Small Animal Vet | Caring Clinician & DoddieVet Ally

We shine a spotlight on Elizabeth Sweeney, a small animal vet at Kilbarchan Vets in Scotland. Alongside her husband Willie — also an IVC small animal vet — Elizabeth balances clinical life, family life with their two young boys, Archie and Finlay, and their golden retriever Mabel. She is also the driving force behind “Doddie Vet,” a nationwide charity challenge that has united practices across the veterinary community.

I’m a mum of two and a small animal vet based in Kilbarchan, Scotland. My husband, Willie, is also an IVC small animal vet, and we have two boys — Archie and Finlay — plus our 9-month-old golden retriever, Mabel. I’ve always loved veterinary work and feel incredibly lucky to work within such a supportive team at Kilbarchan Vets.

My involvement began when my mum, Christine, was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in 2016. She was such an inspiration — fun-loving, resilient, and determined not to let the diagnosis define her.

My dad, Phil, became her primary carer, but our world changed again in 2018 when he was diagnosed with brain cancer and sadly passed away six months later. At that point, my sister, brother, auntie, a close friend, and I took on caring for Mum so she could remain at home.

It was a steep learning curve, but Mum’s humour and strength carried all of us through. She greatly admired Doddie Weir and the awareness he brought to MND, alongside individuals like Rob Burrow and Stephen Darby. Their work has played a huge role in bringing the disease into public conversation.

Doddie Weir — a former Scotland and British Lions rugby player — announced his MND diagnosis in 2017 and founded the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation (MNDF) shortly after. The charity aims to support people living with MND and accelerate research into this currently incurable disease. As of 2025, the foundation has committed nearly £20 million towards vital MND research. Its impact has been absolutely incredible.

The idea came after Willie and I took part in the MNDF’s annual challenge, Doddie Aid — a five-week activity challenge each January where participants log miles through walking, cycling, running, pilates… anything that gets you moving. In 2023, we reached out to local IVC practices to create a veterinary league — and the enthusiasm was overwhelming. That’s how Doddie Vet was born.

What started with 10 practices in the west of Scotland has grown to 38 practice teams and 330 participants nationwide in 2025.

Doddie Vet is a league of veterinary teams within the wider Doddie Aid challenge. We’ve expanded it to include everyone in the veterinary community — practices, universities, businesses — and we encourage friends and family to join in too. The aim is simple: have fun, get active, and raise money for MNDF.

It’s never just about the miles! Over the five weeks we run all sorts of competitions — from a New Year’s Day cold-water dip to “Best Doddie Vet Dog.” Prizes have included everything from coffee machines to headphones. The leader board is calculated as an average per person, keeping things fair for smaller teams. And the top three teams win group prizes, with first place taking home the coveted Doddie Vet trophy.

In 2025, we raised an incredible £8,000, and we even had Olympians Eilish McColgan and Neah Evans, plus former rugby player Scott Hastings, helping us announce weekly winners.

The feedback has been amazing. Participants say it gives them something positive and motivating to focus on during January. I feel honoured to connect our veterinary community with a charity so personally important to me. People’s enthusiasm has genuinely overwhelmed me.

As a mum of two and a busy vet, finding time to coordinate Doddie Vet can definitely be challenging. I’m lucky to have a brilliant support…