Reception Team

Louise Rowson

Office Manager

Louise joined the team in October 2017. Having always worked in a Customer Service environment, she had spent the previous 9 years in another mixed veterinary practice, where she gained a wealth of knowledge in both large and small animal care.

Here at Jonathan Wood, Louise has taken on the responsiblity of co-ordinating TB tests and daily farm visits, organising the Vets diaries as well as a whole host of other duties.

Outside of work Louise loves living in the countryside and enjoys supporting village fundraising events. She also cares for her border collies, who love nothing more than exploring Exmoor.

Sara Thurgood

Receptionist

Sara started with us in January 2012. She works part time in the practice, and you’ll spot Sara helping with both dog and horse related enquiries.

Sara is a qualified Dog Trainer, running a local Dog Training School. She also re-homes English Springer Spaniels. Sara is often giving out useful behavioural and training advice to clients in the waiting room of the surgery, and she is very involved with the Local Pony Club where she is a Chief Instructor.

At home, Sara is kept busy with her menagerie which includes a couple of horses, a couple of cats and numerous dogs. She keenly competes in agility with her spaniels and after breeding her flat coat retriever Myshka and keeping a daughter, she competes in shows and has been successful in qualifying for Crufts!

Helen Mildon

Receptionist

Helen joined the Reception Team on a part-time basis in August 2019. Previously she spent many years working in a busy GP practice, which has prepared her well for the busy waiting and reception area at Jonathan Woods. Helen gained a wealth of experience in all aspects of customer service while offering a warm and friendly welcome.

Helen has lived locally all her life and enjoys seeing familiar faces at the practice and especially loves seeing all the new puppies.

Outside of work Helen enjoys horse riding, cooking and going on long walks with her two black Labradors Millie and George.

Ali Woodstock

Receptionist

Ali joined the Reception team on a part-time basis in November 2019. She grew up in the South East and spent her childhood on a large poultry farm. In 2006, the family (Ali, her husband, two children and two dogs) moved to Devon.

Prior to joining us, Ali has spent 11 yrs working in a busy GP practice. Here she gained a wealth of experience in client care, as well as specialising in dispensing. Ali is thoroughly enjoying her new role at Jonathan Wood, and with her GP practice skills being transferable, she’s a real asset to the team. She loves welcoming clients and providing the best service possible – but most of all, Ali’s enjoying making a fuss of all the animals that arrive at the surgery.

Outside of work, Ali enjoys spending time with her husband and grown up daughters, as well as walking with her friends and Springer Spaniel Welly.

Lucy Healing

Receptionist

Lucy started as a part-time receptionist at Jonathan Wood in February 2022. She and her husband moved from Hertfordshire to mid Devon in 2019. For twenty plus years she had worked in the entertainment retail industry, including time as a music buyer for Sainsbury’s and an account manager at Universal Music. Prior to moving to Devon Lucy had worked for Amazon for eight years in the DVD, Books and Media teams. Outside of work she enjoys gardening, reading detective and historical novels, watching golf tournaments and walking in the wonderful countryside where they live. But the most important things are their poodle collie cross and adopted cat.

Vickie Elston

Receptionist

Vickie joined the team in March 2022, having previously worked in a veterinary environment she has slotted straight into her role here. Vickie is enjoying the mixed animal work here at the surgery as she enjoys farm work and lives on a beef and sheep farm and has her own small flock of Jacobs sheep and 2 Herdwicks.

Vickie loves knitting and has donated over 500 handknitted items to her local hospitals special baby care unit. Over the last few years she has been lucky enough to have the wool spun from her own flock and has been able to knit with her own wool!!! Vickie is pictured with one of her flock (who all have names) and this is Mrs Crumble.