A milestone in Sharon this week will give residents paws.

Dr. Richard Segall leaves the Sharon Veterinary Clinic, which he founded on South Main Street roughly 40 years ago, for retirement.

Segall says he'll miss "the clients and the patients" the most.

"There's a core of about 30 clients that followed me from (Bruce Animal Hospital in) Dedham in 1973 when we set up here, and then I would say 75 percent of our clientele has been coming here over 10 years," says Segall, who transferred ownership of the Sharon Veterinary Clinic to Dr. Gerald Eichinger on Feb. 29. Segall has worked there part time since.

"I've seen the young parents, and then their children and then their grandchildren."

SHARON PATCH

Why retire now?

DR. RICHARD SEGALL

The opportunity came along. I've been doing this for 40 years. And the time is right.

It's been a five-year plan. Because of logistics and introducing the new doctor, the announcement had to wait until the deal was consummated.

SHARON PATCH

What's it been like for you being an employee again?

DR. RICHARD SEGALL

It's good. I haven't been an employee for 42 years. I'm working a couple of days a week. It's a different level of responsibility. It's allowing me to do more of the things that I was trained to, and less of the bureaucratic things here.

SHARON PATCH

Do you remember what brought you here to Sharon?

DR. RICHARD SEGALL

I began my career working for the Bruce Animal Hospital in Dedham. We lived in West Newton, and then moved to Sharon in 1971, and I continued working for the Bruce Animal Hospital for two more years. And when it was time to leave there, we wanted to stay in Sharon, and there was no veterinary clinic in Sharon.

So we started in the home next door (to the current clinic).

For six years, we were in the living room and dining room, and the patients were kept in the basement in the cages. And the X-ray and surgery (were there).

We were a full-service clinic. The family lived in the rest of the house.

In 1980, we built this building.

SHARON PATCH

How small was the practice when you started?

DR. RICHARD SEGALL

For the first several months, it was just myself and my wife. And then we hired a technician/receptionist.

We didn't hire another doctor until, probably, the '90s.

(But) for quite a while, I've been back on my own again. We have some coverage on the weekends, but ...

SHARON PATCH

What inspired you to become a veterinarian?

DR. RICHARD SEGALL

Truth be told, it was a practical decision.

I had an uncle who was a veterinarian, so I got to see what that was like. I had an uncle that was a pediatrician. My father had a strong background in the sciences.

I was interested in entomology and zoology. (I wanted) just to put together my interests of study with something that would sustain me.