After serving Port's furry four-legged friends at the Oxley Highway Veterinarian Hospital for such a long time, Bill and his wife Wendy felt it was time to move on and trek back home to Warwick in far-east Queensland.

"I'm 61 and it's been a long career and a long slog in a 24-hour a day job," he said.

"I have loved every bit of it. I have loved the career."

Having started in Darwin in 1976, Bill opened up a practice in Nambucca Heads which is still there to this day.

He would soon take a break and head to his parents farm during the drought to lend a much needed hand before returning to his passion of veterinarian care.

"I think this career path has an unlimited variety of things you can do," he said.

"The love for the animal comes first. The owners are a joy to meet as well.

"You can be a vet out in the bush, you can treat animals overseas or dogs and cats in the city.

"You can go anywhere and do your trade where and how you want to and I think that is fantastic."

Bill purchased the practice at the end of 1999 and it has since come a long way.

"Without being unfair it was a little bit run down, the building was a bit untidy and there wasn't much innovation going on," he said.

"If you look over the last 15 years the leap from basic machines to the high-tec professional equipment we have now it is fantastic."

There is also heartache in a job where the patient's life span is only, on average, eight to 10 years.

"When you've been in one place for so long you see the puppies come through puppy pre-school and grow into wonderful adults," he said.

"However I've been there until the end for a lot of my patients and you become part of the family and you grieve with the owners when you have to put them down.

"Unfortunately it's very sad for the owners but it is something that has to be done - euthanasing a pet."

As he prepares for the next chapter in his life, Bill has handed the practice over to enthusiastic young vet Matt Buchanan-Pascall from Melbourne.

"Matt has been around for a while and has practiced in Melbourne, Sydney, London and other places so I'm certainly leaving the practice in very capable hands," Bill said.

Matt has thoroughly enjoyed his time on the beautiful Mid-North Coast so far.

"Everyone has been amazing and I'm loving it," he said.

"It's been great to see people come in and say their goodbyes to Bill which shows how much he is appreciated in the community for the work he has done."

matthew.attard@fairfaxmedia.com.au