Meet Our Team
We have a team of experienced professionals, our family are very passionate about the welfare of your loved pets
Josie McKnight
BVMS MRCVS PGDipVetPhys GPCertCPM&WVA GPCertBS
Josie McKnight is our veterinary surgeon and veterinary physiotherapist.
She qualified as a vet in 1999 and soon developed an interest in acupuncture and chronic pain management. She used acupuncture alongside conventional medicine to help animals with arthritis and chronic pain.
This led her to veterinary physiotherapy, and she completed her post-graduate diploma in veterinary physiotherapy in 2011 at Harper Adams University.
She subsequently completed a certificate in chronic pain management and western veterinary acupuncture alongside a certificate in veterinary business studies.
She has treated many patients successfully over the years, including dogs, horses, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, rats and even a skunk with a sore back!
She is passionate about working alongside her colleagues in the veterinary profession and helping clients rehab surgical patients, treat chronic pain, and optimise clinical outcomes in these cases.
At home, she is the proud mum of her son Will, now 11 years old, who helps her care for their four dogs – Bob and Poppy (2 amputees), Abe, a Chihuahua and more recently, Little Blue, a one-eyed rescue from
Life is not quiet, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. She recently took up paddleboarding to relax and loves reading, cinema, cuisine and guitar.
Clare lives in Belfast with her 3 dogs Megan a border collie, Izzy a Dalmatian & Basil a Chihuahua. Clare loves wildlife especially foxes and squirrels. In her free time, she spends it crafting, collecting anything Russian doll-related, drinking gin & tonic and eating Cadburys chocolate watching Alien or listening to Ricky Gervais podcasts! When Clare retires, she would love to run a Dalmatian Rescue for Northern Ireland and have a lot more tattoos!
Level 3 Diploma in Small Animal Hydrotherapy 2019 to include:
- Disorders of the canine stifle joint
- Practical application of advanced hydrotherapy
- Treadmill treatment techniques
- Advanced hydrotherapy treadmill treatment and gait analysis
Level 3 Certificate in Small Animal Hydrotherapy 2016 to include:
- Management of medical conditions
- Management of common orthopaedic and neurological conditions
- Administering, assessing and checking suitability for hydrotherapy treatment
- Anatomy & Physiology
- Water & pool management
- Professional practice and multidisciplinary teams
- The principles of small animal hydrotherapy
- The use of an underwater treadmill in small animal hydrotherapy
Annual Hawksmoor congress at Willows referral hospital Birmingham. Observe veterinary physiotherapy treatment. Annual hydro conference with the Canine Hydrotherapy Association.
Annual hydro conference with the Canine Hydrotherapy Association.
Creating the OA team. A motivated dog is a happy dog (webinar). Pet CPR and first aid training update. Canine massage for the hydrotherapist. Dogs that have increase tone – pool or treadmill (webinar). Shadow orthopaedic vet luxating patella corrective surgery. Treadmill assessment day with Hawksmoor in Birmingham.
NARCH education seminar. Nursing support for arthritic pets. Hydro vet rehab summit (series of webinars) Completed level 3 diploma.
Canine gait (webinar). The impact of environment on canine arthritis (webinar). Smart management of the osteoarthritic patient in the 21st century (webinar). How to help owners address obesity (webinar).
Understanding Muscle Physiology & Contraction to Achieve Specific Outcomes (webinar)
IRVAP ICH (Institute of Registered Veterinary & Animal Physiotherapists, Institute of Canine Hydrotherapists)
Clare Diane Young
Cert Dip MIRVAP (ICH)
Lisa Simpson
MVB MRCVS
Lisa qualified as a vet in 2005 and started work as an intern in an orthopaedic referral hospital in England.
She worked here for many years, assisting with orthopaedic surgeries and working alongside a physiotherapist to rehabilitate her patients. It was here that Lisa realised the importance of post-operative rehabilitation and discovered the many therapies that can be used to aid both recovery and chronic pain management.
She also spent time working in a specialist emergency clinic and running her own practice.
Lisa went on to qualify as a veterinary acupuncturist and she is continuing her studies in chronic pain management and veterinary physiotherapy.
She is passionate about maintaining the quality of life for our pets, especially in their senior years, and enjoys working as part of a multi-disciplinary team to keep pets happy for as long as possible.
At home, Lisa lives with her wife Lauren and their two children, Bowe and Star. She has had a vast menagerie of pets over the years including snakes, budgies, turtles and hamsters but now lives with 2 dogs, Puck and Elfie Milkshake and a cat called Maui. She enjoys baking and crafting, especially when the kids get involved, even if that means more mess!
Having previously worked as the Deputy Manager for Assisi Animal Sanctuary Susan has a particular interest and experience in working with rescue dogs, and is passionate about animal welfare.
