Swisse

It’s probably fitting that a day in the life of Dr Chris Brown begins with a surf at one of Sydney’s beaches. The unpredictability of the waves is matched only by the day that lies ahead. Once he hits the sand and swaps the surfboard for the stethoscope, Chris could be tending to anything and everything in the animal world from the smallest of city-slicker pets to the biggest of bovines to the wildest of wildlife!

Chris’s knowledge of animals is as much instinctive as learned. Growing up in the suburbs of Newcastle with his father as the local vet, Chris’s four legged brothers and sisters far outnumbered the human variety. The backyard played home and “hospital ward‟ to everything from chickens to ducks, koalas, kangaroos, horses, cows and a donkey – as well as the more standard dogs, cats and birds. Chris even had a pet penguin for six months! However, it was the sudden decline of his dog and best mate, “Claude”, that convinced him he had to become a vet.

“I was 17 at the time and it really shook me up. I wanted to know everything about the heart condition that killed him. It showed me that I not only cared immensely for them but that I was also fascinated by how they work and how to keep them healthy.” After graduating from Sydney University with First Class Honours, Chris took up an offer to work in a clinic on Sydney’s north shore. Despite a busy schedule, he still managed to find time to travel to remote Aboriginal communities in the deserts and islands of the Northern Territory and Queensland to improve the health of animals that had never seen, let alone been treated by, a vet. Despite the extreme temperatures and basic conditions, Chris still regularly visits and conducts research in these areas, drastically improving the health of the animals as well as the local Aboriginal people that can contract diseases from the dogs.

Three years into his veterinary life, Chris was spotted by an agent in a pub telling stories over a few beers in a pub in Mosman, Sydney. A screen test with Seven Network was the result and two weeks later, Chris began filming as the new vet on Harry’s Practice. His impact was immediate, and he soon found himself nominated for a Logie award for “Most Popular New Talent” at the 2004 TV Week Logie Awards. In March 2004, Chris accepted an exciting offer to become the new presenter and vet on Channel Nine’s Burke’s Backyard program where he worked alongside the pioneer of lifestyle television, Don Burke.

In October 2005 Chris released his first book, “The Family Guide to Pets”, through Murdoch Books. The book was written to help people make the right decision when choosing a pet while showing them how to have some fun along the way.

In 2008, Network Ten launched Bondi Vet, which followed Chris and his daily adventures living and working around Australia’s most famous beach. He is a regular on Ten’s 7PM Project and The Circle.

Chris joined the family of Swisse ambassadors in 2011.

DR CHRIS BROWN ONLINE

Twitter: @BondiVet
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dr-Chris-Brown/152049631482635