26/02/2026
*UPDATE*
Alternative practices to consider are:
RVC Beaumont Sainsbury in Camden London
Valley Exotics in Cardiff
Highcroft in Bristol
Chipping Norton
The Exotic Amimal Vets in Manchester
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ATTENTION ALL PARROT & EXOTICS COMMUNITY - RE CLOSURE OF GREAT WESTERN EXOTICS
We are shocked and deeply alarmed by the proposed closure of Great Western Exotics (GWE). For so many of us who care for parrots and other exotic species, this isn’t just a vet practice — it’s a lifeline.
This proposal feels shockingly arbitrary, with little visible understanding of the scale of the avian and exotic community, how many of us depend on GWE, or how vital specialist exotic care is. For exotics, delays don’t mean inconvenience — they mean suffering, and sometimes death.
We are further dismayed by the contemptuous way in which GWE clients are being treated, with no timely or transparent communication about an intended closure that has such serious consequences.
GWE has delivered outstanding, specialist care for decades. The comfort of knowing your bird or other exotic is in the hands of people who treat these species every single day is beyond words. Their expertise is simply not interchangeable with that of non‑specialist vets.
We have written a formal letter of complaint asking for a clear explanation and for this decision to be urgently reconsidered (I’ve shared it below). At the same time, spare a real thought for the incredible staff at GWE, who are facing huge uncertainty, the loss of a practice they care deeply about, and the reality of all having to find new jobs. They are devastated.
Please share this news with everyone affected. Also, I urge you to add your voice by writing to both vets-now and to ivcevidensia - email addresses below. Additionally, please sign and share the petition to save the practice.
• Email [email protected]
• Email [email protected]
• Sign and share this petition:
👉 https://www.change.org/p/urgent-save-great-western-exotics-thousands-of-animals-at-risk-amid-silence-from-ivc?signed=true
Even a short message expressing your concern, frustration, or horror truly matters. Silence here puts our feathery, fur and scaly babies at risk.
Thank you most sincerely everyone! 💚🦜🦎🐍🐰
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To Whom it May Concern
I am writing to formally express my shock, dismay, and deep concern regarding the apparent intention to close Great Western Exotics (GWE) in Swindon. This decision, and the manner in which it appears to be progressing, has caused significant distress to myself and to a wide community of exotic animal caregivers and professionals.
I have been a client of Great Western Exotics for almost 26 years, having first attended the practice when it was owned by Neil Forbes, and subsequently remaining with the practice following his retirement under the care of Tom Dutton. Since Tom’s departure, I have continued to place my trust in the practice under the care of Ashton and Sara, supported by the exceptional wider nursing and administrative team, whose professionalism, dedication, and compassion have been consistently outstanding.
In addition to my long‑standing personal reliance on GWE, I am the co‑owner of The Parrot Lodge, a parrot boarding business that has been thriving for over 10 years. Great Western Exotics has been absolutely instrumental in supporting our business providing advice, disease testing, pre‑boarding health screening, and ongoing veterinary care for both our own birds and those entrusted to us by clients.
Over the last decade, we have referred a significant volume of business to GWE, and many of our clients have chosen to register their own parrots with the practice for their continuing healthcare needs. Furthermore, a colleague who has since established a parrot boarding business in Salisbury, similarly refers a high percentage of her clients to GWE for disease testing and ongoing health checks, and has also registered her own parrots with the practice. The reach and influence of GWE therefore extends far beyond Swindon alone.
While the practice is approximately one hour away from my home, like all responsible caregivers of exotic species, I have always accepted that specialist care requires travel. What is not acceptable is the removal of that care altogether. The proposed closure of GWE Swindon leaves caregivers with extremely limited options for specialist veterinary care within a viable and commutable distance, particularly when emergency situations are taken into account.
For parrots and other exotic species, time and distance can mean the difference between life and death. The loss of this practice places animals at direct risk and caregivers in an impossible position.
Equally troubling is the lack of transparent communication surrounding the intent to close the practice. This absence of consultation or clear dialogue is neither professional nor ethical. It conveys a distressing lack of empathy, care, and compassion, and projects the image that profit has been prioritised over animal welfare, professional integrity, and long‑standing client relationships.
I ask quite plainly: what are caregivers supposed to do?
I write not only as a caregiver to three parrots, but as someone deeply embedded in the avian community. The strength of feeling I express here is echoed unanimously by clients, colleagues, and acquaintances within that community. It is also echoed by those within the veterinary profession itself—veterinary surgeons, nurses, and administrative staff—many of whom entered this profession out of genuine care and commitment to animal welfare. Crucially, many veterinary practices rely on being able to refer clients to Great Western Exotics when they do not have the necessary specialist knowledge or facilities in‑house. The loss of GWE therefore impacts not only clients directly, but also undermines the wider veterinary referral network that exists to ensure exotic species receive appropriate, specialist care.
The behaviour surrounding this proposed closure is perceived as contemptuous, and the impact on the exotic‑keeping community is widespread and profoundly negative. I strongly urge you to reconsider the decision to close Great Western Exotics in Swindon, or at the very least to engage openly and honestly with the community that depends on it. This practice is not merely a business unit; it is a critical lifeline for animals and the people responsible for their care.
I look forward to your response and to an explanation that reflects the seriousness of this matter.
Yours faithfully
Virginia Trott
Co‑Owner, The Parrot Lodge
Urgent: Save Great Western Exotics – Thousands of Animals at Risk Amid Silence from IVC
