After 26 years of caring for many of the region's beloved pets, Dr. Bill Dewar of the Calais Veterinary Clinic is retiring and closing the practice in December. It was a hard decision, he says, and took over a year to come to. He advertised the practice in multiple places but found that there's just not much interest these days in a single-doctor practice either from individual veterinarians or corporate practices with many veterinarians on board.
      It's a big change from when he took over the clinic in January 1997, when it was a satellite of an Ellsworth practice. It's the work-life balance, Dewar says, with younger veterinarians not as interested in the 24/7 type of hours that were the hallmark of much of his early practice days. The field is "totally different from when I started," he explains. "There are more emergency clinics now," and that made a difference with his ability to cut back on the round-the-clock hours. Veterinarians also want fellow practitioners with whom they can discuss ideas and problems, he notes, which is difficult to do as a solo practitioner.
      "It's just time," Dewar says about retirement. He wants to do all the things he loves and find some new pursuits, while he still has the energy and health to do so. He and his wife aren't moving, he says with a laugh; they love where they are. On the list are hikes in the region and elsewhere, gardening, and "there are always projects around the house." He adds, "I've been thinking about learning to play other instruments," developing the repertoire he already plays with a group of fellow musicians. "I've never retired before," he chuckles. "But something tells me that I won't get bored."
      The families of beloved pets that he's gotten to know over the years are hard to say goodbye to. Quite often Dewar has cared for two or more generations of pets for the same family, seeing both the pets and their owners start young and get older as they visited him over the years. "There have been some great animals and clients, and it's going to be tough. I'm going to miss them." The other difficult part of closing the practice was letting go of his two staff. "That was another really tough part of the decision, but we're not leaving them in the dark." They have been given "significant severance pay" to help with their transition to next steps. He adds, "If we could find someone for the clinic, I think they'd stay."
      The nonprofit animal shelter PAWS that Dewar has worked with over the years will be using Dr. Michelle Hagar of 5 Stones Veterinary Services, a mobile practice based in Robbinston that provides services at the pet's location rather than at a brick-and-mortar office. This will be better for the animals, Dewar says, to have the shelter's pets stay where they are rather than have to be taken to the veterinarian.
      With the clinic's closure, Dewar encourages his clients to get their pet records sooner rather than later and enroll with another practice, especially with pets that have chronic conditions.
      Dr. Natalie Rosamund with the Mayfield Veterinary Clinic in St. Stephen says, "We wish Dr. Dewar a well-earned retirement. We're sure his clients will miss him greatly." She adds, "Mayfield is happy to welcome some patients from our American neighbours. We strongly encourage people to pre-book routine appointments and schedule a wellness visit in order to establish a relationship so we are better able to help in case of emergencies. This allows us to ensure patients are up to date on required vaccinations for border crossing, as well as reviewing their previous medical records and are up to date on appropriate medications and parasite preventatives."