This fall OVC Pet Trust hosted New York Times bestselling author Colin Campbell and his Newfoundland Landseer dog George at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC). Colin, along with George (who’s often referred to as “George the gentle giant”) spoke to the incoming OVC class of 2020 attending orientation week at the University of Guelph.
Colin, Kim Robinson (Managing Director, OVC Pet Trust), George and Dr. Doreen Houston (Vice-Chair, OVC Pet Trust Board of Trustees)
Colin’s special presentation to the new student veterinarians detailed his journey with George and how he ultimately changed his life. After Colin’s marriage abruptly ended, a coworker encouraged Colin to look into adopting a dog. Enter George: a homeless, abandoned 140-pound Newf in need of rescue in rural Ontario. When Colin was offered a new job in California, George came with him and took up a new hobby. When George encountered the ocean and a surf board for the first time, he hopped up on the board and not only learned how to surf, but went on to enter competitions and became a surf champion in his Hermosa Beach neighbourhood.
As Colin told his story at the front of the classroom, George wandered around the lecture hall – wagging his tail, and greeting the students, especially those willing to give him a belly rub. “George loved the attention,” Colin laughs.
“I really enjoyed presenting to the group of students – it was obvious how keen and excited they are to be in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program,” Colin says. “Our pets are surely in good hands with our future veterinarians.”
Nicola Wenn, Student Veterinarian from the Class of 2020, attended the session, and feels inspired to continue to pursue the career she’s chosen for herself in veterinary medicine.
“As a new student veterinarian at OVC, hearing Colin and George's presentation re-affirmed my passion for the veterinary field and the reasons why I wanted to become a veterinarian in the first place,” Nicola says. “Seeing, hearing and feeling first-hand the amazing bond that George and Colin share is exactly the kind of pet-owner bond that inspires me to learn to deliver the highest quality of care to our animal companions, because they are so much more than that – they’re our family members, our best friends and in many cases, our saviours,” she adds.
Colin’s journey with George eventually helps him rediscover love and happiness. And while he may have rescued George, in the end, it is George who ends up rescuing him.
So what are free days, exactly?
"A free day is when you spend the day with people who love you, doing things you love to do. When those two things happen at the same time – you don't get old. It's a free day on earth,” Colin explains.
For now, Colin keeps busy with speaking engagements and walks to the dog park with George near their downtown Toronto home. He is currently exploring inquiries from film studios in Los Angeles, as well as a children’s book adaptation of Free Days with George.
To learn more about Colin and George’s heartwarming story, please visit www.freedayswithgeorge.com and the Free Days with George Facebook page.
