About us
North Paws Rehabilitation Referrals specialises in providing rehabilitation and pain management for your pet. With decades of combined experience amongst our practitioners and therapists, we are committed to providing the very best of care for a wide range of orthopaedic, neurological and musculoskeletal conditions.
Why choose North Paws Rehab Referrals?
In what can be very stressful and upsetting times, we are here to provide a professional and caring approach to ensure you and your pet get the maximum benefit from rehabilitation and we aim to make the experience as positive and enjoyable as possible.
Our Core Values
Our facilities
North Paws Rehabilitation Referrals is based in Rainton, just outside Ripon, which is easily accessible from the A1 and surrounding areas of Thirsk, Boroughbridge, Bedale, Northallerton, Richmond and Catterick.
We are open:
Tue-Fri: 9am -7pm & Sat: 9.30am -1.30pm
Hydrotherapy Pool:
We have a large 6.5m by 3.5m hydrotherapy pool, where dogs can swim in warm, clean water under controlled conditions. The buoyancy of the water helps reduce the impact on joints, while the resistance strengthens muscles and improves cardiovascular health.
Underwater Treadmill:
Our underwater treadmill consists of a treadmill enclosed in a tank filled with warm water. Unlike free swimming, the treadmill allows controlled weight-bearing exercise, making it particularly useful for dogs recovering from orthopedic surgeries, neurological conditions, or muscle atrophy. The water level can be adjusted to control buoyancy, allowing gradual progression in therapy sessions.
Treatment Room for Laser, Acupuncture & Physiotherapy:
We have a dedicated treatment room for canine rehabilitation and pain management. This is a calm, controlled environment where dogs can receive specialised therapies including laser therapy, acupuncture, and physiotherapy. These treatments help manage pain, improve mobility, and support recovery from injuries or medical conditions.
Meet the team
Our dedicated team include experienced Veterinary Nurses, Laser Practitioners, Physiotherapists and Hydrotherapists.
Aswell as being RCVS registered, we are also proud to be registered with NARCH, IAVRPT, and IAAT, ensuring we meet the highest standards, and only use ACPAT registered physiotherapists.
Natalie McAuley
RVN NCertAnCc RCH MIAVRPT
Natalie qualified as a Veterinary nurse in 2006 after training in an Orthopaedic Referral Hospital in Oxfordshire. This was followed by a period of time as a locum nurse experiencing different practice environments both referral and general practice, including an extended locum contract at Fitzpatrick Referrals.
Natalie then moved up to Yorkshire and worked between a local general practice and Torrington Orthopaedics in Brighouse, whilst completing a nursing certificate in anaesthesia and critical care.
She then moved to Kingsway Veterinary Hospital in Skipton to assist with the set up of a new Orthopaedic Referral service there, alongside the implementation of more advanced anaesthesia and pain relief techniques. She stayed on at this practice for a number of years as Head Nurse.
In 2017 Natalie started Anicare Laser Solutions, providing Class 4 K Laser therapy to a number of Veterinary practices and Rehabilitation Centres. Anicare still provides this service today, and Natalie now lectures on the implementation of Laser therapy in clinical setting in a number of Webinars .
Natalie completed Hydrotherapy Training at Greyfriars Veterinary Rehabilitation in Guildford before going on to open North Paws Rehabilitation Referrals, seeing the need for more specialised, Veterinary led Rehabilitation services.
North Paws now treats a large number of patients from across Yorkshire, with many clients travelling a long way to make use of their services.
Dr Jo Hallam
BVetMed MRCVS GPCert (WVA&CPM)
Jo graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2004 and after a couple of years in mixed practice became companion animal only, mostly working in the hospital environment.
She has always had a keen interest in pain management and rehabilitation and even considered switching to do a Physiotherapy degree while at university.
Jo did a foundation course in Acupuncture with the ABVA in 2009 and gained her certificate in Western Veterinary Acupuncture and Chronic Pain Management in 2014 with Longview CPD. She has also completed training in Western Veterinary Herbal Medicine and is studying for her Canine Rehabilitation certificate (CCRP), which includes training in physiotherapy as well as regenerative medicine (STEM cells, PRP) and knowledge of ultrasound, shock wave and laser therapy.
Jo is keen to offer an integrated approach to pain management, tailored to suit both the patient and owners needs and is proud to be part of team North Paws.
Jill Hall
MCSP, Grad Dip Phys, PG Dip Vet Phys, ACPAT Cat A
Jill is a Chartered Physiotherapist with a post graduate diploma in Veterinary Physiotherapy. This means she can treat both humans and animals. Jill holds the highest level of qualification for Physiotherapists within the veterinary industry.
Jill is registered with the HCPC and a member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. and their special interest group ACPAT. This means she adheres to a strict code of conduct , including the requirement to do regular professional development to keep up to date with advances in the profession.
Jill has been a Physiotherapist for over 30 years and brings a wealth of skill and experience from her NHS work to her Veterinary Physiotherapy work. Her special interest is the rehabilitation of patients with neurological issues.
Amy Robinson
RVN
Amy works full time in a Veterinary Hospital with Orthopaedic Referral. She came to help us out once on a Friday and never left ! Many of you will have met Amy at your Friday appointments. She is a fantastic member of our team and provides a huge amount of input to the Hydrotherapy patients with her nursing and orthopaedic experience.
Amy is also K Laser trained and can offer lots of advice to any worried clients whos pets are going through surgical procedures or struggling with a new diagnosis of osteoarthritis.
Amy is currently working towards her schedule 3 certification which will allow her to become more involved with veterinary surgical procedures .
Ciara Costa
RVN
Ciara has been a qualified Nurse for just over 15 years and during that time has worked in busy first opinion and Orthopaedic referral practices.
Ciara is passionate about the care and management of older dogs and has a specific interest in pain management.
She did her Laser training in 2018 and has worked alongside Natalie at both Anicare and North Paws ever since.
Ciara completed her Hydrotherapy training at Greyfriars Veterinary Rehabilitation in Guildford, who are internationally renowned Rehabilitation practitioners, and has helped to implement the high standards of Rehabilitation that we strive for at North Paws.
Claire Brown
RCH
Claire is an experienced Hydrotherapist with over 7 years in the rehabilitation sector.
She has worked in busy Hydrotherapy centres in the past and started with us here at North Paws in December 2024.
Claire really enjoys being part of our bigger team of vets and nurses, and we are very lucky to have found her !
She is very interested in more advanced Hydrotherapy techniques as well as Physiotherapy , and has completed an advanced Treadmill and Gait Analysis certification at Greyfriars in early 2025.
Claire has had many patients follow her from one job to another which is a testament to her skill and character!
Reanna Walker
Hydrotherapist
Reanna started working in Hydrotherapy centres in 2019, having experienced a rehabilitation environment as part of her work experience at secondary school.
Reanna is now an experienced Hydrotherapist having been working in the sector full time for over 5 years .
She has been with us at North Paws ever since we first opened in 2023, and completed additional practical training at Greyfriars Rehabilitation in Guildford in 2024.
She can get the best out of the dogs in their sessions and is particularly skilled at working some of our more able patients in some more complex pool swimming routines!
Reanna loves the process of watching patients recover from complex orthopaedic surgeries and helping to improve quality of life in our older patients.