Who are some of the famous veterinarians who have made a difference or continue to make a difference today? No matter how big or how small the contribution may be in size to serve the animal community as a rule. There are many veterinarians who are famous each in their own individual ways even if their name is not a household word. Now that has been said. It is time to highlight the famous veterinarians who stand out from amid the others.
The Best from the Rest!
If you had to think about whom some of the most famous veterinarians of all time were. Which names would immediately come to your mind on the average? Without a doubt one of the very first names that would be at the top of the list is that of James Alfred Wight better known by his pen name of James Herriot. This very famous Scottish veterinarian was not just a veterinarian and surgeon. He was also a published author in addition. He was born October 3, 1916 in Sunderland, Scotland to his parents who were James and Hannah Wight. James and Hannah Wight took James to Glasgow, Scotland when he was only three weeks old. James Wight worked as a pianist at a movie hall while his wife did singing.
James Alfred Wight went on to graduate Glasgow Veterinary College in 1939 and he was only twenty-three years old at the time. Wight decided to go to work for a rural practice that was located in Thirsk, Yorkshire. Wight had aspirations to write a book for many years. But with the responsibilities of both his practice and his family it just did not emerge until a good while later. Finally at the age of 50 in 1966 Wight made several attempts at writing and was getting rejected in the beginning.
Wight got a book published in 1969 in the United Kingdom which was called If Only They Could Talk. But sales were way sluggish so Tom McCormack of St. Martin’s Press in New York took If Only They Could Talk and combined the two books into one single volume that was distributed in the United States under the title of All Creatures Great and Small. All Creatures Great and Small proved to be a gigantic success for James Herriot aka James Alfred Wight. All Creatures Great and Small would go on to evolve into four additional sequels and be made into a major motion picture and TV movie. He would go on to author many other books too. James Alfred Wight died at his home on February 23, 1995.
Among the fictional famous veterinarians without doubt one of the most famous is Dr. Doolittle. Dr. John Doolittle is the central character in the very famous series of children’s books created by author Hugh Lofting. Though Dr. Doolittle is a people doctor he chooses to treat animal patients instead. Dr. Doolittle has the rare talent of talking to the animals and they communicate back with him.