Your local, independent, trusted vet - Castle Vets (Dorchester) Skip to content

About us

Your local independent and trusted vet

Our practice was founded by Rip Kirby in 1992 with the ethos of being a friendly and approachable place to bring your pet. We are still committed to this, whilst providing the best possible care and treatment for all your pets. The practice remains independently owned by the vets who work in it, the only one in the area now. Being independent ensures the practice employees are motivated only by making pets better, not by keeping shareholders happy.

We have highly trained and experienced staff who will work with you to keep your pet in the best of health. We offer a full range of veterinary services, preventative health care, consultations, in-house diagnostic testing, imaging, and surgery. We have also partnered with Virtual Veterinary Specialists to ensure almost every problem imaginable can be dealt with right here at Castle Vets. We also offer a monthly budgeting plan and provide our own out of hours care to all our registered patients.

Many clients have been with us years and we consider them old friends, but we are always happy to welcome new faces, paws, tails and whiskers! Please do not hesitate to contact us about any matter big or small.

Reviews

Meet just a few of our happy owners and their pets!

Very friendly. Great vets and nurses.
Lovely people friendly service
Can not put into words our thanks for saving kayaks (our Siberian husky) life, removed a 5kg tumour.Giles and team were fantastic all of you! Thanks
Known as the DoggieDocs to my jessbag of a dog, he actually walks in through the doors himself here!
Totally professional and compassionate vets made a very hard time easier with their support with our tess
We've had multiple pets here over 17 years. They've always been amazing with the animals, even through covid. The way they handle animals and also customers is amazing. Reception team are always on it and the veterinarians have always made the animals feel comfortable.
Great service with very experienced staff. Always greeted with a friendly smile.
Good cat friendly service. Able to go in with my cats. Would recommend on my experience so far.
I stopped to pick up a wounded hedgehog this morning from the road in Charminster and drove it strait to Castle Vets being the nearest and near where I work.Having never been there before and walking in with this little hedgehog in a bad state the lady I dealt with, Amanda, was so kind, friendly and empathetic.She immediately took him to a nurse to be looked at and took my details to keep me informed as to his condition which she did later that morning.I am so grateful and impressed.Thank you Amanda and Castle Vets team!
Good care of our animals
Kind friendly caring staffAffordable and flexible with appointments.Took our cat willow there and they kept her so calm you can really tell all the staff really care about the animals there treating and caring for.Would definitely recommend them to anyone in weymouth or dorchester looking to register their pet for a vet.
Thank you Castle Vets. My dog had a half-yearly checkup today. The vet has just called me with the results of a blood test for a potential issue identified in the routine assessment. I'm impressed at the scrutiny, turnaround in the labwork, and the follow-up.
Parker can certainly be a bit of a handful at times the staff are always brilliant with him no worries of leaving him there.Always so incredibly friendly and empathetic no matter how big or small a problem. I'm always confident in they're knowledge and wisdom.
Always has the pets' best interest at heart, rather than the profit driven experience I've had at other multi national owned vetinary surgeries. Good common sense approach, kind and caring.
Brilliant vets
Friendly and attentive staff! I know that they have my cat's best interest at heart as much as we do!
My 16 yr old cat became suddenly very ill, I rang Castle vets and I saw us the same day. They were incredibly caring and reassuring towards my pets needs. Reception staff are also amazing and very friendly. I will never take any of my pets any where else. Thank you Castle vets.
Really caring and honest vets. Feel really confident taking our animals there.
Anyone who looks after my kittens needs to be knighted
Wonderful! Fitted us in fast when I was concerned about my dog. The reception staff were friendly and welcoming and the vets were gentle, caring and knowledgeable. They also didn't charge a Kings ransom which was a pleasant change from my previous vets who were not independents.
Got an appointment fairly easily for my pet, but only annoyance is that you can't go in with your pet due to Covid! Could if owner went in instead of staff. Their excuse is not enough room to social distance. But they're very good with animals and explain everything. I'd be happy to wear gloves, etc to be able to stay with them
Every time we've had to use Castle everyone you come in contact with is helpful and friendly. Thank you
Special thanks to the vet and nurses for looking after Molly my beloved border collie in her final hours , being with her as she past on was so important , very caring and professional team .
Great Vets.
Truly caring fantastic vets, my wife and I can't thank and praise them enough, very highly recommended to any animal lover, well done all at Castle vets.