Announcing our first Exotic Pet Brand Ambassador – Ben Dessen.

Announcing our first Exotic Pet Brand Ambassador - Ben Dessen.

The Petcover Partnership team is thrilled to officially announce our first Exotic Pet Brand Ambassador – Ben Dessen.

This partnership has been in the making for almost a year, we were thrilled to sign Ben up, as we have been following his career for some time now and feel his values, his passion, and his love of exotic pets, all align so beautifully with our Petcover values and mission.

Ben is a Wildlife Advocate, Conservationist, Pet Expert, Author, TV Presenter, Motivational Speaker & Digital Content Creator.

Like many Australians – in fact, a whopping 5.9 million to be precise – Ben Dessen is a proud pet parent. But Ben’s pet portfolio is unlike most households around the country; it’s more like a marvellous menagerie packed with pets of all varieties.

From amphibians through to creepy crawlies, reptiles of all shapes and sizes, to an array of native avian species and of course his beloved Labrador, along with so much more.

One of Ben’s pets, a green tree python – named Verdi, is insured with Petcover, under our Exotic Pet Insurance cover. Even snakes can get into mischief and potentially have an accident, injury or come down with an illness needing essential medical attention. Our exotic pet insurance, more specifically reptile, offers cover for veterinary fees, including alternative and complementary treatment.

Ben is more than a proud pet parent – he’s been the live-in caretaker and manager of a not-for-profit wildlife sanctuary in Dural for more than 10 years. Spanning more than 40 acres of pristine conservation bushland in Sydney’s Northwest, the Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, provides a haven for the rehabilitation and protection of injured and orphaned local native animals.

With his zoological background and extensive, hands-on experience working with a wide variety of wildlife species, Ben believes that by truly appreciating the beauty in other creatures, we can discover the best part of ourselves.

As a wildlife advocate and conservationist, author, media presenter, educator, and public speaker, Ben has dedicated his life to helping animals both within Australia and around the world.

Extraordinarily enterprising and energetic, he also comes with some incredible credentials for someone so young. With qualifications in animal science and conservation biology, Ben’s globe-trotted from the open plains of Kenya’s Maasai-Mara game reserve to Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park in Africa through to the ancient biodiverse rainforests of Borneo in Southeast Asia’s Malay Archipelago, hanging out with orangutans while shooting a documentary for 100 days in the jungle.

Ben has also been fortunate to benefit from some terrific tutelage throughout his career, including both the ‘brains’ and the ‘brawn’ of the veterinary kingdom – Better Homes & Garden’s iconic vet Dr Harry Cooper and Bondi Vet’s Dr Chris Brown as well as Bob Irwin, the son of the late Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin.

Today a regular fixture across breakfast TV on every major network (not to mention guest spots presenting on programs such as the ABC’s Play School, voicing characters on the popular children’s show, Reef School and presenting alongside Dr Harry Cooper on Channel Seven’s Better Homes & Gardens), Ben is passionate about educating audiences of all ages about the role we can all play in improving the lives of animals.

If that’s not enough, Ben has created a series of online pet masterclasses, and is a resident teacher at the Future Vet Kids Camp, mentoring tots and teens to encourage their passion for pursuing a career working with wildlife and animals.

His highly anticipated debut book, The Ultimate Pet Handbook (New Holland Publishers) was a sell-out in bookstores nationally and teaches children and families about the responsibility of caring for a pet.

Ben is a presenter and MC at The Pet Shows nationally and has collaborated with many brands on his social media channels.

Ben is also a regular contributor to national wildlife publications as well as a sought-after keynote, covering venues of all sizes and connecting with all walks of life from rural primary schools to international corporate HQs.

When it comes to his quest to save animals and the environment, as Ben Dessen humbly explains, “Each and every person has the power to make a difference, but it’s what we do with that power that counts.”

Petcover would like to welcome Ben as our newly sponsored Exotic Pet Brand Ambassador.
We are looking forward to working with Ben and building upon the relationship, working on new adventures together, and the exciting possibilities.

For more information about Ben, the Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, or his new book, please visit his website here and check out his socials to keep up to date with all his latest projects.