Congratulations to Sharon Butler RVN, celebrating 50 years of Veterinary Nursing

Formby Bubble
Sep 26, 2025
2 min read

Village vets Crosby/Formby wish to congratulate

Sharon Butler RVN – who is Celebrating 50 Years of Veterinary Nursing

In today’s world, it’s rare to see someone stay in one career for more than a few years. But Sharon Butler has done something extraordinary—she has dedicated 50 years of her life to veterinary nursing. For Sharon, this has never been “just a job.” She’s been part of the heartbeat of veterinary care for half a century.

Sharon began her nurse training (then called RANA) at just 17 years old. In those days, learning looked very different—most of it was done in practice, often on daily house calls with the vet. Bolton College and two Lancashire practices provided her formal teaching, but Sharon says she learned most while riding along on visits.

As a student she was entrusted with tasks that today would be unthinkable for someone in training. With few specialists around, vets and nurses did it all: orthopaedic surgeries, jaw repairs after road accidents (before pets were mostly kept safely indoors), anal gland removals, ear surgeries—you name it. X-rays weren’t digital but developed in a cold dark shed, trays of chemicals in hand. She laughs remembering the uniform: green dress, elasticated belt, white apron. “So impractical—I went through so many pairs of tights!”

Over the decades, Sharon has seen practice transform with computerisation, advanced imaging, and digital X-rays. Yet one thing never changed: the true heart of nursing.

“It still involves caring for animals, restraining pets for vets, supporting clients,” she reflects. “I’ve loved my job and the people I’ve worked with. I couldn’t imagine not being a nurse—I’d be ridiculous at anything else!”

At Village Vets, Sharon is more than a nurse. She’s the calm in a storm, the one colleagues instinctively turn to. “On the toughest days you’ll always hear, ‘We need Sharon!’”

Her teammates agree:

• “She was everything I aspired to be.”

• “Unflappable through crisis or tantrum.”

• “No cat escapes her burrito wrap!”

• “She should wear a cape—superhero and legend.”

Beyond the clinic, Sharon is an active grandmother, agility trainer, and performer with her dogs across the UK.