Veterinarian Dr. Ashlee Cunningham has been working at Mid-Ozark Animal Health Center on Scenic Rivers Blvd. for 17 years. She began working at Mid-Ozark under the original owners, Julie and Randy Smith, and built clientele and experience working at the clinic. Now, with the Smiths retiring, she says she has purchased the business.
“They had actually practiced for 35 years. They bought this original business from Dr. Weaver, and most people in town, if you say Dr. Weaver, everybody knows Dr. Weaver. He has passed away, but Dr. Weaver actually had the business first, and then Julie and Randy bought it from him, and I bought it from them,” she said. “I graduated (veterinary school) in 2002, so 1998 to 2002 at the University of Illinois. I graduated there, and then went to Rockville, Indiana and practiced for two years until I got married, and then moved to Missouri.
Though not originally from Salem, she said her career and relationship with her husband, Ted, drew her to the area.
“Ted and I actually moved to Salem in 2006. He moved to Salem originally before we were married after college in 2003 and took a job as a livestock specialist for the University of Missouri Extension. I was working in Indiana. We got married, and we moved to Cherryville. I worked for Doctors Melanie and K.C. Swope in Cuba for a year before (Ted and I) decided to quit driving in opposite directions. Ted was still driving here to Salem. We looked for a farm to buy here, found a farm, moved here; and my oldest son was born that year.”
The area has become home to the family, and Cunningham says she has no plans to leave.
“We are very invested in this community and this town; Our kids have all been born here and are being raised here,” she said. “We love this community. We wouldn’t have it any other way. Ted and I are both originally from southern Illinois, but we have no desire to move back home.”
Under her ownership, Cunningham says the business will continue providing the same services it has in the past, with a few minor changes.
“The biggest change right now is I’ve limited my large animal farm calls to one afternoon a week, just to try and keep our appointments and days organized. Obviously if we have clients who have emergencies, we’re going to work those in,” said Cunningham.
Cunningham also says she has plans to update some aspects of the business.
“My plans are to bring it more up to date, technology-wise. Dr. Randy (Smith) was very old-school,” she said. “We still have this ancient fax machine, and we did have an old answering machine. He wasn’t really keen on technology, but my plan is to bring it quite a bit more up to speed with technology. I’d like to add on and redo some cosmetic stuff inside. I would like to add on another exam room and add on maybe some small haul-in facilities for cattle in the back.”
Cunningham’s practice serves both large animals and small.
“Small, large, all of it. I’ve always done both small and large animals; the only thing I don’t do is exotics,” said Cunningham. “We board. We pretty much do everything. I do surgeries five days a week, in the mornings, appointments in the afternoon. We stay open late until 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
According to Cunningham, she also offers farm visits for livestock, and 24/7 emergency response for established clients.
“We offer emergency services 24/7. You have to be a client; they have to be actually established. The other three clinics (in the area) really don’t take emergencies, so in years past, you get a lot of calls late; and I’ve always believed, if you want me to come in after hours to see your pets, I would like you to at least use me during the day for routine stuff for me to be able to do that,” she said.
She said technology is another aspect of the business that sets her practice apart.
“The ability to do more diagnostics than just seeing an animal, and just assuming or guessing what’s wrong; we have the ability to do bloodwork, and x-rays, and even ultrasound, even though my ultrasound is old.
“I think my staff is great. People love them. They’re always happy to greet people that come through the door, and they’re really good with the animals, so I definitely think that kind of sets us apart.”
Cunningham has a dedication to meeting her client’s needs, demonstrated by her willingness to refer clients to other vets if the situation is beyond the capabilities of Mid-Ozark. She said that in the past, she’s partnered with Dr. Ouzts on orthopedic cases. Ouzts took over the Dent County Veterinarian Clinic, formerly operated by Dr. J.J. Tune, in January of 2022.
“Dr. Ouzts has brought a lot of new technology into the county,” Cunningham says. “I’ve met with him, we’ve talked. I’m hoping that we can work together with different cases that we find challenging. I’m glad to see him come in here.”
Cunningham said her staff at Mid-Ozark have taken the transition well and are experienced at the practice. Cunningham said she had future plans to add another veterinarian to the staff as well.
For Cunningham, the work is a calling. She has worked in and around veterinary clinics since she was 16 years old. She said her love for animals helps her make difficult choices that others may not want to make.
“I love animals, but I also don’t love them so much that I can’t make the right decision for them. Sometimes the right decision is to put them to sleep because they’re suffering, and there’s no other help or treatment. Sometimes, that means talking to people and trying to make them realize that they’re keeping their animal alive for themselves and not for the pet. That’s not in the best interests of the pet,” she said.
Cunningham’s purchase of the practice is a continuation of a life’s work that began as a passion--tempered with determination.
“I grew up on the farm, so I’ve always loved and liked the large animal aspect,” she said. “But I do also really enjoy working on the dogs and cats, interacting with their owners, and the animals of course. Thinking back to high school, when I decided that this is what I wanted to do; I had that desire, I enjoyed it, and I found it so interesting, and then I was all-in. Once I was all-in, I was invested, there wasn’t anything else I was going to do, that was it.”
