Lesley Moore, a senior veterinary nurse at Vets Now’s Macclesfield clinic, has become the inaugural winner of a bursary in memory of the legendary vet nurse Louise O’Dwyer, who died earlier this year.

Louise was one of the world’s leading emergency and critical care veterinary nurses and a huge influence on the thousands of vet professionals who encountered her through her lectures, practical guide books and journal papers.

The £2000 award was created to celebrate her life and ensure that her passion for education continued to have a positive impact on the profession. It is awarded to the individual who has best demonstrated a commitment to making a difference in his or her chosen discipline, while continuing Louise's passion for shared learning.

Entries were judged by Vets Now’s clinical director Amanda Boag and senior RVNs Racheal Marshall and Arlene Connor. The winner was announced at the Vets Now ECC Congress in Leeds.

Lesley said: "I was already a little emotional when Amanda announced I’d won.

"I knew Louise and it’s still very hard to come to terms with the fact she isn’t here anymore. I think anyone who was at the gala dinner could see I was a bit overwhelmed when I got to the stage.

"I don’t think there are any nurses out there that didn’t find Louise inspirational. I chaired her at BSAVA a couple of years ago and we were both quite nervous. It was my first time chairing and she put her nerves to one side to make sure I was ok.

"She always spoke with such eloquence. Whenever you had the pleasure of listening to her she had the ability to make you feel like she was talking directly to you. We both also love vintage styling and I was regularly envious of some of her beautiful dresses. We used to speak about that as much as we did about veterinary nursing!"

Lesley plans to spend the bursary on courses in emergency ultrasound scanning and toxicology. She also hopes to use it to fund a postgraduate certificate in veterinary education. 

She added: “This will give me the skills to develop my teaching and lecturing abilities so I can continue to help other RVNs who love ECC as much as I do."

Amanda Boag, clinical director at Vets Now, said "Louise was a wonderful colleague, friend and mentor to so many vets and vet nurses and Lesley embodies everything she stood for and held dear. She is a very deserving winner of this award."

Congratulations, Lesley!

Photo shows Lesley Moore talking with Louise O’Dwyer at an event last year.

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