lifestyle & living
Joburg that, when they couldn’ t save a horse and had to put it down, the vets would later down a shot of Amarula together.
That’ s not necessarily a healthy coping strategy [ laughs ] but I like the‘ togetherness’ of it, and taking a moment to acknowledge what has happened.
Interests outside of work are vital and, for me, having a little collection of rescue animals reminds me that there are still good things in the world.
You mention quirky colleagues and cows with anger issues, but which animal in the book stole your heart the most?
I’ d probably have to say Smiley. He was a cross-breed dog with a spinal injury, and was just very special. His name really suited him because he had a great smile and was generous with them. He lived at the racehorse
training centre in Summerveld, and I guess you could say he had a lot of friends.
You have your own rescue crew, including a scruffy desert dog and a one-eared cat. How have they shaped your outlook as a vet?
They taught me that any animal can be someone’ s best friend. Rescues can be quite shut down at first, and lacking in confidence, but if you give them a chance, they just blossom. They learn to play, they figure out what they like and sometimes it surprises everyone. Our dog loves to play hide-and-seek. Our cat learnt to high-five. It’ s very rewarding.
If your pets could review
Unleashed, what do you think they’ d say?
I’ m pretty sure Ziggy, being a dog, would think everything I wrote was brilliant and hilarious. He’ d laugh and cry at all the right moments and buy 10 copies to give to all of his friends. Gorbi, our cat, would be far too busy to read it.
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