Meet The Team

We take pride in our dedicated and knowledgeable team. Each individual plays a vital role in providing excellent care for your pets and farm animals.

Get to know the friendly faces who are here to support you and your animals every step of the way.

Donald Armour
BVMS MRCVS
Vet & Partner

Donald graduated from Glasgow Vet School in 1987. Once qualified, Donald spent a year working in the South Lake District, before returning to Campbeltown. Donald became a partner in the business in 1993. Whilst at university, Donald was awarded the Ben Brazil Prize for the final year student with best practical ability. He has also completed a diploma in Dutch cattle foot trimming.

Donald is married, with two grown-up sons and when he isn't busy working at home on the family farm, he enjoys a round of golf at one of Kintyre's well known courses.

Ruth Smith
BVM&S MRCVS
Vet & Partner

Ruth joined Westwards as a new graduate from the Royal Dick Edinburgh University in 1991 and has been with us ever since. She has always maintained a versatile base of skills, but particularly enjoys surgical work, with an interest in fracture repairs – as well as a successful lambing or calving!

At home she has two cats, Luna and Shadow, and spends a lot of time helping out on the family dairy farm. She also enjoys reading and the occasional theatre trip when the opportunity arises.

Donald

Ruth

Dominic Sharkey

BVMS MRCVS

Vet & Partner

Dominic first joined the practice in 2014 as a new graduate, and spent five years as part of the team before some time away in various other roles across Scotland, including inspecting and certifying seafood exports for Food Standards Scotland, and a stint as a Senior Veterinary Inspector with the Animal & Plant Health Agency. He then decided life was more enjoyable in Kintyre and rejoined us in 2022!

At home Dominic is married with two young daughters and an adopted cat named Zebedee - when he can find some time away from helping his wife with them, he will usually spend most of his spare time training for his next running event.

Marije Terpstra
MRCVS
Vet

Marije studied at the Universiteit Utrecht Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in the Netherlands and initially joined the team as maternity cover as a new graduate – and has never left! Other experience includes a research project on horse oestrus suppression in New Zealand, time in a dressage stable and a job at her father’s shop selling, and sampling, chocolates.

She has a menagerie of animals, including Mini and Islay the horses, Thistle the ex-feral, childproof housecat and a farm collection consisting of beef cows, sheep, a border collie and a farm cat! When time allows she enjoys horse riding, reading, hiking and gardening, although more often she’s chasing after her two young daughters.

Dominic

Marije

Jordan Gillespie
BVMS MRCVS
Vet

Jo is originally from Glasgow but met her husband at university while doing work experience in Campbeltown, so always hoped to return here. She got her wish in 2020, after first spending two years in mixed practice in Lockerbie. She loves the variety of mixed practice and the ability to get out and about when the sun is shining.

At home she has five border collies and about 250 sheep to keep her busy – when she’s not chasing after her two young children, she’s chasing sheep! She likes spending her spare time taking the dogs and family to the beach.

Janice McKendrick
Client Care Team

Janice worked on the counters at the Post Office before joining Westwards, initially full time but after many years of service now on a part time basis. She’s always enjoyed meeting our clients and their animals. At home she has a Westie called Beatrice, and she enjoys spending her time out on walks and helping her husband out on the family farm.

Jordan

Heather McCue
Client Care Team

Heather grew up on a sheep farm in Kintyre and returned to the area to join the team after studying veterinary nursing in Dumfries and working in a practice in Lincolnshire. She particularly enjoys assisting in operations and chatting to farmers about the weather. At home she has three cats, a border collie, a guinea pig and two teenagers. She spends her spare time helping out on her parent’s farm, walking her dog and getting stuck into some DIY.

Peter Sanders
Client Care Team

Peter joined the team in 2023, attracted to the role after always enjoying the company of animals and deciding working with them could be just as fun. He enjoys meeting and greeting new clients and their pets with a big hello. At home he has two border collies, a cat and a collection of children – all as feral as each other. In his spare time he enjoys walking with his dogs and drawing.