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Dr Frédérique Hurly (called Fré by family and Freddie by friends!) was born in Leiden, Netherland in 1969 and immigrated with her parents to South Africa in 1974. She grew up in Benoni where she attended Brentwoodpark Laerskool and Brandwag Hoërskool. After two years of studies in Gent, Belgium, she obtained her BVSc at Onderstepoort in 1997. She started her veterinary career in Polokwane but moved back to Benoni after meeting her (to be) husband. In her free time she built and started a Clinic at the Boksburg SPCA, doing sterilisations in her spare time. She opened her own practice in 2003. She obtained an MPhil in Wildlife Management in April 2009 and was invited to the Golden Key Honours Society on academic merit.
From a young age Fré was always interested in animals and could often be seen playing with all the dogs in the street where she lived. She knew that she would become a veterinarian. She has a special way with animals and animals seem to trust her. Her caring nature makes her loved by the clients. She has a special interest in animal behaviour, companion animals as well as wild animals. Shortly after completing her veterinary degree, she completed the Behaviour and Advanced Behaviour Courses presented by Professor Odendaal. Her dissertation for the Masters degree also included behaviour and looked at the effect of environmental enrichment on the behaviour of small cats at the Zoological Gardens of Pretoria. Apart from behaviour, she also has an interest in surgery. Recently she started the Companion Animal Consultancy, through which she gives educational lectures to pet owners.
Fré loves reading, game and bird watching and wildlife photography. Any travel is scheduled around what different birds or animals can be spotted. She loves horse riding and owns her own Thoroughbred with which she competes on local level. Music plays an important role in her life, singing as well as playing the guitar and piano. Fré and her husband have led the worship ministry in their church for ten years. They have also decided to swim the Midmar Mile in February 2010 and are training for this event.
In 1999 she married her husband, Charlie. Starting off in a townhouse with a wirehaired Dachshund, she realised that she still had a lot to learn about animal behaviour after the pup destroyed just about the whole house when they were away. After a few years they moved onto a small holding where they still live. They have added a Rottweiler cross, a Terveuren Belgian Shepherd, a smooth haired Dachshund and recently a Mallanois Belgian Shepherd to the household, as well as a cat. In February 2008 they were blessed with their first child, Amy.
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