said Dr. Constance Breese of Sea Breeze Veterinary Service in Vineyard Haven this is her last year before retirement, which amounts to another blow to pet health care services on the Island.
Breese had a forty-year career, and he said that while he tried to find a replacement for his Vineyard clinic, he couldn’t.
“My decision to retire was very difficult to follow due to the difficult situation at hand. I decided last year that 2024 would be my last year in daily clinical practice,” he said in a statement to The Times . “My son may have said it best, ‘You have cared for the pets, horses and pets of the Island for a wonderful number of years while also holding the feelings of their owners.’”
The news comes as Animal Health Care Associates (AHCA) expects Dr. Steve Atwood keep its lease at the Martha’s Vineyard Airport, which recently opened the property to a public bidding process. The AHCA has been in operation for 40 years.
Other Vineyard veterinarians, members of animal groups and pet owners say access to animal health care on the Island has declined especially in recent years, and the loss of AHCA will be a big blow.
The Vineyard does not have a 24/7 emergency clinic for pets, and owners of small and large animals in crisis often have to travel off-Island for care.
Health care for large animals, such as horses and some farm animals, is harder to find on the Vineyard. AHCA and Sea Breeze care for larger animals, as does the Caring for Animals mobile veterinarian service, run by Dr. Dave Tuminaro.
Dr. also remembered Breese’s efforts to strengthen and consolidate animal husbandry on the Vineyard.
“All MV vets work together and work together to find long-term solutions to the many issues that have faced us over the years. The most important is the development of the Island Veterinary Emergency Service,” he said.
He added that many vets on the Island are aging, and replacements have yet to be found. “In recent years, we’ve been working together again to find endgame strategies because some of us are in our sixties now. The people of MV should know that we have worked tirelessly but unsuccessfully to find vets to take the reins and move here to work.”
Dr. also said Breese said previous attempts to consolidate veterinary services on the Island had been unsuccessful. “This effort included meeting with corporate veterinary buyers. Some of them showed interest in possibly consolidating smaller practices with larger ones (AHCA and VVC) but ultimately nothing was done. solid plan.”
While the longtime local vet says his decision to retire was difficult to make, he is grateful for the support of the Vineyard community throughout his career.
“I have had forty years of hard work, heartfelt moments, pain, joy and many stories to tell. The community of the Island has supported me in some very important times during my training years and I am grateful. I did my able,” Dr. Breese told the Times.
