About Us
About Us
Built with heart, guided by experience
Phoenix Vets was founded by Steve and Cathy Leonard, Sarah Martin, and Keelin Hopkins — a team of experienced vets who share a common goal: to create a truly independent practice where veterinary care is personal, compassionate, and always focused on what’s best for pets and their people.
Our mission is simple — to provide exceptional veterinary care delivered with empathy, integrity, and expertise. We believe that being independent allows us to stay true to our values, taking the time to listen, explain, and tailor every aspect of care to each individual pet. At Phoenix Vets, our focus is on building lasting relationships and creating a practice where pets feel comfortable, owners feel supported, and our team feels proud of the work we do together.
Meet Our Team!
Meet the team behind Phoenix Vets: Steve and Cathy Leonard, Sarah Martin, and Keelin Hopkins.
Pre-register now for trusted, compassionate care from the team you already know.
Steve Leonard BVSc CertSAM MRCVS
Steve grew up in South Cheshire / North Shropshire. He attended St Anne’s primary school in Nantwich and then went to St Thomas More’s in Crewe. He qualified as a vet from Bristol University in 1996. In his final year of uni he was filmed by the BBC for the series ‘Vet School’. The BBC continued to film him in his first few years of life as a working vet for another series called ‘Vets in Practice’. All this TV work led to opportunities to present wildlife documentaries that took Steve all over the planet working with some of the most world’ most iconic animals.
Although Steve thoroughly enjoyed his work with wildlife his main passion was still working as a small animal vet. He gained his BSAVA Certificate in Small Animal Medicine in 2017 and is a RCVS recognised Advanced Practitioner in Internal Medicine. His other area of interest is dentistry.
Keelin Hopkins BA MA MVB MRCVS GPCERTSAS GPCERTSAM BSAVAPGCERTSAO MRCVS
After graduating from two degrees and a Masters in Dublin, Keelin finally fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming a vet in 2005. During her long and varied career she has completed three certificates in small animal surgery, medicine and ophthalmology. Outside of work Keelin spends the rest of her time minding her own pets, a large garden and two feral children. She lives with three cats, a small herd of sheep and a flock of chickens.
Sarah Martin BVetMed(Hons) CertAVP MRCVS
Sarah graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2010 and has worked in the Cheshire and Shropshire area ever since. She has completed her Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice (Surgery) and is preparing for her final synoptic exam. Sarah has a particular interest in soft tissue and orthopaedic surgery. She is delighted to be part of the founding team at Phoenix Vet Practice and looks forward to contributing to its vision of compassionate, independent veterinary care.
Outside of work, Sarah is married with two daughters and a much-loved cat called Mango. She loves to get creative in her spare time — often found designing and baking elaborate birthday and wedding cakes for family and friends
Cathy Leonard BVSc MRCVS
Cathy graduated from the University of Liverpool and began her veterinary career in mixed animal and equine practice, gaining a broad range of experience working with everything from farm animals to horses. She later chose to focus exclusively on small animal practice, where her passion lies in building strong relationships with clients and providing high-quality, compassionate care for pets.
Cathy has a particular interest in dermatology and enjoys helping patients with chronic or complex skin conditions. She is keen to further develop this area of expertise and plans to undertake a postgraduate certificate in veterinary dermatology.