Listening to the Animals: Becoming The Supervet

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Research has shown that dogs and cats can feel happy or sad, excited or disappointed, depressed or elated, and that these feelings may be similar to ours, even if they cannot express them in the same way that we do.” Read with my daughter who is a fan of Supervet and very much enjoyed the author’s previous book which I think was more conventionally biographical.

Listening to the Animals: Becoming The Supervet | Noel Listening to the Animals: Becoming The Supervet | Noel

When The Supervet began, Noel wanted to tell a story about love and hope, within the context of the medical revolution of incredible science. He wanted to highlight the important bond humans have with animals, how they really are integral members of our families and how much those families will do for them in return for the companionship and unconditional love they share. I had no great hopes for this book. Much as I like our local practitioners personally, vets generally hold as much appeal for me as they do to my dogs, together we avoid them as much as possible. I tend to disagree with some veterinary practices and I’ve been fortunate in that my dogs are exceptionally poorly bred which means they have no ‘class’ but are incredibly healthy with no genetic disposition towards illness or disability. He documents the struggles he's had in his life before becoming a vet and also during. He does this while discussing many of his cases in practice, his own family pets and his time living on a farm growing up. I know of Noel’s skill but have only seen glimpses of his tv programs as I hate to see animals suffer.But the book begins with a letter from the RCVS or the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons informing him that a complaint has been made about him by 4 other vets about his treatment of a tortoise called Hermes. They had deemed it an experiment, unprofessional cruel, unethical and unjustified. Noel had fitted prosthetic limbs to Hermes who subsequently died. This casts a shadow over the book as does the perfect storm of coronavirus. I expected to love this book more than I did. I definitely thought it was interesting and inspiring, but for some reason I did not end up quite loving it. However, I did like this book and I would recommend it if you are interested in animals and their stories, as well as the life of a vet, or if you need that final push to persevere with something. You could just watch the TV show if you are more interested in the veterinary side rather than his personal story. Some of the animal stories in here were on the TV show. For the dog, colour doesn't matter, reputation doesn't matter, wealth doesn't matter. Dogs see us all as equals. They live in the present and in a world of emotion. They know if you are true and trustworthy, and what they care about most if the love you have in your heart and the kindness you show them.”

How Animals Saved My Life: Being the Supervet - Goodreads How Animals Saved My Life: Being the Supervet - Goodreads

I really wanted to read and enjoy this book, having been given it as a Christmas present. However I found it rather disappointing, and strangely it read almost like three different books, each third (roughly) is written completely differently and each has its good and bad points. Growing up on the family farm in Ballyfin, Ireland, Noel's childhood was spent tending to the cattle and sheep, the hay and silage, the tractors and land, his beloved sheepdog Pirate providing solace from the bullies that plagued him at school. Thirdly, with the author’s frequent discussion of his One Medicine approach ( https://www.humanimaltrust.org.uk/who...) seeking to bridge the Veterinary Science/Human Medicine gap – which as he points out has taken an additional resonance with COVID. I love The Supervet programme and in this book his absolute passion for and commitment to his "One Medicine" concept really shines through. And his drive is just so impressive. I did enjoy discovering how he got his practice up and running and the hurdles he met along the way. Fortunately I was much more interested in Noel's scientific advances than his friends and lovers, and enjoyed his enthusiasm for his life's work and his compassion and warmth towards the animals he treats and their families. I found the technical detail of how he creates his innovative prostheses fascinating, and he also offers a compelling vision of a potential future where scientific and technological advances can come to replace the requirement for medical experiments on live animals.I found it a very dull read. I'm sorry Noel. It's like he just got away with writing it exactly as he thought it - not edited? I don't know how to explain, but it was boring. I don't believe in 'ownership' of a sentient life - I think we undertake volitional guardianship and that this bringing forth can be one of the most rewarding and reciprocally loving relationships that a human being can ever experience.” From what I have seen about Noel, he really is someone very special, his dedication is clearly evident, as is his genuine love of animals, and the fact that he loves hugs.

Listening to the Animals Quotes by Noel Fitzpatrick - Goodreads Listening to the Animals Quotes by Noel Fitzpatrick - Goodreads

In between I learned a lot about running a successful veterinary surgery and how Noel develops his techniques. I really sensed his love and compassion, not only for the animals but also their owners. Yes, this book is about the journey the author went on from a young boy on a farm to being the ‘Supervet’ and having a state-of-the-art veterinary practice and a TV show, but it is about much more than that. Battling the odds is a major theme throughout the book, whether it is bullying or trying to make progress in medicine and science, making impossible things possible. This is clearly a man who has always worked very hard for what he believed in and his drive has brought him success, but also loss. The autobiographical half of this book is powerfully written with decent portraits of the people and animals who meant much to the author. Where the book fails for me is the inclusion of far too much technical information as he struggles to improve his surgical skills and raise money for his own business.Money does not and never will concern me or in itself motivate me because we're doing the right thing for the animals and for those who love them.” I have so much respect of Noel. He has a wonderful work, and life, ethic - believing that you can achieve anything if you work hard enough for it. And he has shown that himself from the large amount of time and effort he’s put into his profession, advancing veterinary medicine to the benefit of thousands of animals. Growing up on the family farm in Ballyfin, Ireland, Noel’s childhood was spent tending to the cattle and sheep, the hay and silage, the tractors and land, his beloved sheepdog Pirate providing solace from the bullies that plagued him at school. 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.