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Dr Chris Brown’s knowledge of animals is as much instinctive as it is taught.
Growing up in the suburbs of Newcastle with his father as the local vet, it’s easy to see why Chris’s four legged brothers and sisters far outnumbered the human variety. The backyard played home and ‘hospital ward’ to everything from chickens to ducks, koalas, kangaroos, horses, cows and a donkey, as well as household pets such as dogs, cats and birds. Chris even had a pet penguin for six months. But despite this, he swore for his entire childhood that he’d never become a vet because ‘that’s what Dad does’. However, it was the sudden decline of his dog and best mate, Claude that changed his mind.
After graduating from Sydney University with First Class Honours, Chris accepted an offer to work in a clinic on Sydney’s north shore. It was during this time that Chris found time to travel to remote Aboriginal communities in the deserts of the Northern Territory to improve the health of animals, mainly dogs, that had never seen, let alone been treated by a vet.
Even with the extreme temperatures and basic conditions, Chris still regularly visits and conducts research in these areas, significantly improving the health of the animals as well as the local Aboriginal people that can contract diseases from the dogs.
Chris lives with Rusty, the failed farm dog who proves that belonging to a vet doesn't necessarily mean you're well behaved and his pet Cat "George", who despite being rescued from the Bondi surf and revived by Chris still has his cranky moments. There are also some other non-rent paying, temporary 'residents' including goats, lambs, pigs, kangaroos, penguins, parrots and a pelican; which may at least partly explain George’s moodiness. However, the one pet that isn’t on the wish list is a rabbit. Chris may be able to deal with all manner of animals, large and small, but it’s the humble bunny rabbit that brings him to his knees- he’s allergic to them!
Still to this day though, his biggest challenge comes from closer to home; working with his vet father Graeme. After arguing their way around Australia and the world on various veterinary missions, time will tell if it’s the Bondi Vet or the Bondi Veteran that eventually reigns supreme!