Listening to the Animals: Becoming The Supervet

Product Information

At the time of writing the book, it appeared that Noel was single, I’ve always had a bit of a ‘thing’ for him, so if you’re reading this Noel and fancy meeting up then do get in touch! 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. 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. Some kind of cute parts, a good news story as far as where he came from and how he got there. As far as he never really thought himself too brilliant, but he's done brilliant things. He somehow just kept going and going and working and he came good. 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.

Listening to the Animals: Becoming The Supervet eBook Listening to the Animals: Becoming The Supervet eBook

I know of Noel’s skill but have only seen glimpses of his tv programs as I hate to see animals suffer.The book made me pretty anxious which is kind of how I feel when I watch Noel. I have said he would be difficult to work for and that hypothesis was confirmed somewhat. I just found myself not knowing what the purpose of the book was other than to make money and as someone who has seen most of the animal cases he talked about on the programme not even that was new. I wasn't aware he knew so many celebrities but I guess that makes sense when you're the best at something and the majority of people would struggle to afford your services. 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 did feel that he found talking about his early life in Ireland, and his romantic attachments, a little awkward. However the chapters on his patients, and the building of his dreamed for practice, were so interesting that I could not put the book down. 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.

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

As someone currently studying to be a veterinary nurse this book gives me motivation to keep going at my studies. The middle section covers vet school and his early days as a vet, and was for me the most enjoyable part of the book, with some amusing anecdotes to leaven the continuing negativity. 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. 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.I remember last winter, on Sunday evenings, watching The Supervet on the couch under a cozy blanket and crying my eyes out for the poor animals which were presented in the show. At the same time Noel made me understand that there is hope and good quality of life also for badly injured animals. I wish I knew of Noel when my dog needed surgery on his spine, things could have been different. Reading the book made me like him even more as a human being. His work is amazing and I like people who keep their heart open although they were not always treated kindly. 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. 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.

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

I enjoyed reading about some of his hobbies that he loved and learnt from, although all fell to the wayside as work took over his life. And we also heard about relationships, here he was very honest with us, I’m not sure that I really needed to know how old he was when he lost his virginity, but it was an interesting chapter. I have often wondered about who he is, the man behind the vet. What drives him to work more hours in the day than is healthy? There has never been any mention of relationships or even friends outside the vet practice, but surely there must be some life outside of it? And why does he hug pretty much everyone that he meets?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. Noels’ two pets are on the cover ‘a Maine coon cat called RIcochet whose expression clearly says ‘I’m the star around here.’ and Keira the dog who looks excited and happy. 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.”

Listening to the Animals: Becoming The Supervet, Fitzpatrick Listening to the Animals: Becoming The Supervet, Fitzpatrick

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.” What can I say, Noel has always been my hero, now he is even more so. 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. He still had a dream, from a very young age, to be a vet and despite all the hurdles he achieved his ambition. 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. Noel gives himself wholeheartedly in this book. We learn about his ambitious journey from taking care of sheep and cows to dogs and cats and the hard work behind. Noel continuously pushes the boundaries for innovative solutions in an evolving field, including custom implants and bionic limbs. 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.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. Noel is a born story teller where people are concerned but he failed to engage me on the finer points of his profession. There is no doubt, however, that he deserves more recognition for his innovative work on surgical implants for both animals and humans. At worst points the narrative was condescending and exuded privilege. The narrative of "if you work for it you will get it" was so pervasive I found myself despairing and shaking my head numerous times. Secondly, how the author draws on the qualities he sees in animals – particularly pet cats and dogs, including his own.