Liesbet Lester DVM  MRCVS  LFHom(vet)
I trained to become a vet in my home country of Belgium. This took 6 years, first
at the State University of Antwerp where I gained a Diploma of Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine, followed by a Diploma of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the State University of Ghent. I then returned to the State University of Antwerp for another year gaining a Diploma of Master of Biotechnology. Before starting in general practice I decided to spend a further year doing Post Graduate studies in Experimental Veterinary Medicine at the State University of Liëge.

By this time I had decided to concentrate on small animals and, at the same time, look for a position in England, where I felt the opportunities were much better than in Belgium.  In July 1989 I started work as a full time assistant in a small animal veterinary practice in Southampton. The following year I moved to the Wigan area, where I have been ever since.

During this time I have always endeavoured to continue learning about new medicines and procedures, attending seminars and congresses whenever time allowed. I am also very keen on complimentary treatments and was introduced to Reiki a number of years ago. Reiki (literally translated as Universal Life Force Energy) has been found to have a calming effect on the body. Cats are particularly receptive and immediately I could see the potential for using with stressed animals and to help animals coming round from operations.

In 2001, I followed this with 2 courses on acupuncture, an Introductory Course and a Basic Course in Veterinary Acupuncture, Scientific and Practical. It was a natural progression to Homeopathy and in 2005 I completed a 3-year course in Homeopathy for Veterinary Surgeons in Oxford, run by HPTG.

It is my firm belief that conventional medicines and complimentary treatments should be made available to work side by side. I am pleased to be able to offer the choice to my clients and hope that they will find the environment of ‘The Old Church’ more than welcoming.

Steve Lester
My background is engineering. For the last 30 years I have worked in the leisure industry, designing seats and layouts for multi-purpose centres, theatres, lecture rooms. In the late 70’s I travelled extensively throughout the UK, including Northern Ireland, a part of the UK I enjoyed visiting despite the problems at the time. In the 80’s and 90’s my work took me to various parts of Europe, America, Middle East and finally, my last business trip was to China in 2005.

Occasionally I was able to fit in a bit of sightseeing. However, most of the time was spent driving, flying, arriving, meeting, and then return home. Or find the hotel if overnight stops were required. But I have to admit I enjoyed the travelling and the experience of meeting people.

Towards the end of 2004, Liesbet told me that she was thinking of opening her own practice, and once Liesbet’s mind is made up there is no changing it. However, it was becoming more and more obvious that this was the only way forward that would allow her to combine the use of conventional medicines and complimentary treatments.

As the plans progressed it started to become apparent that I would probably have to make an important decision as well. That moment came when the builder was appointed and work began on The Old Church. In February 2007 I resigned from my job to be free to oversee the building work and ensure that the completion date was met.

In April I began a new career at Lester Pet Care Clinic. I may not be able to recognise a Shih Tzu if one is put in front of me. I may not even be able to spell out the name. But I do believe that dealing with people over the years has given me the confidence to be the first point of contact when you make a call to the practice. As soon as the preliminaries are completed you will have the confidence in the knowledge that your pet will be in the safe and caring hand of Liesbet and will be receiving the best possible attention.

Debbie Birch
Animal Care Assistant
Hello, my name is Debbie and I started working at Lester Pet Care Clinic in October 2007.

I’ve been animal mad since I was a little girl and being given the opportunity to work with and care for them, is something I could only ever dream about, until recently.

I’ve had a few jobs in the past not animal related and, although I’ve still enjoyed them, animal care is what I’ve always wanted to do. I love animals and they have always played a big part in my life. From being very young I have found ‘lost’ animals and taken them home, much to my mum’s dismay. As I grew older I’ve been fortunate to own many different types from mice to horses, my favourites being horses and ponies.

My partner Alan, daughter Samantha and I are proud owners of three ponies, one horse, a dog and a very old cat. We love them all and they really are part of the family. Whenever we can we take part in local shows with the horses, something that I have carried on from being a child.

I am looking forward to my new career, I’m sure that I am going to enjoy it. And when your pets are briefly in my care you can be re-assured that I will look after them as though they are my own.