Bondi’s own Dr Dolittle

You’d be surprised at the extraordinary range of pets found in the eastern suburbs.

So says Dr Chris Brown, the star of Bondi Vet, TEN’s new 14-part series set on Bondi beach, a Bondi Rescue of the animal kingdom – even to the point of saving caged cats from drowning in the surf as the first episode at 8pm on Thursday, February 5 demonstrated.

It all came about when “Dr Chris”, a vet at the Bondi Junction clinic that has stood on Ebley Street for the last 80 years, was telling yarns in a pub five years ago and was overheard by an agent who thought it was just a pickup line.

But it turned out to be the real McCoy, launching the television career of Dr Chris with Seven’s Harry’s Practice. He has also appeared on Talk to the Animals.

For the last eight months television crews have followed Dr Chris and Dr Lisa Chimes (from the SASH animal hospital in North Ryde) around the BJ clinic, filming as they worked.

“You don’t realise the diversity of situations you deal with every day until you see it played back,” Dr Chris said. “And Bondi beach is such a beautiful backdrop. It’s a natural set because it combines magnificent scenery with great characters.”

The real surprise was the animal characters that emerged: the celebrity vet has treated a goat, an eastern grey kangaroo, a penguin, $20,000 parrots, massive pythons and chickens – even peregrine falcons that live in the wild.

“No-one knows they’re here. They’re the fastest animal in the world and can move at speeds of up to 440 km in full attack mode. There are three colonies in Bondi. People should look up; they’ll be amazed at what they see,” he said.

“This is not just a cat and dog area – the animals people try to keep as pets here give the Americans a run for their money. We now say ‘Only in Bondi’.

“People explore the quirky side of having a pet a bit more in Bondi. I love that. They also include them in their lives – they take them to the beach, to cafes or on a run, and have lots of fun with them.”

That’s the secret to Bondi Vet: some serious emergencies but also a lot of fun.

“I think people will have a smile on their face at the end of every show. Not every animal makes it but we make an effort to balance the sad moments with fun times,” Dr Chris said.

As for dogs, there’s an amazing abundance of everything from Chihuahuas to Great Danes but if there’s a most popular breed, it’s the Staffy.

“They’re knockabout dogs who love people and are very social, just like your typical Bondi local,” Dr Chris said.