published paperback Pocket Books 2001.
I always enjoy a good vet-written book and have half a shelf of them ranging from all of the James Herriot volumes to a couple by Oz’s Dr Harry, and half a dozen by Hugh Lasgarn as well as others. And now this one, which I picked up recently, will be joining them. The writer started in a private country practise but then moved on to work for many years at the RSPCA’s Harmsworth hospital in London. The book is well-written, the animals’ (and owners’) stories are great, and it is a fascinating contrast to most of the other books by vets – which normally cover country practises – although I also have the series by David Taylor – a zoo vetwho travelled the world caring for ill or injured exotic animals.
It notes on the cover that the author is “TV’s favourite vet.” A little over-claimed I would have thought, in my opinion that title would have to go to James Herriot. But wondering why they said that, I googled the author’s name, and found that there is a continuing TV series in the Uk. This is Emergency Animal Rescue, a documentary series following the work of RSPCA officers across England and Wales as they tackle cases of animal cruelty. It’s based at Harmsworth Animal Hospital in London, and the series follows chief vet David Grant as he performs surgery on ill or injured pets and also follows the Special Operations Unit as they try to catch those guilty of harming animals. I couldn’t find much detail, but the series appears to be still running in the Uk, and from the listings it’s run for at least 6 seasons to date. This explains the books, no publisher would miss that opportunity, and in this case, certainly, they were right not to, Grant is a competent and amusing writer, and I’ll watch out for others of his books. Recommended.