He completed his veterinary science degree at Massey University in the early 1960s.
"At the time I graduated we all learned about dairy cattle, sheep and horses. Cats and dogs were just a small part of the course."
It was chance that got Mr Jones into his discipline.
"I was working in a large-animal practice, calving cows and worming horses. I got a phone call from Australia offering me a job in small-animal medicine and I took it. I just said, 'yes'." He said looking back, he had not weighed up the pros and cons before moving, but it was a good decision.
Mr Jones had then spent time in Australia at the University of Melbourne.
He had returned to Massey in the mid-1970s and there he stayed for 25 years.
"I worked there in teaching and doing clinical work in the hospital at the university, doing normal vet practices really with the students."
Mr Jones left Massey in the 1990s and took up a position at the University of Dublin as professor of small-animal medicine, later becoming dean of veterinary medicine for four years.
"I came back to New Zealand and instead of retiring, came back to Massey for four years. I really only just finished in the last 18 months.
"I'm now doing quite a bit of writing. I'm not doing any veterinary practice. I had some post-graduate students finishing off their degrees. I've been looking after them, so I'm still quite busy."
Seeing the development of small-animal veterinary medicine as its own discipline has been one of the major highlights of his career.
"You just have to look around the cities where there are practices that focus mainly on cats and dogs. I had some input into that. There was just myself and one other at Massey when I graduated at the time that focused on that area."
His personal highlight was being able to enjoy what he did.
