And it's goodnight from him ...

Arlo Guthrie — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 08:53:10 GMT

Hi all,

After 26 years doing this, I’ve decided it’s time to hang up my boots.

There are lots of reasons, but perhaps the biggest is the realisation, some would say belated, that I’m no longer particularly in tune with the veterinary zeitgeist.

As an almost-60-year-old, overweight, deaf, pale male from Somerset, I’m also not exactly representative of, or likely to be especially enticing to, the site’s future audience.

Also, I’ve developed an opinion about veterinary medicine that is not universally popular.

In short, and driven by scientific progress, the direction of veterinary education, and ever increasing regulatory standards, the profession has evolved into one that delivers levels of care that many owners struggle to afford and sometimes seems disproportionate to the species being treated.

You may agree with that view, disagree with it entirely, or fall somewhere in between. But it has made me realise that I’m probably no longer the right person to be moderating discussions about the profession.

What I do still believe, very strongly, is that there remains a place for algorithm-free, provenance-checked discussion. A place where people can exchange ideas, challenge each other respectfully, and explore complicated scientific and professional issues in more than 280 characters.

In fact, in an age of AI-generated content, social media outrage and disappearing attention spans, I think that sort of space is more important than ever.

The good news is that VetSurgeon.org isn’t going anywhere.

I’m delighted to be handing editorial responsibility for VetSurgeon and VetNurse to Chris Ritchie, who many of you will know through Veterinary Edge and his wider work within the profession. I believe the sites will be in very good hands.

I’ll still be around behind the scenes helping with the technical side of things, but I’ll be stepping back from the front line.

I’d like to thank everyone who has contributed to these communities over the years. I won’t attempt to name individuals because I would inevitably miss somebody important, but please know how grateful I am.

This community has given me far more than a job. Many of you know that one of my daughters has faced serious health challenges over the years, ones which would have made a conventional office career impossible. There were (many) times when I didn’t know whether she would still be alive by the end of the day, which would have made working away from home difficult.

So I will always be VERY grateful to all of you who participated in discussions, making these sites the success that they became, and giving me a way to pay the bills while being where I needed to be.

I’m now going to work full time on my YouTube channel which covers gadgets, technology and AI tools that are increasingly shaping all our lives.

If you’d like to support my efforts, or at least make sure I don’t come back, do subscribe at www.arlo-guthrie.com

Otherwise, I hope you’ll give Chris and his colleagues a very warm welcome and continue supporting the community as enthusiastically as you always have.

I shall be around for a little while yet, passing things across to Chris ... but in the meantime, thank you again for the last 26 years.

Arlo

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And it's goodnight from him ...