Growing up on the family farm in Nowra, Anthony Bennett always knew he wanted to work with animals and after graduating from uni, he returned to his home town working at the Berry Vet Clinic. Early on, he gravitated towards the dairy cattle and small animal medicine and surgery aspects of the clinic before taking a share in the practice in 2008. Today with best mate and the other ‘Village Vet’, James Carroll, they own and operate the Berry Vet Clinic, a mixed practice managing diverse animal care.
Born in Queensland, James spent his youth growing up between country Australia and Sydney. From early on he too knew he wanted to spend his life working with the animals that surrounded him on his family’s farm in Northern NSW.
On a fateful February day in 2000, their first days of uni, Anthony & James met, and a lifelong friendship was formed. After four long years spent studying, they both graduated in 2004 from Sydney University with first class honours. After a sad farewell, Anthony returned to Berry and James spent some time working in mixed practice in Northern NSW before travelling to work in the UK; but they wouldn’t be apart for long. Following extensive travels in a campervan around Europe for several months, James made the timely decision to return home and return to Berry and best mate, Anthony Bennett. With complementary skills to those of his partner, specialising in small animal medicine, and ultrasound, an amazing partnership was born.
Today they’re found on our screens as well as managing dairy cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and alpaca and horses as well as the myriad of small animals that enter the clinic every day. Bonded by their love of sport (be it footy, skiing, tennis or cricket), animals and the odd beer or two, they share an amazing camaraderie, borne from their student days and enhanced by the experiences they have shared – the animals they have treated, those they have saved and lost; the business they have built, and the community they are an integral and proud part of. Asked to describe each other, typical larrikin behaviour ensues, but at the end of the day, it’s their friendship, their passion for what they do, their compassion for the animals they treat, and the owners who care for them, that make them such a lovable pair, on and off screen.
Plucked out of relative obscurity, Anthony and James and the team of passionate and committed people they work with are now the stars of an observational documentary titled ‘Village Vets Australia on Foxtel’s Lifestyle Channel.