The Secret Lives of Veterinarians
What do these five vets do when they’re not taking care of your furry critter? Hint: They’re not sitting around watching Animal Planet.
Dr. Brittany King, DVM
Passion: Training to swim English Channel
Last month, Dr. Brittany King of Cypress, Texas performed orthopedic surgery on a 3-year-old Schnauzer mix who'd been hit by a car. Never mind that the good Samaritan who brought the dog in was a student who didn’t have any money to pay for the procedure — or that the dog had two broken legs. Dr. King doesn’t know the word defeat.
A self-described thrill seeker, Dr. King has completed an Ironman and the Alcatraz Duathlon, as well as climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.
Her next goal: swim the 22-mile English Channel in 55-degree water. And she’s not just doing it for herself — Dr. King is raising money for Banfield Charitable Trust, a nonprofit that works to keep pets and owners in hospice together. “People are capable of so much if they just set the bar high and dream,” she says. “I dream a lot ... and I guess I just want to experience as much as I can in life. Why not?”
Dr. Michael Ross, DVM
Passion: Owner of an upscale restaurant
As a professor of surgery and Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, Dr. Michael Ross of Chadds Ford, Pa. has operated on numerous elite racehorses, including Da Hoss, a bay thoroughbred gelding who went on to win the Breeders' Cup — twice. “I love the challenge of each surgery and teaching others my craft,” he says. But it wasn’t quite challenging enough.
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