David Grant MRCVS, Director of the RSPCA's Harmsworth Animal Hospital and one of the stars of the BBC's hugely successful Animal Hospital series, is to retire this month.

To mark his outstanding service, David will be presented with the prestigious Queen Victoria Gold Medal - the Society's highest meritorious award for staff and volunteers - at the RSPCA Honours awards event on 8 September. It is reserved for the most exceptional servants to the RSPCA and its cause.

The popular figure, who began his veterinary career in the late sixties working in farm practice, has looked back on his time with the RSPCA as part of the charity's latest podcast.

David said: "25 years seems like 25 weeks. It is quite scary when you look at it that way. Joining the RSPCA was the best professional decision I ever personally made in my career. I look back and I don't regret one single day."

David recounts many of the stories from his career in the podcast, such as the time he came face to face with one of the world's most venomous snakes, which was found in a box on Regent's Canal. He also looks back on the unexpected fame that followed his starring role on Animal Hospital.

He said: "It has just been tremendous fun. It hasn't felt like work. 

"It has worked out that in the last 25 years I haven't had a single boring day. I've had some really exciting days. I've had the most amazing things happen, such as Animal Hospital. The only bad thing about the past 25 years is that they have gone in a flash."

The podcast is available to listen to at www.rspca.org.uk/podcast. It is also available to download from iTunes.

Photo courtesy RSPCA

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