By Derek Schlennstedt
Forget the white sands and blue beaches of Bondi, instead Mt Dandenong’s rolling hills could play host to the next Bondi Vet television series.
Dr Tom Cook, a resident vet at Gembrook Veterinary Clinic, is one of many veterinarians who have been fuelled by friends, clients or colleagues to enter into a nationwide search for the next Bondi Vet.
Tom the vet has thrown his stethoscope into the ring to help bring the stories of pets in the Dandenongs to the small screen – of which he tells there are many.
“We’ve had everything,” he said.
“A saltwater crocodile that was from a petting zoo, a camel called Gobi, who needed surgery, and we’ve even had an elephant once from the circus, years ago.”
Although having treated a range of exotic animals Dr Tom also said that being in the Dandenong Ranges they regularly receive wildlife cases.
“We also get a lot of wildlife, kangaroos, wombats, sugar gliders, greater gliders, and all sorts of birds.”
“You never know what’s coming around the corner,” he said.
Dr Tom has been a vet for 15 years and moved to Gembrook 10 years ago to be closer to family.
From being a fly-in vet at Charters Towers in Northern Queensland to volunteering in Africa, Tom said he always wanted to be a vet and although a brief stint in chemistry while studying, he had never thought about being anything else.
“I grew up always wanting to be a vet.
“All creatures great and small, Harry Butler, David Attenborough, all these naturalists and conservationists were on the telly at the time and I think that just reinforced that genre for me,” he said
Out of the 400 vets who have been nominated 50 semi-finalists will be chosen in June through a combined process of public nominations and producer picks.
The winner will then be announced in August.
Speaking to the mail about his chances at being the next Bondi Vet, Tom joked about not having the same chiselled jawline as heartthrob Chris Brown.
However, he said he was flattered by the response and nominations he had received.
“I love the animals, I like working with the people, I like the team I work with here and they love their animals, and we’re all a bit crazy because of that.”
“What are my chances?
“Pretty slim, I haven’t got his chiselled jowl,” he said.
“But, it’s been a lot of fun though and I’m a bit flattered at the public response we have received.”
“Mt Dandenong Vet … yep, we’re going to show those Sydney-siders and bring it down here.”
To vote for Dr Tom visit https://bondivet.com/vet-search/meet-the-vets
