After nearly 40 years of caring for animals, Dr. Michael High, a beloved veterinarian who recently retired, has released Rear View Wisdom: Life Lessons from Treating Animals, a collection of stories drawn from his experiences.
High's journey to Sidney began in February 1988, escaping the harsh Saskatchewan winter for a job interview.
"I came out here, and the cherry blossoms are in bloom, and the people I was interviewing with went out to buy a fresh salmon to barbecue and buy something at the bakery here. I was like, OK, I'm sold," he said.
Inspired by the James Herriot All Creatures Great and Small series, High knew from a young age that he wanted to work with animals.
His career led him to various clinics and locum work across Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland.
After decades of dedication, High retired in 2023, driven by a desire to spend more time with his adult children. A recent health scare also prompted him to reassess his priorities.
"I realized that I don't necessarily have a lot of time before they go somewhere else," he said. "I want to spend more time with them."
Despite his passion for veterinary practice, High recognizes the challenges and emotional toll it may take.
In 2008, while working in Edmonton, he experienced a sense of isolation that sparked the idea for his book.
"I took a job as hospital director at Morinville Vet Clinic, 30 km north of Edmonton," he recalls. "To get home, I had to drive more than an hour to the airport, then take a flight to Victoria. I went home every few weeks, and only for a few days. I did that for three years – I lived in a suite in the hospital and only went out for groceries. I felt very isolated."
That's when he began to reflect on his career and the patients he was treating, seeing how each patient offered a life lesson.
"I realized there was something I learned from all the stories, so I started writing it down," he said.
Rear View Wisdom, completed in October 2024 and released in April this year, is a memoir told through the lens of High's veterinary experiences, each chapter dedicated to a specific animal he treated. The animals and their owners taught Michael lessons about life.
The book explores themes of resilience, compassion and the profound connection between humans and animals.
Each chapter focuses on a specific animal he treated – Violet, Edward, Freddy and many others – and distills the experience into a valuable life lesson.
"The book is really about life advice," High said. While the stories are rooted in his veterinary experiences, the lessons are universally applicable.
The 62-year-old questioned whether the book would resonate with others, but ultimately found the writing process came naturally because he was drawing from real-life experiences.
One particularly poignant story is that of Rosco, a dog belonging to an elderly couple. A house call to their home became even more meaningful when High learned of the husband's passing that morning.
High hopes his book will offer solace and guidance, especially considering the challenges veterinarians face. He acknowledged the high rates of depression within the profession.
“It is a hard profession to be in," he said. "Self-awareness is important if anyone wishes to work in animal care."
In addition to the many pressures of running a small business, High emphasized the emotional strain veterinarians face from clients with unrealistic expectations – like curing the incurable or providing services for free out of goodwill, even when doing so could jeopardize their livelihood.
He hopes the book offers solace and understanding to others who have experienced similar challenges.
"I went through times where I dealt with depression, but I realized that it's not that uncommon,” he shared.
Writing the book became a therapeutic outlet for High, allowing him to process his own experiences and find strength in helping others.
"In the end, what really got me there was that, by helping others, I'm helping myself," he said.
Rear View Wisdom: Life Lessons from Treating Animals is available for purchase online, at local bookstores in Sidney and Greater Victoria and at books.friesenpress.com.
