I wasn’t sure if I was going to tell you this. I have kept it a secret from my wife and family for months. I have not told a single soul; close friends have not been confided in, it has not been mentioned to acquaintances, my lawyer or accountant.

For many weeks, I have been mulling it over, considering the embarrassment factor, the consequences and whether or not I should go public with it. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Guide to Professional Conduct was consulted in my quest for the right thing to do.

Would it be disgraceful conduct to admit the truth? Would disciplinary action be taken by my peers if I revealed all? Was my career on the line? Should I or should I not come clean?

Well, I will. Taking a deep breath, and with shaky hands, I am nearly overwhelmed to inform you that this year, on February 14, for the first time in decades, I received a Valentine's card.

Since the red, heart covered envelope was a bit of a clue, I opened it with trembling fingers and a pounding heart. It said, quite simply, and anonymously: ‘My Dog Loves You.’

'My Dog Loves You!’ I thought about the message and smiled.

When I first qualified, small animals were relatively superfluous to requirements to a veterinary profession that was mainly focussed on large animal farm practice. Slowly the tide has turned, so that now many vets treat nothing but our small, furry friends.

Back then, hands that were practiced in calving cows and lopping the horns off bulls generally grabbed puppies by the back of the neck to jab them. To be fair, they were accustomed to farm collies trying to bite them, but many dogs and cats were scruffed unnecessarily, creating animosity between pet and vet and vet and owner where none was needed.

The practice served only to make patients fearful and more belligerent; and life for all was harder.

Over the years, the rough and tough training tactics of Barbara Woodhouse in the 1980s have been replaced by the understanding that most animals will respond positively to confident and careful handling.

Certainly, getting patients on your side makes life easier, safer and more pleasurable for everyone concerned. The nature of the job, the individual characteristics of some animals and the type of procedures that we must carry out make it inevitable that not every patient is going to be your biggest fan but you can at least try to consistently provide comfort and compassion wherever possible.

Owners get to know that you are doing that and there is no doubt that a relaxed owner makes for a calmer patient. In particular, making a first visit to the vets a pleasant experience for puppies and kittens can make for lifelong happy relationships.

So, to whoever sent the Valentine's card that read, ‘My Dog Loves You’, can I just say I have no doubt that I love him or her too and that you made me very happy?

Don’t all laugh at once…