Clinic welcomes new vet

Crook County Veterinary Clinic welcomes a new practitioner: Jake Johnson, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, who took on the role at the beginning of the year upon moving to the county from Nebraska.

Johnson grew up in the south-central part of Nebraska. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), then attended vet school in a combined program between UNL and Iowa State University.

"After school, I practiced for six years in Imperial, Nebraska, which is in the southwest part of the state, before coming here in January," he says.

Johnson decided to hop the border and come to Crook County for a very simple reason: Wade Crawford is his brother-in-law.

"He's married to my sister," Johnson nods.

The transition has been relatively easy, he says, because this community and its needs are similar to the one he left behind.

Working with cattle is Johnson's favorite part of the job – a skill he'll be getting plenty of opportunity to exercise over the coming weeks.

"Calving season has taken off in the last week," he says.

"We should be testing bulls here before too long – and then, just hope it rains."

Johnson doesn't anticipate much will change for clients of Crook County Veterinary Service, except for a slight difference in how he handles spaying heifers.

"I do it differently to Wade and Warren; they do it through the flank, while I spay them vaginally," he says. "It's a less invasive procedure and they bounce back a lot quicker for them."

Johnson moved to the county to join his wife, Alex, who arrived in August to become the counselor at Sundance Elementary School along with the couple's two kids. The Johnson's have a five-year-old daughter, a two-year-old son and "number three is due any day".

"I came in January because I had a contract I had to finish in Nebraska," he says. Being apart for those months, he smiles, involved "a lot of road time".

The Johnsons live in Sundance. So far, he says, he's enjoying the community and settling in nicely.