Exotic animal vet and star of CBBC’s ‘The Pets Factor’, Fabian Rivers has won the BVA Young Vet of the Year Award 2020.

The award, which is sponsored by Zoetis, is for early-career vets who have gone above and beyond the usual call of duty or who are making a difference within their community or the veterinary profession. Fabian was picked out of three finalists at a virtual award ceremony last night. 

The judges said he'd wowed them with his ongoing proactive contributions to the veterinary profession and his passion for raising awareness around exotic animal care.

Fabian is a practising vet and the latest member of the team on CBBC children’s TV show, ‘The Pets Factor’. He is also a recent graduate member of BVA Council.

In his spare time, he is an active writer. Whilst attending the University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Brno, which he graduated from in 2018, he wrote his own student blog, ‘Dready Vet’. Since then, he has published several articles on a variety of topical and important issues such as ethnicity and race, diversity within the profession, feminism, Halal slaughter and reptile health and welfare.

The judges credited Fabian for his passion for communicating the complex welfare needs of non-traditional companion animals to the public. 

Fabian said: "First of all I’d like to pay tribute to Nat and Ben and all the nominees. They are really important to where the veterinary profession goes in the future and I’m indebted to them for what they’ve been able to do in a short period of time. They are an inspiration to me.

"Thank you to the judges. It’s really important that we start to celebrate each other and celebrate our wins. This is something I’ve tried hard to do this year.

"Thank you to everyone who’s supported me and been part of this journey. It means a huge amount.”

BVA President James Russell said: "Fabian has made a significant impact within the profession and beyond. The broad reach of his work – on issues that affect our profession and animal welfare – has made a national impact and promoted our profession to new audiences of all ages.

"During a particularly challenging year for all of us, Fabian has shown immense leadership and he is a truly deserving winner of the BVA Young Vet Award 2020."

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