‘Animals Deserve A Fair Deal'

Noel Fitzpatrick tells TV Times why his work is even more important at Christmas

- Elaine Reilly

Over 40 years ago, the slogan ‘A dog is for life, not just for Christmas’ was born.

And these wise words are just as important now as they were when the Dogs Trust launched their original ad campaign.

Fortunately, today we know more about caring for our fourlegged friends than ever before, and that is largely thanks to champions of animal welfare such as pioneering vet Noel Fitzpatrick.

This week, dogs take centre stage in a special festive episode of Noel’s popular C4 show The Supervet, as we follow three much-loved pooches who sadly haven’t had the best start in life.

There are rescue dogs Gabbana, an 11-year-old shih-tzu, and Bran, an 11-month-old German shepherd, plus Lexi, a 14-week-old French bulldog puppy, rushed in as an emergency after being attacked by another dog.

Can Noel, along with his dedicated staff at Fitzpatrick Referrals, get all of them back to their forever homes in time for Christmas?