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.

Listening to the Animals: Becoming The Supervet by Noel

This one had chapters based on qualities (Internalisation, Nowness, Truth and Trust, Empathy, Genuineness, Rightness, Innovation, Tenacity, Youness, Compassion, Appreciation, Respect, Eternalisation) that read like they are from a self-help genre book, and to be honest some of the content matches. 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. As heart-warming and life-affirming as the TV show with which he made his name, Listening to the Animals is a story of love, hope and compassion, and about rejoicing in the bond between humans and animals that makes us the very best we can be.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. I also had no idea what went into building his practice, both in sweat and tears, but also money and debt. I told someone that I had read the book and the only thing that they said was ‘He must be so rich.’ I may have thought the same, but now I know better. He is not in the job for the money, it really is all about the animals. 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. 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. This was a book gifted to me and it took me a couple of years to decide to read it. I ended up going with the audio book, narrated by the author. I completely understand why my mother-in-law gave it to me. I love animals. I always have some around me. I wanted to be a vet when I was younger.

Listening to the Animals: Becoming The Supervet - Hachette UK Listening to the Animals: Becoming The Supervet - Hachette UK

This is brought to the fore when his own dog, Keira, is run over by a speeding delivery van towards the end of the book and he is suddenly on the other side of the examining table as a distraught pet owner. He could be facing the same choice of so many others: surgery or euthanasia? 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. 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. Reading about Noel’s upbringing on a rural Irish farm, there’s a vulnerability to his writing that makes him instantly endearing. It really feels like he’s writing from the heart and you can feel his passion and warmth. He writes honestly about his struggles with bullies and the isolation he felt, and growing up with the beloved farm dog Pirate, who was his only confidante. At times I was truely brought close to tears. 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.

Multibuys

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. 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. The book features several cases of previous patients of the four legged kind - some survive, some don’t – and that must be very hard. 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.