In 2011 Susan left Assisi Animal Sanctuary to set up her own business, Owenbeg Dog Behaviour. www.owenbeg.co.uk
As a behaviourist she works one on one with owners and their dogs; providing tailored behaviour modification programmes, information, advice and support.
Having seen the real benefits that hydrotherapy made to her own dog, Susan undertook and completed her Level 3 Diploma in Hydrotherapy, and joined the Paws for a Splash team in 2018.
Susan has two dogs; Daisy, an 11-year-old GSD/Mastiff x, who she rehomed from Assisi when Daisy was 2 years old, and Trinny, a 13-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, who she rehomed a year ago.
Something you may not know: Susan has a brown belt in Wado Kai Karate so watch out!
- NARCH (National Association of Registered Canine Hydrotherapists)
- IRVAP ICH (Institute of Registered Veterinary & Animal Physiotherapists, Institute of Canine Hydrotherapists)
- BVBA (British Veterinary Behaviour Association)
Level 3 Diploma in Hydrotherapy for Small Animals
Level 3 Diploma in Introduction to Canine Massage
Level 4 Diploma Dog Behaviour Practitioner
Level 6 Diploma in Advanced Canine Behaviour and Management
Susan is committed to ongoing learning and is currently working towards her CCAB (Certified Clinical Animal Behaviourist) accreditation
Susan Finlay
Dip MIRVAP (ICH) RCH
Megan Anderson
MIRVAP (ICH)
Megan started riding when she was 4 and started working with horses when she was 16, teaching children and beginners, riding and producing horses and young stock, worked in breeding yards with mares and foals and competitive show jumping stallions. She still loves being able to go riding when she has the time.
Megan moved to Cork in 2010 and studied Physical Therapy in the Irish Institute of Physical Therapy, this included remedial and advanced remedial massage and electro-therapy, alongside this she completed courses on kinesio taping and strapping and dry needling to compliment the use of massage during treatments.
Megan moved back to Belfast in 2015 and started working in Whinney Hill Kennels. Having always had dogs at home, and always being around animals, she loves being able to look after and care for other people’s pets the way she would want hers to be looked after.
Megan decided to further her career into small animal hydrotherapy to combine her interest of rehabilitation therapy into the canine world.
Qualifications
- BSc Equine Management (2009)
- Diploma in Physical Therapy (including electro-therapy) (2014)
- Advanced Remedial Massage (2014)
- Orthopedic Dry Needling (2014)
- Kinesio Taping and Strapping (2014)
- Level 2 Diploma in Fitness Instructor (2016)
- Level 3 Diploma in Hydrotherapy for Small Animals (2020)
Curtis joined Vet Rehab NI as a trainee hydrotherapist studying his level 3 Hydrotherapy qualification using the pool and underwater treadmill.
Curtis got his first dog at only 6 years old, the rest is history. He started agility with Peggy, a Jack Russell who went on to qualify for Crufts twice and represented NI internationally 3 times!
In 2009 he got his first Shetland Sheepdog, Callie, and she was the 2nd dog to ever reach Agility Champion Status from Ireland. He currently has 2 shelties and a bearded collie who he regularly competes with. Their names are Midge, Pundit and Retro!
When Curtis left school, he studied animal management at college and has worked in the animal industry ever since. Having a lot of experience with working dogs, boarding kennels, and training, he felt hydrotherapy was the next step in his career.
Curtis has the passion and desire to understand the complex movements of our canine companions and brings his skill set to our team.
In his downtime, Curtis works on training with his own dogs and has recently been selected as team coach 2024 for the Irish European Open and AWC.
Curtis
Meg McCann
BSc (Hons) PGDip VetPhys MIRVAP
Meg completed her PGDip in Veterinary Physiotherapy in 2022 after developing a keen interest in animal rehabilitation since completing her undergraduate degree in Equine Therapy and Rehabilitation. She has spent her life working with and around animals since she was young, starting on the family farm.
She studied and worked in Oxfordshire for 5 years on an Equine Rehabilitation yard handling high-performance racehorses and then moved into a veterinary clinic to further her canine treatment skills. Here, she discovered her interest in post-operative care and remedial therapy, which is important to aid with full recovery and reduce the risk of re-injury.
Meg moved back to Belfast in 2020,, working in a small animal referral clinic for 3 years before joining the team at Vet Rehab NI. She is currently finishing her MSc in Veterinary Physiotherapy,, where she is researching the benefits of electrotherapies such as LASER,, which she frequently uses to treat her patients. She plans to then complete her hydrotherapy qualification.
In her free time, she loves taking her three dogs out swimming and discovering new beaches and forest walks.