Alessandra graduated from the University of Perugia (Italy) in 2003, after which she worked in general veterinary practice in Italy for three years. Driven by her newly discovered passion for anaesthsia, Alessandra decided to undertake an Anaesthesia Internship at the Royal Veterinary College in London followed by a three year Residency in Anaesthesia and Analgesia at the Royal Veterinary College during which she gained her RCVS Certificate in Veterinary Anaesthesia. Alessandra then joined Willows in 2010 and became a Diplomate of the European College of Anaesthesia and Analgesia in 2012 and an RCVS Specialist in Anaesthesia in 2015.

Alessandra is particularly interested in the anaesthesia of the critically ill patient and of patients with cardiac disease. She enjoys working as part of the team of highly qualified and dedicated specialists at Willows, and helping to keep the veterinary and clinical support staff up to date with the latest anaesthetic and intensive care techniques.

Alessandra is the daughter of a dog breeder and a diplomat. She grew up mostly in Italy, but also lived in Australia and Switzerland and always with several dogs and cats. She particularly loves Dachshunds and has two wired haired ones – Sheldon and Hector which she loves walking on sunny days and spending time on the couch with them on less sunny ones. Although Alessandra misses the Italian sun and food, her family and Italian friends, she feels as though she has gained a second family at Willows!

Jacques graduated from the University of Pretoria with a Bachelor of Science (Biotechnology) in 2006, directly after which he enrolled in a Bachelor of Veterinary Science, which he completed in 2011. Jacques always had an interest in physiology and pharmacology and after completing a 12 month rotating internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital, he went back to the University of Pretoria where he enrolled in a Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia residency and Masters of Science simultaneously.

Jacques’ MSc investigated the effect of various anaesthetic drugs on the quality of anaesthesia induction and recovery. After three years of very diverse work anaesthetising a range of animals including rhinos, elephants, lions and even a seal, Jacques moved to the United Kingdom in 2015. Jacques spent two years as a lecturer in Veterinary Anaesthesia at the University of Liverpool and in 2017 became a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Anaesthesia and analgesia. Currently, Jacques has a particular interest in peri-operative pain management, focussing on the use of local anaesthetic techniques for prevention of nociception.

When not at work, Jacques is a keen triathlete and squash player and can often be found running trails in Wales, with his running partner Murdoch, a 3-year-old German Shepherd dog.

After qualifying from the University of Warsaw in 2003, Anna worked for two and a half years as a veterinary adviser for Kolme, a large pharmaceutical company in Poland. This position enabled her to develop her knowledge in pharmacology and homotoxicology. During this time Anna attended a Management Educational Centre where she completed a one year course in law. In her spare time she worked as a volunteer at an Animal Rescue Centre.

Anna’s vocation has always been to work with small animals and to this end she decided to seek a position in a practice where she could pursue her goals.  In 2007 she joined the team at Willows, where she developed her skills in anaesthesia, critical care and pain management. In 2014 Anna gained her MSc (Master of Science) in the Clinical Management of Pain at the University of Edinburgh. Anna’s key area of interest is the provision of anaesthesia and analgesia for challenging surgical patients.

Outside the practice Anna is a theatre and opera lover. She attends ballet classes and can play both the piano and the guitar. Anna is the owner of two show dogs – an Akita and an Afghan Hound – and she is interested in becoming a dog show judge.

Dan graduated from the University of Nottingham in 2015 after which he worked as a General Practice Vet in a busy first opinion hospital in Shropshire. He then went on to undertake a rotating internship at the University of Cambridge followed by six months as a junior anaesthesia clinician before completing a residency in Anaesthesia and Analgesia at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC). During his residency at RVC Dan also completed a Masters in Veterinary Medicine in 2022.

Dan has a clinical interest in all aspects of anaesthesia and in particular pain management and anaesthesia of patients with cardiovascular disease.

Dan is Black Country born and bred, he supports Wolverhampton Wanderers, enjoys cricket and has a crazy, and cuddly working cocker spaniel called Freddie who unsurprisingly takes a lot of effort to tire out!

Torr graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2012. Following a veterinary volunteer project in Malawi and time spent working in mixed practice in the UK, she joined Willows in 2015 as a rotating intern.

She then completed an anaesthesia internship at Willows in 2017 and is currently working towards a European diploma in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia.

Torr has a keen interest in anaesthesia for interventional cardiology. She enjoys working closely with the cardiology team at Willows and hopes to gain more experience in anaesthesia for equine interventional cardiology during her residency.