Hi friends! Reef the fox here with this week’s “Reef’s Report.” I have a treat for you this week. I had a “fox-time” call with exotic animal veterinarian Dr. Doug Mader to discuss life, animals and his new book that came out in May, “The Vet At Noah’s Ark.”
Reef: If you could sit down with one person, alive or dead, who would it be and why?
Dr. Doug: The late James Herriot. He penned a series of four incredible books about being a veterinarian in England in the mid-1900s. His work/writing inspired me and thousands of individuals to become veterinarians.
Reef: Would you share a brief line from your book? I hear there’s a fox story in it.
Dr. Doug: CDFG officer Kelly Pinkett did not look the part. The young, attractive, green-eyed blonde resembled more a character from an action TV show than a real-life, gun-toting crime fighter. She had a natural beauty, wore no makeup, and her skin showed none of the typical signs of someone who worked outside in the Southern California sun. But the cargo pants, long- sleeved shirt replete with official patches on the shoulders, gun belt and Kevlar vest painted a different picture. She was struggling to hold on to a large dog carrier. The front bars were covered with a bloody towel. “I’ve got a badly hurt fox,” she announced. “I’m not sure if it can be saved.”
Reef: I’m curious to know, what is the most unusual case in your career as a vet?
Dr. Doug: I had to make a house call to help a 70-year-old woman that kept a 22-year-old Congo Fire Eel in her bathtub as a pet.
Reef: Woah now, I just had mom google that for me and that is a hard nope. Toxic slime? Yikes! I hear your favorite treats are Krispy Kreme donuts, what makes them so great?
Dr. Doug: I have an insatiable sweet tooth! Bad habit!
Reef: You know, doc, my mom says eating a well-balanced, species-specific diet is the key to health and happiness. I’m not sure about donuts but if you ever want to try duck hearts, I have a good supplier. If you could go back in time and do one thing differently, what would it be, if anything?
Dr. Doug: I love what I do. If I had to do it all over again, I would take the same career path. My incentive to start every day is knowing that I can make a difference in people’s lives by doing everything I can to promote and prolong the human-animal bond.
Reef: Why haven’t you been here to meet me yet? You know they call me “The Famous Fox” right?
Dr. Doug: You are more famous than the Key lime pie.
Reef: Are you sure you’re a veterinarian and not a lawyer? Because you avoided that question while giving me a complement in an attempt to distract me.
That’s all for this week. Mader’s book is available to purchase on Amazon. I made a slight adjustment to the cover of the book, I hope you like it. Until next time, Reef, over and out!
