Professor Noel Fitzpatrick is a world-class orthopaedic neuro veterinary surgeon, who is recognised as a global leader in his area of expertise. Known as the Supervet, his pioneering surgeries have given sick animals a better life.
The founder and managing director of Fitzpatrick Referrals was the first vet in the world to apply an amputation prosthesis for a badly injured cat. Two-year-old Oscar suffered a horrific accident in 2009, when both his hind paws were severed by a combine harvester.
His owners, Mike Nolan and Kate Allan, of Jersey, feared Oscar would have to be euthanised, but Fitzpatrick successfully carried out a groundbreaking operation to give the cat prosthetic feet. The complex procedure and aftercare cost around £30,000 – Fitzpatrick's own practice reportedly provided most of the funding.
In 2013, a book detailing his remarkable recovery, Oscar the Bionic Cat, was published. The innovative treatment involved fitting a "honeycomb" structure which enabled the cat's skin to bond with the implants. In July 2022, an ITV news team celebrated Oscar's 15th birthday with the family.
The treatment has since been considered for use with humans and Fitzpatrick has been recognised by Guinness World Records as being the first vet to successfully complete the prosthetics surgery on an animal.
Who is the Supervet?
Fitzpatrick's unique surgical skills have saved the lives of thousands of pets. Many cases have been documented on his television series, The Supervet, which is watched by two million viewers.
He has implanted prostheses into cats' and dogs' injured limbs and has even propagated new cells using stem cell samples, enabling him to replace damaged cartilage in joints to improve quality of life.
Patients have included Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's beagle, Guy, who broke two legs in an accident. Fitzpatrick successfully treated Guy and was later invited to the royal wedding in 2018.
He also treated Take That singer Mark Owen's Doberman pup, Arnold, who walked with a limp as a result of arthritis in his knee at an early age. In a pioneering surgery, the Supervet mixed Arnold's stem cells and blood plasma to reduce the impact of the condition.
In interviews, Fitzpatrick has said his interest in animal welfare resulted from his childhood in the village of Ballyfin, in County Laois, Ireland. Born in 1967, he was bullied at school and spent much time with his beloved sheepdog, Pirate, rather than the local kids.
He grew up on a farm and decided to become a vet at the age of ten, after two lambs died and he admitted to feeling "inadequate".
Noel Fitzpatrick vet innovations
After achieving his Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1990 at University College Dublin, he set up his first veterinary practice in Ireland. He completed scholarships at The University of Ghent and The University of Pennsylvania. He then attained the RCVS certificates in small animal orthopaedics and radiology.
Then, in 2005, he launched his current surgery, Fitzpatrick Referrals neurology specialists, in Guildford, Surrey. The practice has expanded over the years to include two animal hospitals. It employs more than 170 veterinary professionals and includes rehabilitation facilities - the Guildford practice specialises in soft tissue surgery and oncology, while the Eashing surgery specialises in orthopaedics and neurosurgery.
Today, he runs one of the most advanced small animal specialist practices in the world. He is also director of a number of biotechnology companies, which operate as spin-offs from Noel Fitzpatrick Referrals.
This has enabled him to create more than 20 new and innovative procedures, including implant systems and other techniques to save animals' limbs with prosthetics and correct various growth deformities.
He shot to fame in 2010, when the BBC commissioned their six-episode series, Bionic Vet. The science behind the groundbreaking work carried out at the Noel Fitzpatrick surgery grabbed viewer attention. This led to the ongoing documentary series, The Supervet, on Channel 4, which started in 2014.
Fitzpatrick has often spoken of how "compassion is at the core" of everything he does. He believes that love, science and hope can build on the bond that people have with animals. He is inspired to progress his innovative surgeries to bring new hope to his animal and human clients.
He understands how animals are family members, who will always give humans their unconditional love. Sadly, today's fast-paced world is becoming increasingly divorced from the important things, such as love, compassion and hope, but Fitzpatrick says these qualities are "needed more than ever".
Noel Fitzpatrick: How Animals Saved My Life
In 2021, Fitzpatrick published his second book, How Animals Saved My Life, following on from the success of his first memoir, Listening to the Animals, in 2019.
He writes about the animals who have changed his life for the better and explores what makes people connect with them so deeply. He invites readers to meet Peanut, the first cat in the word with two front bionic legs. He also introduces Brody, the unique dog with a metal endoskeleton. He also writes about his own much-loved companions: Keira the Border terrier and Ricochet, the Maine Coon cat.
Sadly, Keira died in September 2021, aged nearly 14. In 2020, she had been knocked down by a passing car when setting off for a walk. The heartbroken vet operated on his elderly dog and successfully battled to save her life.
Following her death, Fitzpatrick wrote on social media that he had lost his "best friend in the whole wide world", adding how his heart was "truly broken" after almost 14 years of "unconditional love".
Humanimal Trust
Fitzpatrick also founded the Humanimal Trust, a collaboration between doctors, veterinary surgeons and medical researchers, in 2014. The aim of the organisation is to ensure humans and animals can receive equal medical care in a sustainable way.
Saddened by the great divide between medical treatments for humans and animals, he wanted to share the surgical advances at his practice. He hopes to inspire people to realise that animals can benefit greatly from human treatments too.
His "One Medicine" philosophy is based on the concept that vets, doctors and researchers can collaborate, but not at the expense of an animal’s life.
He has given more than 600 lectures in the UK and all over the world for more than ten years, including being the keynote speaker at conferences relating to both human and animal health.
He has been called "an inspiration for veterinarians" - something he has attributed to the love of an animal. He explained how "Keira made him the best he could be", adding, "The love of animal can be a powerful force."
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