After two decades of owning the Green Island Veterinary Clinic and watching it go from a three-person operation to a large, multi-vet practice, Dr Drummond has called time.
"I feel grateful for what the Green Island community has done for me by supporting my business — it is a special privilege to be involved with ... very important times in people's lives, helping them celebrate the happiness and deal with the sadness."
Dr Drummond opened his clinic in 2001. At the time he was the sole vet and he had two part-time nurses on the payroll.
Twenty-five years later, there are many nurses and a whole roster of vets on board.
In 2024, he sold the business to another vet working at the practice and continued as a part-time locum until Thursday.
When he sold the business, Dr Drummond wanted someone who would run it with the same principles, which for him included keeping it owner-operated.
"I didn't want to sell to a corporate because a lot of other clinics are being corporate-owned now."
He sold it to Vicky Armstrong, a vet who has been with the practice since 2011.
"It was nice to be able to have Vicky buy the business, as she knows the business ... and can maintain the continuity of care."
Since moving to part-time, Dr Drummond has also started a fine-art business called Scott Drummond Art, where he sells his work.
He paints "plein air" art, which involves him parking in front of some scenery he likes and painting what he can see in front of him.
"I’d been treating it as more of a hobby, but I think it’s good enough to now be taken reasonably seriously.
"I might get time to get better now."
Over the past 25 years, Dr Drummond had seen all types of small pets, however two animals brought into the clinic stood out to him.
Early in the clinic’s history, someone brought in a ewe struggling to give birth.
Dr Drummond then performed an emergency Caesarean on the sheep.
The oddest animal ever brought into his practice was a live eel.
"Over the years, Dunedin has had a few flooding events and during one, an eel found itself stranded in a council park ... somebody picked it up and brought it straight to us."
Dr Drummond checked it over before releasing it into a stream behind the clinic.
Dr Drummond said the vet practice was his final connection with Green Island.
"My father used to have a car yard in Green Island, and I lived in Green Island as a child and went to school there. When I started work in April 2001, it felt like a reconnection to my past."
Dr Drummond will head up to New Plymouth to fill in for six weeks, before starting work for Clutha Vets either in Balclutha or Milton.
"I'm feeling a bit sad about walking away from it — but I’m very grateful for the support the community has shown my business."
