Chappell leaving Savannah Animal Hospital after 10 years

The move will take the Chappells back to the state in which they earned their degrees, and nearer to family, but the affable doctor says the shift won’t entirely be easy. “The people. That’s the hardest thing, to leave the people – coworkers, friends, clients. That’s going to be hard,” he said.

“We’ve made a lot of family here,” he said.

Chappell is a people person. He relishes the clinic setting, chatting easily with clients and staff and taking an interest in clients’ lives. He remembers the four-legged clients and says he keeps all the pictures and cards he has been given.

From routine vaccinations and yearly exams to operations and emergency care, Chappell has endeared himself to clients, ministering to animals while easing their owners’ anxieties with a straightforward, practical manner.

While the move is likely to disappoint loyal clients, Chappell says it will make it easier for Grant, 2, and Ruby, 4 months, to spend more time with family. “The move is for the kids to be closer to family. The job is a good excuse to do it,” he said.

Chappell and his wife, Dr. Kimberly Chappell, moved to the region in 1999, after several years of summer visits, when she took a job doing research for Intervet in Millsboro. He said they planned to stick around, but she has accepted a job at the University of North Carolina veterinary school, and the move south will take them closer to family. She will take the helm of the research department at the beginning of May, he said.

The position was a dream job that could not be turned down, said Chappell.

He said he plans to resume practice after his children are settled in.