THE STORY OF US
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS’ BELOVED VET AND HIS PARTNER ON THEIR LIFE TOGETHER
It comes as no surprise to learn that Dr Harry Cooper and his long-time partner Susan Sheeran share a love of – well, almost – all creatures great and small.
For as Dr Harry, who for several decades has been our favourite TV vet, says with a smile, it simply “wouldn’t be possible” for him to be with someone who wasn’t an animal lover. “We realised early on we had a lot of interests in common, and particularly our love of animals. That’s a bond which we still have between us.”
“I’ve loved animals all my life,” says Susan. “I used to bring strays into the home all the time when I was little.”
There’s just one creature, however, that the couple don’t feel the same way about. “I quite like snakes,” says Harry, to which Susan interjects: “And I don’t like snakes! So, no snakes in this household, nor will there ever be. There are enough out there in the wild,” she says, adding with a laugh, “We don’t need them inside as well.”
Away from the cameras, the couple enjoy an idyllic life at their property on the north coast of NSW – one they share with their eight Belgian Shepherd dogs and 80 horses as well as some 100 chickens, 50 ducks and several geese.
“That’s the menagerie,” says Harry. “We’re in the process of building a new home. We’ll be moving about an hour and a half further north into the hinterland, which is very secluded. It will be our little piece of peace.”
It’s been more than seven years since Harry, now 74, and Susan, 60, met at a relaxed barbecue. But as Susan – a specialist registered nurse – reveals, she didn’t exactly warm instantly to Harry. “I think everyone knows who he is, but on that particular day he was busy on the phone and I thought, ‘Nah, he doesn’t really do it for me. He’s too busy doing other things’,” she recalls. “But as the night wore on, we started talking and we didn’t stop talking. He is very genuine, warm and generous – just as you see on TV.
“There’s lots of laughter, too,” continues Susan. “He’s quite witty and he makes me laugh out loud all the time. And he constantly surprises me.”
Over the years, the couple have been there for each other through life’s highs and lows. And none more heartbreaking than when Harry’s eldest daughter Tiffany, a mother of two, passed away at just 37 following a brave 13-month battle with bowel cancer.
“She loved sunflowers, and when she died I said, ‘We have to get some sunflowers for the funeral’,” says Harry. “It was the wrong time of year for sunflowers, but Suzi managed to get on the phone and organise them. It was quite amazing really.” Adds Susan: “It was absolutely so important for me to be there for Harry during that time. No-one should go through those things alone. But I think if you have someone you can trust and have a connection with, it is a help.”
Certainly, Harry, now a grandfather of five, feels overwhelmingly grateful Susan came into his world.“there’s always somebody for everyone,” he reflects. “Life on your own is a very lonely thing and you need a companion. We’re a good match on lots of fronts.”