This week I emerged from the strangeness of self-isolation to the slightly less strange world of a new job under social distancing conditions.

Having worked in the same practice for a many years it is slightly discombobulating to be doing the job you know so well but in completely different surroundings and a with a totally different computer system. I keep finding myself turning around to get something out of a cupboard on auto-pilot only to discover that cupboard does not exist – luckily my new colleagues are incredibly kind when I ask them for the umpteenth time where something is.

One advantage of the loosening of Royal College guidance on what patients we can see is that we are now able to vaccinate puppies and kittens again (as yet we are still not carrying out annual boosters). Thus, my first three days were punctuated with opportunities to cuddle a series of very sweet puppies (as well as health check and vaccinate them, of course!).

Taking your puppy for vaccination at the vets might seem a bit daunting right now as you cannot actually come into the building with them, the vet will take the history from you in the car park and then take them through to the clinic. I promise you that once in the building those puppies are thoroughly fussed over by both vets and vet nurses (and any receptionist that is not busy with phone calls). In fact, the ones that I have seen this week have been so busy enjoying a fuss that they have not even noticed their injections.

These are strange times but everyone I met this week both new colleagues and clients were delightful – sometimes a crisis does bring out the best in people.

*Alice Moore is a vet at Castle Veterinary Clinic, Dorchester and Weymouth. Tel 01305 267083.