Meet Pete and Rimante
Dr. Pete van Dongen, DVM, MRCVS, CertVR, CCRT
Pete van Dongen, a Veterinary Surgeon from The Netherlands, with over 30 years’ experience in small animal practice in the UK, as well as over 15 years of experience in complementary treatments, such as canine hydrotherapy and rehabilitation. He is one of only a dozen veterinary surgeons in the UK with the CCRT (Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist) qualification from the US based CRI (Canine Rehabilitation Institute). He is also a former dog agility competitor, judge and instructor, and a former British Team Vet for the dog agility World Championships (for 9 years, for 2 different organisations).
He has been Senior Director at a multi-branch veterinary practice in Kent, Lead Vet in Rehabilitation at the world-renowned Fitzpatrick Referrals, Orthopaedic and Neurology Hospital in Surrey, Lead Vet in a veterinary hospital practice in West Sussex and Clinical Director at a high-quality primary care vet practice in Surrey.
Pete has, over many years, done charity treks, all over the world, including trekking the arctic, desert and jungle, walking the Great Wall of China and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
In his spare time he enjoys adventures with his fiancee Rimante, travel, cooking, triathlons and hiking in the woods.
Dr. Rimante Butkute, DVM, MRCVS
Rimante Butkute, a Veterinary Surgeon from Lithuania, with many years of experience in small animal veterinary practice in both Lithuania and the UK. After qualifying as a veterinary surgeon, she subsequently started working in a busy small animal practice in Lithuania. She also did some wildlife work, whilst there. After a couple of years she decided to move to the UK. Initially she worked in multiple large multi-branch veterinary practices in Kent, but after a while she decided to move to the Surrey countryside. Rimante has done an Internship at the world-renowned Fitzpatrick Referrals, Oncology and Soft Tissue Surgery Hospital in Surrey, and has worked at a high-quality primary care vet practice in Surrey.
Over the last few years, she developed a strong interest in an integrated approach to veterinary medicine. Recently she pursued her dream of gaining some unique skills and knowledge in Western herbal medicine. Rimante approaches each patient as a whole, rather than as a patient with a specific disease, to make a plan accordingly. She is also a certified K-LASER technician.
Rimante shares her home not only with her fiance Pete, but also with a Parson Russell Terrier called Spike and a gorgeous ginger cat called Rocky. She loves travel photography, reading inspirational self-development books, wildlife and conservation.