Fairhaven Capeway Animal Hospital Says Goodbye to Two Legendary Veterinarians

In 1983, Michael Jackson's "Thriller" was all over the radio. That summer, movie lovers lined up to see the highly anticipated Return of the Jedi.  And in Fairhaven that fall, Dr. Phillip Gaudet decided to buy the tiny, two-room animal hospital on Route 6 where he worked. He partnered with Dr. Ted Sherman.

The two men spent the next 40 years helping Fairhaven's animals live healthy lives.

More than $1 million was spent to upgrade that two-room animal hospital to the modern facility that sits there today.

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The doctors decided to sell Capeway to a corporation called VCA last summer. Part of the agreement was for Sherman and Gaudet to continue to work at the animal hospital for one year to ease the transition. That year ends July 31.

The two will sleep in the next morning.

Sherman and Gaudet Complemented One Another

When the duo bought Capeway in 1983, it was obvious that the doctors' talents complemented one another. Sherman focused on the large animals and Gaudet treated the smaller ones.

Sherman enjoyed treating a variety of animals such as squirrels, skunks and possums.  He loved helping exotic animals and was adventurous with them.

READ MORE: Stranded Guinea Pigs Saved in Acushnet

Back in the '80s and '90s, while Fairhaven still had numerous farms, Sherman worked on cows, horses, goats, pigs and bulls. He even worked on some of the animals at Buttonwood Park Zoo back in the early to mid '90s.

The doctors were called into the zoo once after one of the big cats injured his tail. The doctors amputated a part of the tail. The duo also worked on Emily the elephant and the bears in the bear den at the zoo until the practice stopped doing farm calls.

What Changes Will VCA Make?

It is unknown at this point what changes VCA may have planned, but it appears the new company wants to keep things as consistent as possible.

Capeway Animal Hospital should have that same hometown feel, which is one of the reasons the corporation has tried to maintain as much of the staff as possible.

Sharon Crooks is a longtime certified veterinary technician for Capeway. She said she'll miss the dedication and love of the two doctors.

"It's bittersweet to say goodbye to these two doctors," she said. "They built an empire."

What Will the Capeway Veterinarians Do During Retirement?

Gaudet plans to catch up on reading. He is a fan of history books. He also loves spending time with his four sons and his grandchildren up in Maine.

Sherman is a Navy man. He plans to spend time on his boat and bringing friends and family on sunset cruises in the harbor.