John Sauvage

After attending a South London primary school and then a large comprehensive with over 2,000 pupils, John went straight on to the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) and qualified as a veterinary surgeon in 1973. During his time there he went to East Africa with a research team and was the primary author of one of the resulting research papers.

 

His first veterinary post was as an assistant in a mixed, mainly cattle practice in Gloucestershire before moving on within the year to a mixed high-standard dog and equine practice in Maidstone. In 1975 he did locums and in 1976 joined the Cranbrook practice in Kent, becoming a partner in 1980.

 

During his time as a partner he became involved in the business aspects of the practice but at the same time taught local farmers and gained higher qualifications with the Open University and then in veterinary cardiology as well as seeing clients and cases full time.

 

After this he began lecturing to other vets on various topics such as dentistry, practice management and, of course, cardiology. These lectures took place as far afield as Australia, Portugal, Republic of Ireland and Norway as well as all around the UK. John volunteered and was highly active during the foot-and-mouth outbreak in the spring of 2001.

 

He had several short spells teaching part-time for veterinary drug companies again while still in practice. He became sole owner of the Cranbrook practice in 2011 and soon reclaimed its hospital status, lost since just before he joined. Finally selling the practice in 2018, John continues to see cardiac cases and carry out breed heart certification. He lives in rural Kent with his wife Sandra.