One nice morning in the spring of 1988 I happened to meet up with my neighbor, David Hildreth, at our mailboxes on Day St. Dave was one of the original founders of Citizens for a Better Granby, the non- profit that publishes The Granby Drummer. He was a thoughtful, soft-spoken man and all-around great neighbor. On that day, Dave suggested that I write a column for the Drummer on veterinary medicine. How could I say no?
Granby was a more rural town 35 years ago, with many family dairy farms and loads of horses. Our mixed -animal veterinary hospital was one of the largest in the area so there was plenty of material for a monthly article. Back then there was definitely more of a James Herriot approach that included fun anecdotes.
The Drummer was a much smaller paper, and it was put together at “paste up” in the Masonic lodge in town. Once a month the volunteers set up the tables and pulled all-nighters for a few days. I was occasionally late with my hand-written article but our amazing editor Chris Levandowski was always patient and happy to help.
Now the time has come for me to hand over the Animal Talk reins to another veterinarian in our practice. We are delighted to have Monique Fitzpatrick as our newest partner at Salmon Brook Veterinary Hospital. Monique has excellent medical skills combined with up-to-date knowledge. The clients and pets love Monique’s calm and caring bedside manner. I am sure that you readers will appreciate a new perspective.
Many thanks to The Granby Drummer for allowing me to be a contributor and to our readers for their interest. Please consider joining the Drummer as a volunteer—it’s a great way to meet folks and enjoy the camaraderie of a job well done!