Funny Vet

Ok, I'm worried about the senior partner in our vetinary practice.

He's recently taken up running, which in itself is obviously ok, BUT he's currently going to launch a complaint to UK athletics about senior runners being classed as vets (short for veterans).

He thinks that the shortening and general use of that term in running is misleading; and could bring our profession into disrepute.

I've told him that anyone who knows anything about running, has no confusion over the terms and therefore the general public doesn't think it's an actual running catagory specifically for vetinary practitioners.

Help me talk sense into him please, I'm worried that work stress is getting to him.

Any advice welcome,

thanks in advance,

kk (Bromley)

Dear KK of Bromley,

As a senior partner in a vertinary practice that has recently taken up running (indeed I have just formed my own club .. you may have heard of us BVAC?) .. I feel I must answer you concerns.

The gentleman you refer to is indeed fully justified in raising this issue with UK athletics. The confusion over runners hijacking the term Vets is indeed worrying and one we REAL vets feel strongly about that we should protect our abbreviated name.

But its not just a name, it seems that those runners that take on the moniker of 'Vet' whilst they run also seem to believe that it immediately imbues them with the abilities of a vet. Which as I'm sure you can appreciate is not an acceptable situation. Why it was only last week that in the middle of the Bromley VAC Championship 10k, I came across a group of elder runners attempting to perform CPR on a poor unfrotunate badger that had been hit by a car.

I've also encountered a number of other quite frankly worrying incidents involving runners and animals, and I'll never forget the sight of the so-called Vets in this years Virgin London Marathon attempting to check whether the pantomime cow at mile 14 was pregnant, and without gloves too !!

So, KK as you can see, the senior partner is right in trying to protect our good name. Think of the poor animals.

Yours

BVAC

Dear BVAC,

I feel I must add my tuppence worth here to this debate. I too have fallen foul of this misrepresentation of veterinarian abilities by these so called 'runners' on RUNNERS WORLD.

I took my darling little Tiddles along to these so called Bromley Vets to have her, 'ahem', little tubes tied if you know what I mean. Upon my return I asked if the operation went well, and they responded with some Vets technical terms about 'taking Tiddles on a tempo session with fartleking and strides', not wanting to appear unknowledgeable I nodded and took Tiddles home believing all to be good.

Now, since then every little Tom in the neighbourhood has been rodgering our poor Tiddles senselsess, the little mite is knackered, and we're now knee deep in little Tiddles'ses. God only knows what we're going to do with them!

So you so called Vets of Bromley, I can tell you now that your so called Fartleking and Strides did not stop my little pussy from getting preganant, and we shall be looking to seek comepensation from the BVAC accordingly.

Kind Regards

Tiddles Dad