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Popular Dundee vet to retire after almost 40 years of service

Barbara Barnard, with 17 year old tortoise, Mabel.
Barbara Barnard, with 17 year old tortoise, Mabel.

A Dundee vet is due to retire next week, after almost 40 years of service.

Barbara Barnard, 65, first started working at Blackness Veterinary Clinic in September 1981, when it was still known as Cameron and Brodie.

The veterinary veteran has spent her career caring for generations of pets in Dundee, however, after nearly four decades in the businesses, Barbara has finally decided to hang up her scrubs and retire on April 2.

Barbara Barnard.

She said: “I started way back in 1981, when I worked for Ms Cameron.

“I came to Dundee because my husband worked at a deer farm in Fife.

“At first we were on Brook Street, but we later moved to Brown Street, close to the kennel.”

Despite some struggles understanding the Dundonian accent after moving from Cambridge, Barbara soon settled into the city, growing to love both the pets and the people.

She said: “As a vet you get a lot of regulars and you really start to feel like part of the family.

“You see the kids grow up, get to look after generations of their pets. Even though you’re not actually a part of the family, you do start to feel like it.

“I think Dundee folk are overall quite loyal, we have lots of people who keep coming back to us.

“I’ve worked with pets of all sorts of shapes and sizes, the biggest are obviously your Great Danes, things like that.

“We also see a lot of exotic pets now, like reptiles. Loads of people have bearded dragons and snakes, things like that.”

Barbara’s decision to retire has come after she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a condition which will make it harder for her to delivery quality care for animals.

She said: “I was told by a doctor that I have Parkinson’s, which makes some of the things I have to do in this job quite difficult.

“My husband also has a caravan and he’s always asking me to go on trips with him, so that’s something we are going to do too.

“I’d also like to spend some time with the grandkids and our dogs.”

The animal surgeon has chosen to use her retirement to raise money for Parkinson’s UK, with donations now adding up to just under £1,000.

She said: “It’s a brilliant amount of support, I just wanted to raise a little bit of money but this makes you feel very humble.

“It’s really generous of people.

“When I first got my diagnosis Parkinson’s UK were very helpful, they’re really very good.”