Noel Fitzpatrick has become widely known by his alias The Supervet thanks to his Channel 4 show. His reputation as one of the finest vets on the planet has been showcased by 16 series of pet-saving work, undertaking cutting-edge treatments and curing animals that may otherwise be beyond saving, with series 17 getting under way this evening.
Fitzpatrick has established himself as a veterinary pioneer in the UK. However, his passion for saving animals all stemmed in Ireland, where the now 54-year-old was born and raised.
Having studied veterinary medicine at University College Dublin, Fitzpatrick never looked back as he crossed the Irish sea to further forge his career. Now, he runs a multi-million pound specialist facility, Fitzpatrick Referrals, which is one of the largest veterinary referral centres in the UK.
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Noel Fitzpatrick’s Irish roots
Noel Fitzpatrick is originally from County Laois, where he first began his life-long love affair with the animal world. He was born in the small village of Ballyfin, which he described as “the middle of nowhere” to the Irish Examiner.
He learned under Dunmanway-based vet David Smith, who he worked with for two years early in his budding career. His first orthopaedic operation was undertaken on a kitchen table in West Cork, where he was brought a dog who had been kicked by a cow.
Eventually, Fitzpatrick attended University College Dublin, graduating in 1990. From there, Noel crossed the Atlantic to undertake working scholarships in the US.
He went on to complete the RCVS certificates in small animal orthopaedics and radiology. The early years of his career were spent in Ireland, where his work was focused on horses, cows and sheep, taking his first job at a practice in Mountrath before heading to Paul Rigney’s practice in Birr.
Despite growing up on a farm, his focus soon honed in on smaller animals, with most of his treatments today being for dogs. He moved to the UK almost 30 years ago in 1993.
How did Noel Fitzpatrick become The Supervet?
Fitzpatrick continued to gain skills to set him apart from most other vets. He attained boarded specialist status by examination in both the US and the UK.
By 2005, Fitzpatrick truly began making a name for himself with the opening of Fitzpatrick Referrals in Surrey. Now world-renowned for its ground-breaking work, the centre describes itself as "the UK’s pre-eminent and largest dedicated small animal orthopaedic and neuro-surgical facility".
Noel is the clinical chair and chief surgeon at the practice, which includes operations in Eashing and Guildford. The work undertaken here has led to Noel to be recognised as a leader in his field, with more than 30 new techniques developed, including several world-firsts.
His work on TV actually started out in the world of acting, as he previously appeared in popular dramas The Bill, London's Burning and Heartbeat. Noel’s first venture into documenting his veterinary work came in 2010 when the BBC commissioned the six-episode Bionic Vet.
The Supervet series, which began in 2014, follows Noel and his 250-strong team at Fitzpatrick Referrals in some of the most extraordinary cases of animal-saving treatment. This evening’s episode, at 8pm on Channel 4, will see Fitzpatrick tasked with curing a police dog with crushed sciatic nerves, a feisty kitten with a tibia injury and a shepherd doodle who needs new hips.
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