working in small animal practice. Now ready for a new adventure, she and her family have moved a little further into the Southwest.
Jade enjoys all the variety that general practice brings but her professional passion is eyes! She obtained a further qualification in ophthalmology in 2012 and loved it so much that she worked towards the next one. She gained ‘Advanced Practitioner’ status in Ophthalmology in 2017. Amongst her other interests is acupuncture, which she uses regularly as an adjunctive therapy, particularly in osteo-arthritis cases.
Jade is married with a teenage son and they have 2 cats, Linc and Ninja. In her spare time, she loves to be outdoors exploring all that this beautiful area has to offer – either on foot, by bike or on the water.
