The Albany veterinary practice started by George Reid in 1934

has stayed in the family for 75 years, with grandson Tim now at the helm

George Reid's new veterinary clinic took up about 900 square feet in 1945. That was a lot of room after he'd spent 11 years working out of his basement.

Back then, seeing patients weighing in at well over a thousand pounds meant plenty of road trips.

Grandson Tim Reid still works from the same site, but the building now features 3,000 square feet. And his patients rarely top 100 pounds.

What a difference 75 years can make.

The practice George Reid started in 1934 has grown in ways he likely couldn't have imagined since he passed the torch to sons Dick and Bob and they in turn passed it to Dick's son Tim.

Bob retired in 1994 at 80 and Dick, 81, just stepped down earlier this year.

Tim, 51, is carrying on.

"I've basically been here since I was in the second grade," he said, "cleaning kennels or painting."

His duties are a bit more expansive now. The large animal focus that built the business for his grandfather has disappeared, replaced by a practice centered entirely around family pets.

"We've grown a lot closer to our big brothers in the medical field," Tim said. "The needs of pets are similar to those of humans."

The changes, gradual at first, have exploded over the past two decades.

"We began leaning in that direction after dad moved into this building," said Dick, who was practicing with his brother and father by 1950. "As families moved in, big animals moved out. The small animal business took off after the war."

The valley's dairy farms gave way to grass seed. Cats and dogs replaced cows and horses as patients.

"A lot of what we know about small animal medicine we learned out of necessity," Dick said.

And necessity is part of the reason Dick was pulled toward veterinary medicine. Originally he had thought about a journalism career, but he got married at 20 and that changed.

"I was always interested in the business and I needed a way to make a living," he said. "I thought dad was the richest man in town."

Dick opted for vet school at Washington State, discovering that a profitable living wasn't all that drove him. He liked what he was learning.

Graduation brought him back to Albany and he began a 50-year partnership with his brother.

"A lot of people told me you couldn't work with family, but we didn't have a problem," Dick said.

Bob worked with larger animals and Dick liked working with small ones. It was a perfect partnership.

"When Dad started the business he was working 24/7 out of our basement at Ninth and Washington," Dick said. "Mom worked as hard as anyone. She answered phones, greeted people and fed three kids and whoever else was around."

In 1945, Reid Veterinary Hospital opened its doors at 933 Queen Ave. S.W. Dick, Bob and brother Roger made regular trips to Willamina picking up bricks used in the construction.

"It was mostly fields out here then," Dick said. "And lots of dairy farms."

In 1949, Reid Veterinary was certified as a member of the American Animal Hospital Association, only the second practice in the state to earn the distinction. By the early '70s, Dick and Bob had doubled the building's size to meet the growing demand for animal care.

When Tim finished school at Oregon State and joined his dad and uncle in 1988, the practice was still growing.

"I started here right out of school," Tim said. "I was thinking I'd be here four or five years."

Tim never left. A third remodel four years ago added the final 1,200 square feet to the building that holds so many family memories.

Changes in the profession have been dramatic, but one stands out in Dick's mind.

"People put a lot on the line for their pets now, both emotionally and financially. Their pets are part of the family," he said.

Tim has experienced incredible technical advances in 21 years. CT scans, ultrasounds, laser technology and even MRIs are common. And specialists abound.

"Anymore you can't stop working for more than two weeks or you'll fall too far behind," Dick said with a laugh.

Dick and Tim both agreed that the people they work and deal with have had a huge impact on their careers.

The loyalty amazes them. Lila Graves came to help out as a receptionist and remained for 46 years. Dr. Mike Peterson and

Andrea van de Wetering have been with the Reids for more than 10 years.

"I couldn't have been in a better place. You can learn techniques and what the books tell you in school, but here I learned the art," Tim said. "My dad and uncle showed me it's not just the science. It's relationships and a lot of heart."

Dick, who still visits the clinic, couldn't imagine a better life.

"I got to practice with my dad, my brother and my son," he said, smiling. "I don't see how it gets any better than that."