This was the memoir of working as a vet in Knightsbridge in the early 1970s. Bruce Fogel came to London from Canada, when he got a role at the Regent's Park Zoo before he took on the job of vet at Pont Street just around the corner from Harrods.
We learn about the difficulties in moving from Canada to the UK, where although the language is the same the culture is very different. Fogel also discusses quite candidly how he evolved as a vet during this time - moving from a person healing animals regardless of the ethics of it, so a compassionate vet who understands the emotions associated with having a pet, especially in their later years.
At times this book was really gut-wrenching, especially when he had to put down a beloved pet and the grief he was confronted with. I may have hugged my elderly cat a little tighter as I read those bits. But it also shows how the veterinary industry has progressed over the past 40 years.
We learn about the difficulties in moving from Canada to the UK, where although the language is the same the culture is very different. Fogel also discusses quite candidly how he evolved as a vet during this time - moving from a person healing animals regardless of the ethics of it, so a compassionate vet who understands the emotions associated with having a pet, especially in their later years.
At times this book was really gut-wrenching, especially when he had to put down a beloved pet and the grief he was confronted with. I may have hugged my elderly cat a little tighter as I read those bits. But it also shows how the veterinary industry has progressed over the past 40 years.