Dr Jen Hipwell

Jen studied Veterinary Science at the University of Liverpool, Faculty of Veterinary Science. Alongside it she took a bachelor's in veterinary pathology at the Royal Veterinary College, and finished it with first class honours. She went on to study for a PhD in veterinary immunology and epidemiology, then into small animal practice. She describes those first puppy and kitten appointments as the start of a lifetime of veterinary care, and worth getting right. A good early experience shapes how an owner and dog feel about the practice for years afterwards.

After leaving practice she moved to a large pharmaceutical company, giving expert input on animal medicine, drug use and co-morbidity. She now leads veterinary services at Animal Friends Insurance. She has since taken the Chartered Insurance Institute's certificate in general insurance, and a postgraduate certificate in veterinary business management at Liverpool.

The insurance side gives her something a consulting room cannot. Claims data shows which risks turn into real cost, and how often, across far more first years than any single practice will see. It also shows her the processes and restrictions that sit behind a policy, which most owners never get to look at.

Her reason for writing is a straightforward one. Most of what a new owner finds online is too clinical, too commercial, or written for somebody who already knows the basics. What they actually need is clarity at the moment they need it, from a source they can trust.

Ask her about training and she will tell you about her rescue terrier. The two of them went through six rounds of puppy classes while Jen was still in practice. Other owners started asking whether she had been there the term before. The terrier was not badly behaved. She simply did what she wanted, and she would not sit unless somebody wafted a slice of ham past her face. They never passed. Jen's view is that somebody has to come last, and it set a low bar for everyone else to beat.

For HowPets she covers the puppy's first year: the vaccination course, the first vet visit, microchipping, and what the first night actually looks like. She is honest about that last one. A puppy that has just left its litter is likely to be unsettled and to cry, and the first few nights are broken ones. That is normal, and she would rather owners heard it in advance.