Get to Know Brian Bergman From Mdzananda Animal Clinic

I’ve been a veterinarian for 29 years. If you had
told me during my first four years in practice
that I would still be here today, let alone deeply
in love with my job I probably wouldn’t have
believed you.

Fresh out of university, I was released into the
world with a head full of medical knowledge but
completely unprepared for the emotional and
mental weight of the profession. I found myself
constantly caught in the middle of highly charged, dramatic
situations where animals were suffering and owners were
in deep distress. It was emotionally draining. I was burning
out, and honestly, I hated being a vet. Desperate to escape,
I packed my bags and went to India for a year to live in an
ashram, studying yoga and meditation. I fully intended to
leave veterinary science behind and transition into teaching
yoga. But life had other plans.

When I returned to South Africa, I realized a total career
pivot wasn’t on the cards. However, my time in India wasn’t
wasted; it gave me the exact tool I needed to survive and
eventually thrive. At the ashram, I learned a concept called
Karma Yoga, which is essentially the practice of using your
work and your relationships as a path for personal growth.
It provides a shift in attitude and methodology that helps
you avoid burnout. By viewing my job through this lens,
it became a way to deepen my understanding of what it
means to be human. Armed with this new mindset, I didn’t
just return to veterinary medicine, I found my peace within
this profession

In 2010, I moved exclusively into animal welfare, joining
the Mdzananda Animal Clinic and Shelter in Khayelitsha,

Cape Town. I’ve been there ever since. Welfare is where my
heart lies; it is where I feel I can have the most purposeful,
meaningful impact. There is such great need for veterinary
services in these totally under serviced areas where 80% of
our population live.
Working in a township clinic pushes you to your absolute
limits. Often, you are the only vet on-site, and there is no
budget to refer patients to specialists. If you can’t fix it, no
one can. I had to push my skills to edges most private
practitioners never have the opportunity to reach. I’ve
learned orthopedics and intricate surgical procedures right
on the ground. For that masterclass in resilience and skill, I
am incredibly grateful.

People often ask how I’ve survived 16 years in intense
welfare work without burning out. The truth is, it never
feels like work to me. It brings me genuine joy. My love for
animals started with my childhood dog. My dad got him as a
puppy right after I was born, and for the first 13 years of my
life, he was my best friend. That bond galvanized everything
for me. Today, I get to see that exact same beautiful
interaction happening every day in the township.

Often, for the people I serve, their animal is the only source
of unconditional love they receive in a harsh world. I truly
believe that this unique, beautiful bond is largely why
humans aren’t completely insane. We have these animals to
care for, and they care for us in return with a depth of quality
that often surpasses human relationships.

Looking back over nearly three decades, I’m glad I didn’t run
away. Every animal I heal, and every pet owner I support, is
a reminder that this isn’t just a job — it’s a lifelong journey of
the heart