They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but that was never the case with retired local veterinarian Dr. Lloyd Fisher, who died Jan. 20 at the age of 90.
Former colleagues and pet parents are remembering the respected veterinarian, who practised in Barrie for five decades, as being a “kind and gentle” person.
“I remember Dr. Fisher looking after animals for the Alliston Humane Society when it first started many years ago. It had no shelter then and all animals ended up with the few members that there was at that time,” Jackie Hardy-Corrigan told BarrieToday, an affiliate of BradfordToday and InnisfilToday.
“He would see the animals for free. As busy as he was, he always had time for the unfortunate animals. A kind and gentle human being. The epitome of what one hopes all vets would be," Hardy-Corrigan added.
Dr. Dianne Lawrence, who worked with Fisher for more than three decades, said he was always a great person to work for.
“He was a very nice guy. He never had a harsh word to say … and you don’t hear that about many people,” she said. “He was very nice to people and he helped them out a lot.”
Fisher was always extremely dedicated to his clients and was always eager to learn, said Lawrence.
“He went to all of the conferences and would be very excited to learn new things that were out there,” she said. “He would always help me out if I needed help, and I think I taught him a few things too sometimes.
"I remember one day … talking to a client about something I thought their cat had and he asked me what (it was) because he’d never heard of it before. We were teaching each other things," Lawrence added.
Fisher was often the first person to arrive at the clinic in the morning and the last to leave, she said.
“He spent a lot of time at the clinic. He’d only go home for dinner … he worked a lot,” Lawrence said. “He’s helped out a lot of people. He was pretty cutting edge on everything … he was amazing.”
Heather Stewart says she has known the Fisher family for more than six decades, having first met Dr. Fisher in 1963 when her family moved next door.
"I would tag along with him when he did farm calls, enjoying every minute of it. You could tell he enjoyed his work, even on the coldest days," she said. "As I got older, he would take care of our dogs. And when the outcome wasn't going to be good, he would tell us in the gentlest way that it was for the best."
Fisher continued being her vet and a close friend to her family for many years, said Stewart, adding she will always remember his smile and the gentle way he had when working with so many dogs and cats throughout the years.
"He will be missed by so many clients," Stewart said. "I am sure he is 'up above,' stethoscope in hand ready to help any pets that need him."
The second of seven children, Fisher grew up working on a farm, which is where he developed his love of animals, both large and small.
Although he initially pursued a different career, Fisher soon decided to relocate to Toronto, where he took evening courses and eventually enrolled in the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph in 1953.
It was while a member of a fraternity that the young college student met Evelyn, the woman he’d eventually marry and start a family with.
After graduating from veterinary college in 1958, Fisher moved north to work at the Barrie Veterinary Hospital.
Eventually, Fisher and his wife purchased the clinic, which they owned for 55 years.
In addition to seeing animals at the clinic, Fisher also spent many long hours travelling the country roads surrounding the city, visiting farms and caring for livestock, states his obituary.
He also served as the veterinarian for Springwater Park, Elmvale Zoo and the Barrie Humane Society for many years, where he treated animals such as deer, bears and peacocks.
In 1972, he sold the large animal side of his practice to concentrate on small animals. Fisher continued to care for small animals until he sold the clinic in 2009, but he couldn’t be kept away and continued to work part-time until age 79.
He was also awarded the honorary title emeritus by the University of Guelph Veterinary College.
In 2019, the couple decided to pack up and move away to be closer to family. They lived at Luther Village Retirement Residence in Waterloo together until his health began to decline in 2023, at which point Fisher moved into Columbia Forest Long Term Care home in Waterloo.
The family is asking that anyone interested in making an expression of sympathy to consider a donation to OVC Pet Trust, Grand River Hospital in Kitchener or St Mary’s General Hospital in Kitchener.