Like many vets, Sophie Putland had a knack for collecting animals. About 11 years ago, a French bulldog breeder brought three puppies in to her clinic, where the staff discovered one of the female pups had a heart murmur. This meant there was no way she could be sold. The clinic wanted to practise an operation on her heart, and re-home her if she survived.
The puppy, Nibbler, was unlikely to survive her operation. “She said, ‘Mum, I just wanted to give her a nice two days at home and give her lots of love and cuddles’,” Sophie’s mother, Kate, says. Eleven years later, Nibbler is still a member of the Putland family, and she’s not alone.
“About six months later, she rocks up with this one,” dad Garry says, giving another Frenchie a loving scratch. “This is Molly.” Today, both dogs provide an important connection to a beloved daughter who is dearly missed.
Garry and Kate Putland have welcomed The Weekly into their Adelaide home to talk about a cause they are passionate about: Vet suicide rates. They have been working tirelessly to improve conditions for the people who care for our animals, after their devoted, passionate daughter took her life in September 2021, aged just 33.
Sophie was smart, dedicated and had ambitions to become a leader in her field, but, as Garry explains, she was working in an industry in the grip of a mental health crisis. Long hours, demanding pet owners, under-resourcing
