Dr Sarla Balse is an experienced companion animal veterinary surgeon and Practice Principal at the independent, employee-owned Pennard Vets in Kent. A graduate of the University of Edinburgh, she holds a GPCert(FelP). Sarla leads three award-winning sites within Pennard Vets, a practice recognised for excellence in client service, team development, and innovation. She also brings extensive experience as one of the early adopters of PetsApp, supporting client engagement and practice efficiency. In 2024, she was presented with the inaugural ‘Great Veterinary Workplace’ award by the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) at the General Assembly in Brussels, and in January 2025 she received the Society of Practising Veterinarians (SPVS) Team and Self-Development award at their annual congress.