After graduating from the University of Glasgow in 1991, Clare completed an internship at the University of Pennsylvania, and then spent a year in general practice before taking up a BSAVA/Petsavers Residency in Neurology at the Royal Veterinary College. She became a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Neurology in 1996 and gained RCVS Specialist status in 1999. Since August 1997, she has operated a Neurology Referral service at the Stone Lion Veterinary Hospital. In February 2007 she was awarded a PhD from Utrecht University for her thesis on the painful inherited disorder Chiari-like malformation and syringomyelia (CM/SM). She has published widely and hopes to continue working on welfare issues following her recent appointment as a member of the Advisory Council on the Welfare Issues of Dog Breeding.