Staff writer
Animal patients and owners may have noticed a couple of new faces on the staff at Animal Health Center in Marion.
Veterinarians Brian and Shauna Davis recently moved to the area to practice at Marion and Herington locations.
They look forward to settling into a rural lifestyle.
“We’ve got three little ones, and big number four should arrive in November,” Brian said. “We both grew up in rural towns and wanted our kids to have that certain quality of life you can only find in small-town America.”
Both 32, they moved their family to a rural home near Hope before the end of July.
They both had farm and ranch backgrounds growing up, he said.
“We each come from families that raised beef cow herds,” Brian said. “Eventually, we’d like our kids to be able to do that too. We’re very adamant supporters of 4-H, and we’d like to have a small herd of cattle someday.”
The Davises met at Kansas State University, graduated with doctorates in veterinary medicine in 2009, and married a year later.
Brian also has a master’s degree in animal physiology. He has six years of mixed animal practice, which includes beef and dairy cattle, horses, and various house pets.
“I was also on staff at a privately owned zoo in Goddard,” he said. “I worked with lions, tigers, giraffes, rhinos, and primates.”
He said Shauna’s specialty is small animals, but she also has experience with cattle and horses.
“She’s a talented surgeon,” Davis said. “She’s got a lot of surgical experience on small animals.”
They will replace Rachel Jost, who quit to focus on family.
“We’re excited to have them and I think they will really fit in well here,” owner Jessica Laurin said. “They will rotate through Marion for emergency calls and Saturday work.”
Shauna will start sometime before the end of August and split her time between Marion and Herington.
Brian’s first day was Aug. 3. He primarily will work in Herington.