AFTER 39 years of preventing suffering to animals, Inspector Philip Bussey has retired from the RSPCA to enjoy quality time with his family.

Mr Bussey celebrated his retirement on Friday, but was unsure what his colleagues had planned for him.

"There have been a few whispers about things being planned but I'll have to wait and see," he said.

Mr Bussey, 62, of Kington St Michael, who was born in Bristol, was posted to Blandford and Dorset early in his career with the RSPCA. In 1970 he was sent to Devon and in 1975 he was placed in Kent before moving to Chippenham in 1990.

"From a very young age I had a compassion for animals and that grew as I got older," he said.

"Because the job is so varied that's the good part of it and when you save an animal's life or rescue it out of a bad situation and into a new home, not many jobs have that sort of satisfaction."

Mr Bussey has had an unforgettable career, getting involved with the Tamworth Two rescue, the pigs who made a daring escape from a Malmesbury abattoir six years ago, saving livestock on Dartmoor and helping birds after an oil spillage in Milford Haven, south Wales.

"One of the memorable situations was the Tamworth Two, mainly because of the media interest," Mr Bussey said.

"But I've been involved in a lot of major incidents. There have been so many over the years."

When he was 30, Mr Bussey was awarded a bronze medal for rescuing a dog, which had fallen off a cliff in Devon. Using a harness he abseiled to a small ledge and sent the dog up to safety.

Mr Bussey said it was difficult not to let the job affect his home life, because it was sometimes so emotional.

"I often bought the job home but I had the support of my wife, Georgina, who would listen to me, particularly with some of the harrowing things."

Mr Bussey, who has a son and a daughter and five grandchildren, who all love animals, said he doesn't know if they will follow in his footsteps with a career looking after animals.

He said: "It should be emphasised it's not something you can do alone. Veterinary services, the police, fire brigade and the public all help because they are the eyes and ears and they report the cruelty. Everyone helps.

"You had to work on your own initiative. You had no one telling you to do things. It's been very challenging. A lot of variety and the fact is you wake up every morning and never know what you might have to cope with."

Speaking of what he'll miss about the job, Mr Bussey said: "My colleagues, who are more than that, they are good friends and I'll miss the job itself.

"When you go on holiday for two weeks you know you're going back. This time I'm not, but I won't be short of things to do with my time."