Listening to the Animals: Becoming The Supervet

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But before I get on to the actual book, I have to say that I find the author's work, dedication, compassion and obvious intelligence truly inspirational and I love the 'Supervet' TV series which is completely unique and compelling. The way that Noel is so absorbed in his work, and the way he seemed to find a little difficulty socialising whilst in his youth, made me wonder if he is one of those lovely fascinating people on the autism spectrum. He paused for a brief moment, raised his head from the drills, looked back at me and said one single immortal line which has stayed with me forever since. I am currently just starting my journey to becoming a Vet and this book was both extremely motivating and inspiring for me, especially since I can very clearly relate to Noel’s school experiences and his relationship with animals such as Pirate and the Robin during his childhood. He recounts the animals and people he has met along the way and the impact they have had on his life, and the difficult decisions that often have to be made and the ethics behind it.

Listening to the Animals: Becoming the Supervet - Goodreads

He had such a bad start in education, being taught to be a good Catholic and little else at primary school and then being horrendously bullied at secondary school. Professor Noel Fitzpatrick is a world-renowned neuro-orthopaedic veterinary surgeon, the founder of Fitzpatrick Referrals in Surrey, and the star of the hit Channel 4 television show The Supervet, now in its twelfth series. I have always had a particular interest in One Medicine as I take an interest in both human medicine and animal medicine, as well as a lot of ethical issues such as using animals in experiments or growing them to harvest their organs and so on, so Noel’s literature defining and describing what he envisions One Medicine to be in the near future was really interesting to read.

In this long-awaited memoir, Noel recounts this often-surprising journey that sees him leaving behind a farm animal practice in rural Ireland to set up Fitzpatrick Referrals in Surrey, one of the most advanced small animal specialist centres in the world. I remember on such evening quite vividly when, after an interminably long time as I wished for night to descend, I finally looked up and wailed, "Daddy, my hands are full of thorns!

Listening to the Animals: Becoming The Supervet by Noel

This is a great read and will also have you wanting to hear more about Noel's own struggles and breakthroughs in life! On numerous occasions he has performed groundbreaking operations that have moved the frontiers of what is considered possible in animal surgery. Growing up on an Irish farm was clearly tough and taught Noel some valuable lessons about hard work, although I think that most people will agree that the hours that he puts in are not healthy. It is always interesting to read a book like this, about someone who has had a lifelong passion for what they do.

and I actually found this quite depressing to read, as the emphasis was almost completely on the hardships and negatives that he encountered, and although he does in passing mention some happy times, it is almost as though he is embarrassed to have had any pleasurable experiences. I know of Noel’s skill but have only seen glimpses of his tv programs as I hate to see animals suffer. It was this bond with Pirate, and a fateful night spent desperately trying to save a newborn lamb, that inspired Noel to enter the world of veterinary science - and set him on the path to becoming The Supervet. His book doesn't disappoint, and is extremely inspiring - he has led an interesting life, has had his ups and downs, experienced bullying at school, sadly puts himself down even now (why, Noel, why? Every now and then I would accidentally pull up a baby turnip in my haste to pluck out the weeds, completely faili