Vet Noir

Book excerpt: In the memoir Vet Noir, a seasoned veterinarian humorously recounts stories of animals she treated and the people who loved them. Robin Truelove Stronk owned her own veterinary practice in Vermont with her husband for twenty-four years where she often dealt with clients who expected too much, listened too little, arrived too late, and sometimes just fainted. With an entertaining style, Dr. Stronk shares not only her own professional challenges, but also the unique expectations of the animals' owners. From a New England dairy farmer who expected her to strip to the waist to assist his cow with a difficult birth, to the distraught owner who held her guinea pig up to the telephone so the veterinarian could hear the noise her pet was making, Dr. Stronk's anecdotes illuminate the delightful, sometimes tortuous, and very often amusing relationships between a pet, its owner, and the veterinarian. Vet Noir provides a light-hearted glimpse into the world of veterinary medicine where animals are unconditionally loved and the people are kind beyond measure, dedicated, and splendidly appreciative mostly when they are not being quirky, infuriating, and more often than not, unknowingly comical.