It was September 1984 when a bright-eyed 17-year-old girl from Romney Marsh first joined Cinque Ports Vets in Rye as a trainee nurse – and 40 years on she’s still there and still going strong.
Melanie Jones was on a government-backed Youth Training Scheme (YTS) earning “not very much,” but is now branch manager for Linnaeus-owned Cinque Ports Vets and responsible for two of their six practices across Kent and East Sussex, including the one in Rye.
Melanie says she’s enjoyed every minute of a “full-on” career and has made life-long friends among the many colleagues and clients she’s met over the last four decades.
She said: “What I love is that no day is ever the same and the job has so many varied challenges and opportunities.
“I have also met so many special people over the years with both colleagues and clients becoming friends for life.
“I’m still in contact with colleagues I first worked with at Rye all those years ago and one of them is godmother to one of my children.
“You build close relationships with clients too. You meet them when they first come in with their new puppy or kitten and then you see them again and again as they bring them in for vaccinations, check-ups and treatments.
“Finally, you are supporting them with end-of-life care for their pet and helping them deal with their grief and sense of loss.”
Inevitably Melanie has seen a raft of changes in the veterinary profession including moving from the days of pen and paper records, accounts and invoicing to a fully computerised system.
She said: “It’s all very different to when I started as a trainee nurse at the practice in Rye.
“I could be going out with the vet to local farms to help in the lambing season or to check on the cows and horses.
“Or helping with the daily open surgeries, where people brought in their sick or injured animals for treatment, for neutering, for a health check or for vaccinations.
“There were no appointments in those days, so you never knew what you were going to get or how many you were going to get.
“There used to be a livestock market in Rye every Wednesday too and that brought all the local farmers into the town and they’d often come in for a cup of tea or coffee and a chat with the vet.
“It was very much like the days of James Herriott and the 'All Creatures Great and Small’ TV show.
“I remember when we first opened our Ashford practice we had one vet, one vet nurse and one receptionist.
“Now it is an RCVS accredited hospital with a huge team providing a wide range of veterinary services to pets across the area, including a 24/7 out of hours emergency care.”
The huge increase in demand for expert veterinary care opened up a new career path for Melanie as Cinque Ports Vets expanded and grew its services across the region.
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Her veterinary experience and knowledge of the business saw her offered the chance to be project manager for a major refurbishment of a practice in Tenterden.
Melanie said: “It was an opportunity I just couldn’t refuse, and I jumped at the chance to do it. We did a lovely renovations job there and I became part of a team which has become like a second family for me.
“Then a branch manager was retiring so I got the chance to manage our practices at Lydd and Tenterden and shortly afterwards to manage Rye too, where I first started.
“Where better to celebrate my 40 years than where it all began? And the daughter of the vet who first took me on sent me a photo of me in those early days - complete with a muddy pair of wellies! Priceless.”
So, what priceless advice can Melanie pass on to those considering embarking on a career in the veterinary world?
She said: “It’s not easy and can be a big challenge at times but it is so rewarding. There are so many wonderful people and animals you meet along the way, but it is not all cuddly puppies and fluffy kittens.
“The bottom line is you can’t fix everything, so there will be sad times, but when you can fix things it is very, very special indeed.”
