Noel Fitzpatrick is best known to TV viewers and animal lovers as The Supervet.
His hugely popular Channel 4 series shows the pioneering surgeries he performs on people's beloved pets at his practice, Fitzpatrick Referrals.
Noel's new book, Listening to the Animals: Becoming The Supervet, details his journey from growing up on a farm in Co. Laois to practicing veterinary medicine.
He joined us on The Last Word to discuss the book. But despite its title, he insists that he is just "a fairly mediocre guy trying to do his best."
After completing his veterinary training at UCD, Noel left Ireland in 1991 and has been based in the UK for many years.
Despite his skills, he says he doesn't consider himself particularly clever, and his hope is that everyone can find something to relate to in his story: "I wanted the book to reflect the journey of anybody who ever had a dream or an aspiration."
Although Noel could have gone into human medicine (he was once offered a place at the Royal College of Surgeons), his passion always lay in helping animals.
While many of his surgeries are complex, he says that everything he does has to be in the animal's best interests, ethically and morally.
Part of his job is to promote being a responsible guardian of animals, and he feels strongly about the benefits of a strong bond between humans and their pets.
"You can't tackle badness through more badness. The only way you'll ever counter it is with goodness."
