Looking back at over 36 years of my career as a public health inspector, I have many encounters with critters like rats, mice, cockroaches and other “uninvited guests” in food premises during inspection and investigation. I admit that after years of working as a public health inspector, I am still trying to figure out what’s going on in the society of rats? How do rats look at inspectors in their habitat? Do rats actually have a sense of behaviour like us?

I am not known for my art work and I do not have professional art training, but I have spent many hours in long meetings, in court and tribunal hearings waiting for my turn to testify. To kill time, I doodle a lot, and this is my only “informal” art training. My son Christopher, a digital artist, helps in art design and layout in the creation of the comic strip, as well as handling all web development and posting using this website to promote the comic strip.

My first idea of creating a rat comic strip came at one incident in 2009 when a family of rats made a grand appearance in the front window of a restaurant, eating and bathing infront of a large crowd of people and reporters from many media outlets. Ralph, a public health inspector, called me at 6 AM telling me the incident was all over the morning news. The day turned into a media frenzy and after the day was finally over, I spoke with Ralph and shared a few jokes about the incident. I ended the conversation with “thanks for the heads-up, Ralphy the Rat!”, and at that moment, the idea of a smiling rat “Ralphy” was born and the first comic strip of “The Health Inspector’s Notebook” was published in March 2013. Since than, Ralphy and his critter friends have been telling stories about their adventures and their encounters with public health inspectors in the fantasy world where rats taking on human roles in their society.

To understand more about the relationship between rats and public health inspectors, here are a few media articles covering some of the incidents highlighted in the comic strip.

CBC - Toronto bars and restaurants see fewer health violations in 2014

Toronto Star - Dining With Mr. Dinesafe

Toronto Star - Rat Infestation Shuts Two Kensington Market Shops

Global News - Hundreds Of Toronto Businesses Cited With Rat, Mouse, Insect Problems Since 2011

Toronto Star - A Collection Of Rat Facts

Global News - Toronto Public Health investigating after 34 people got sick eating at CNE

CBC Marketplace (YouTube) - Resaurant Violations: Canada's Restaurant Secrets