Cambourne, Ramsey and St Neots will be closed on Saturdays until further notice. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Cromwell Vets in the Community

Cromwell Vets is regularly part of community events including Sawtry Carnival, Huntingdon Carnival, Yaxley Festival, Cambourne Fete and events at Hinchingbrooke Park (near Huntingdon). We even organised our own Riverside Gala to celebrate our 100th anniversary back in 2011. Charity fundraising has become a major part of the life of the Cromwell Vets.  Hopefully ideas will flow and not only will we continue to provide fun days out for the local community, but many charities will benefit in the years to come.


More charities supported by Cromwell Vets

Here at Cromwell Vets we are passionate about animals and the staff wanted to do more for animals all over the world. Raising money for charities has become a major part of the Cromwell calendar. The team’s passion in caring for pets is still as strong as ever and the support they give for local and nationwide charities are second to none. Every few years, the staff chose a new charity and all money raised is donated to these great causes.


StreetVet (2018 -)

Established in 2016, this new charity provide veterinary care to the pets of the homeless in 5 UK cities (London, Brighton, Bristol, Plymouth and Cambridge). Some of our own vets and nurses volunteer for the charity and there’s a chance to meet them at our events. Visit www.streetvet.co.uk to find out more or follow them on Facebook.


The Cinnamon Trust (2016-2018)

Cinnamon Trust is the only specialist national charity which seeks to relieve the anxieties, problems, and sometimes injustices, faced by elderly and terminally ill people and their pets, thereby saving a great deal of human sadness and animal suffering. The Trust was founded in 1985 by Mrs Averil Jarvis whose determination and dedication has ensured that the manifest need is fully addressed. All the money raised from our fun dog shows and activities at the community events was donated to the Cinnamon Trust and in April 2018 we presented them with a cheque for £1900. Find out more about the charity at www.cinnamon.org.uk


Medical Detection Dogs (2013-2015)

The chosen charity at the moment is Medical Detection Dogs. It works in partnership with researchers, NHS Trusts and Universities aiming to train specialist dogs to detect the odour of human disease. The charity has two arms Cancer Detection Dogs and Medical Alert Assistance Dogs. To find out more about the work of the charity visit www.medicaldetectiondogs.org.uk


Hounds for Heroes (2010-2012)

Hounds for Heroes, another well deserving charity, was enthusiastically supported by our Staff and clients alike, so much so that we helped raise the awareness of this new charity. Hounds for Heroes provide specially trained assistance dogs to injured and disabled men and women of both the UK Armed Forces and Emergency Services. Through this provision they aim to provide help and practical support leading to an enhanced quality of life. Cromwell Vets raised over £6000 through various events from organised group dog walks, fun dog shows, sponsored bike rides, to bunny hops through the town centre of Huntingdon. The money raised will pay for the upbringing and training of a puppy aptly named “Cromwell”, who is lined up for the next squadron of recruits to the programme. To find out more about the work of the charity visit www.houndsforheroes.com


Animals Asia (2008-2009 & continual upkeep)

We have raised £5,500 during 2008/9 for Animal Asia; much of this was raised from sales of a “cheeky” calendar of our Veterinary Nurses, bought by you, our clients.  The charity rescues majestic moon bears from bile farms in China and Vietnam where they suffer horrific cruelty and pain living in tiny metal cages where they can barely move.  The money we raised paid for the entire rescue, veterinary treatment and rehabilitation of one young male bear, now named “Cromwell”. We still donate around £500 per year to Animals Asia to pay for “Cromwell”s upkeep.

A bear named “Cromwell”

On the 18th January 2010 “Cromwell”, a male Asiatic black bear (or moon bear) aged between 2 and 5 years old, was rescued by the Animals Asia Foundation. Along with   18 other moon bears, he was saved from a lifetime of misery and pain on an illegal bile farm in the southern province of Binh Duong (near Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam. This was the first time Animals Asia had managed to close down an entire bear bile farm in Vietnam!

The bears were being kept in 40ft cargo containers (6 or 7 bears per container) and were being regularly “milked” for their bile. Inhumane methods were used to extract the bile from the bears’ gall bladders, which caused the bears great pain and suffering.

The first stage of their rescue was the 3 day journey to the Moon Bear Rescue Centre at Tam Dao, near Hanoi. Over the next few days each bear was anaesthetised and removed from their cargo container cells for an initial health check. It took about an hour for the veterinary team to see each bear. During this time the bears were assessed for injuries and signs of damage caused by the bile extraction process. This allowed the team to prioritise the bears for the more complex surgery later on.

 During “Cromwell”s assessment the team were initially concerned about his bloated stomach but fortunately it turned out to be a whole lot of gas! Aside from that, he was in relatively good condition, given his recent history of being incarcerated, milked for his bile and fed on little and un-nutritious food.

Some of the other bears weren’t as lucky as “Cromwell”. Two bears were missing limbs, another was nearly blind and sadly one of “Cromwell”s friends had to be euthanized. The bile extraction process had caused such irreparable damage to “Raspberry”s abdomen and organs that this was all the veterinary team could do for him.

“Cromwell” and the other 17 remaining bears were then placed in comfortable quarantine pens for 45 days. While in quarantine “Cromwell” showed himself to be a very playful but naughty boy. His favourite past-time was pulling his water bowl into the cage, and then playing “keep-away” with the bear workers.

In April 2010, “Cromwell” was moved a more spacious den in River House. By mid-August he was introduced to another bear named “Easy”.  In September 2010, it was time for another move. The two bears made the transition well to a larger enclosure and gained a new team-mate, “Zebedee”. Gradually “Cromwell” and his friends have been integrated into the House 2 group of bears. He now spends his time in the fresh air, playing on the grass with his fellow bears in a roomy enclosure – complete with rock pools, trees, climbing frames, hammocks, swings, toys and mazes!

To find out more about the work of the charity visit www.animalsasia.org


We would like to express our thanks, none of this could be achieved without the goodwill and generosity of our own members of staff, all in the aid of charity. We also would like to say a huge thank you to the Representatives from various drug companies who have supported us throughout. Without them, and you, we would not be able to give back so much to the local community and the deserving charities. Look out for future events on our Facebook feed!