Each vet has an origin story; the second they realized that caring for animals was their ardour, and that a technique or one other, they might dedicate their lives to that trigger. For Dr Kevin Fitzgerald, it was the love and lack of his pet turtle, Sam, that planted the seed of a profession spent within the service of animals. Little did he know, on the tender age of 5, simply how fascinating and convoluted that profession could be!
In his new and extremely entertaining memoir, aptly titled “It All Started With A Turtle,” Dr Kevin takes us on a journey in 5 acts, beginning together with his early childhood as an Irish Catholic in Colorado, to his present position as a seasoned veterinarian with 43 years below his belt, broadly travelled analysis affiliate, veterinary advisor to the Smithsonian Establishment, slapstick comedian, and devoted conservationist. He’s a person of many abilities who appears to have lived a number of totally different lives – a lot of them concurrently.
We sat down to speak about his e book, his life, and his hopes for the long run.
The Many Careers of Dr Kevin Fitzgerald
Having missed out on veterinary faculty the primary time round, Kevin started working as a bouncer for a corporation that served a lot of well-known bands, together with The Who and the Rolling Stones. After spending nearly a decade seeing the world from the backstage of such unimaginable artists, it was Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones who lastly inspired Kevin to return to highschool and develop into a vet – one thing not too many individuals may say!
His work as a veterinarian on the busy VCA Alameda East Veterinary Hospital in Denver has led to a lot of totally different positions, together with roles on the Board of Administrators of the Rocky Mountain Poison Middle Basis, the Denver Space Veterinary Medical Society, and the Board of Administrators of the Denver Zoo. He famously featured in 11 seasons of Animal Planet’s well-liked Emergency Vets and ER Interns, lectures veterinary college students at The College of Denver, has carried out greater than a dozen conservation expeditions throughout the globe, and writes columns for a lot of magazines. In his spare time, he performs stand-up comedy, the place he has opened for comedians like Jeff Foxworthy and George Lopez, and he one way or the other discovered time to write down a 480-page e book!
It might be straightforward to really feel intimidated by such a resume, however Kevin’s heat and laid-back method put you comfy from the second you meet him.
Quite than taking full credit score for the instructions his unimaginable life and profession have taken, Kevin says he thinks of himself as a bit like Forrest Gump; “A lot of things fell into place because I was in the right place at the right time.”
Fixing the World’s Issues
We discovered ourselves agreeing on just about every thing, together with politics, training, conservation, and the course through which veterinary medication is heading. We now have each seen the specialization and corporatization of veterinary observe over the previous decade, and neither of us is satisfied that it’s a change for the higher. He finds that newer vets are much less prepared to step exterior their consolation zone or assume exterior the field, with practicality and customary sense being changed with certificates and protocols. Growing requirements in veterinary care comes with many advantages, however they aren’t with out their drawbacks, notably relating to therapy prices.
The tales he tells are of a veterinary career that’s fascinating and enjoyable and heartbreaking and unbelievable and irritating and hilarious. His enthusiasm is infectious, and the way in which he tells a narrative feels similar to his writing type, each entertaining and endearing. You end up caring about what he cares about, and given his ardour for conservation, that is definitely factor.
The Fifth Act
The primary 4 ‘Acts’ of his e book really feel like a lighthearted warm-up to the topic that dominates Kevin’s focus as of late. Though he concedes that the chapters about conservation are maybe not fairly as entertaining because the amusing anecdotes that precede them, he feels they’re an important, and he’s proper.
What struck me most about Kevin was his optimism. We loved fun over the worrying state of the world at the moment, recalling the cellphone name he acquired lately from his buddy in Eire – “Are Americans okay? How do you manage to p*** off Canada?!” and mirrored on his issues concerning the declining training ranges in his nation. Regardless of this, he nonetheless has hope for the long run. Confronted with falling biodiversity and ecosystem well being, he insists that we can’t despair, and that we nonetheless have time to vary issues.
If you happen to’re searching for a e book that’s humorous, fascinating, and subtly instructional, It All Began With A Turtle is well worth the learn. Purchase it for the amusing anecdotes, share it for its message about defending our planet.
“When species become extinct, the world becomes a less interesting place.”Dr Kevin Fitzgerald, 2025.
