Michael Farber: Fashion’s Favorite Veterinarian

The late Alexander McQueen bequeathed to his three pups Juice, Callum, and Minter more than $80,000; Karl Lagerfeld hired two maids and a driver for his Birman kitty Choupette; and Tom Ford cast his smooth fox terriers India and Angus in his Oscar-nominated film, A Single Man. Fashion people are cuckoo for their pets—and when it comes to caring for them, many trust only one man: Michael Farber, V.M.D. The New York veterinarian, who opened his Chelsea practice in 1997, boasts a client roster that includes River and Billie Holiday (Bruce Weber’s golden retrievers); Finn and Ivy (Steven Meisel’s Jack Russells); River, Roman, and Harlow (Steven Klein’s great Danes); and Ru (our own Edward Enninful’s Boston terrier). “All are very committed parents,” Farber notes. And parents with fashion-people problems: The avuncular doc maintains patient confidentiality, but he admits he’s often called on to work out travel regulations to far-flung locales and advise on food fads such as holistic and raw diets. “Most of what we do is give basic reality checks,” Farber says.