Pete Wedderburn, vet ambassador for this weekend's Pet Expo
If the whole idea of a Pet Expo throws up uncomfortable images of couture-wearing chihuahuas and doggie fashion shows, then you will be glad to hear that Pet Expo 2007, which takes place in the RDS this weekend, has more substance to it than that. "I think if it was about that in isolation then I wouldn't want to be a part of it," says TV3's pet vet, Pete Wedderburn, who is coordinating the "Ask the Vet" clinic at the event. "Pet fashion is part of a broad spectrum. On the left side of that spectrum you have cruelty to animals; you have the fact that here in Ireland we destroy 20 times as many pets as in the UK. Undoubtedly on the far right of the spectrum you have some deeply frivolous things but I think if the whole spectrum moves to the right and away from the cruelty side of it, then it's a good thing."
There's no shortage of frivolity at Pet Expo - animal psychologists, doggie fashion shows, pet adoption, dog grooming - but thankfully, there's an information and education element to the whole thing, too.
"The 'Ask the Vet' clinic allows people to talk one-to-one with myself and other vets about pet health and care," says Wedderburn. "We also have lots of seminars, for example on dealing with the death of a pet and we have great representation from animal charities such as PAWS, ASH Animal Rescue and The Irish Horse Welfare Trust."
Originally from Scotland, Wedderburn qualified as a vet at Edinburgh University in 1985. So what brought him to Ireland? "I married an Irish girl. We came to visit her family and she introduced me to Ireland and I have loved it ever since. It's a very easygoing nation and I think that people here still laugh very easily, which I love." Since 1991 he has been a partner in a five-vet companion animal practice in Bray, Co Wicklow, a job he adores. "I started out in mixed veterinary practice, looking after farm animals, horses and pets, but I soon realised that my real interest lay in attending to the needs of pets. Every day is different because every animal has its own problem and every owner has a different attitude towards their pet. That keeps it interesting." He believes that Irish attitudes to pet ownership are gradually changing. "I think even though we still hear of some horrendous incidents of cruelty, attitudes are changing slowly. Part of the problem is that traditionally Irish people had a very utilitarian relationship with animals - they were seen as functional for the most part so the culture of pets takes time to develop. Pets are enormously important to humans. I am very interested in the biophilia hypothesis, which says that our continuing need for stimulation by nature is evolutionary - it's part of who we are. This explains why even now, surrounded as we are by concrete and tarmacadam we still feel the need to seek out a relationship with animals." Michael Kelly
Pet Expo 2007 continues at the RDS today and tomorrow, 10am to 6pm. Tickets: Adults €12, concessions €8. Visitors are not permitted to bring their pets.