Local vet clinic prioritizes community involvement

by John Dowd

One of the things most beloved about Montana is the “small-town feel.” Many who move to the state do so because of that feeling of community and connectedness. One such person who passionately believes in community connection is Dr. Linda Kauffman, owner of Burnt Fork Veterinary Clinic in Stevensville. In order to maintain that community, Kauffman has worked to stay involved in the community, as a local business owner. Her view is shared by her two co-owners. That process of co-ownership has been another way to maintain the feeling of small town, by keeping the business in private, local ownership. 

Dr. Zachary Damby, a mixed animal associate veterinarian, has been with BFVC since late 2020. As of January this year, he is also part owner of the practice. Damby cited the clientele and the natural beauty as main drivers of his love for the area, and said he very much agrees with the idea that community is key in a business. He loves his job, saying, “I really like the practice. The culture we have at this clinic is very healthy.” He also spoke on how other, small clinics like BFVC are fading away, and becoming less common everywhere. 

For Damby, and the other vets at the clinic, keeping that small, hometown nature, and investment in the community, are key parts of why they do what they do as vets. “I know that it’s really important to keep it privately owned within the community,” said Damby. “It’s easier, as a business owner, to be involved with the community if you live in the community.”

These thoughts were echoed by the original clinic owner, Kauffman. She has noticed that it is hard for out-of-town owners to maintain their involvement in the community, and act with the best interests of the community at heart.

Kauffman started the business in 1999, buying Stan Swartz’s clinic that was closing. Kauffman said that many clinics are selling to large corporations, which Kauffman attributes mainly to the money these corporations are willing to pay to purchase the small clinics. Though Kauffman admits that money is an important element, to her it is not the only important reason to go into business. “I think it’s important because we participate in the community and we keep money in the valley,” she said. “It’s who I am.”

Kauffman grew up on a farm, working with animals. She started with the goal of being a large animal vet, because that is what she knew. Kauffman said where she comes from, and as she grew up, most people did not take their dogs and cats to the vet. So, for her, large animal medicine was the way to go, but as she advanced in her career, she realized that small animals were where the money was. Eventually, she found that those small animals were the bulk of what she ended up working with. Now, they do some large animal care, but the majority of their practice is definitely household pets. 

Her experience of growing up in a small town has stayed with her. She said that BFVC tries to be a part of the community in every way it can. Fortunately, all three partners share this ideology. “It’s important to all of us,” said Kauffman. “We live here and we’re invested in this community.” According to Kauffman, who knows of many small clinics that have sold out, when a corporation buys out one of these clinics, the corporation has certain goals in mind. Kauffman explained that they often focus on production, efficiency, organization and prioritize profit over the employees and the community. According to Kauffman, “As much as animals are a part of what we do, it is also about people.”

Another vet, and part-owner, Dr. Kirstin Bull, bought in two years ago. Having worked with the practice since 2017, Bull decided to buy into the business in late July of 2022, to further her career and to have a say and to keep the business locally owned. She was able to do so with Kauffman’s help financing the loan. Otherwise, Bull said she would not have been able to afford buying into the business so early in her career. 

According to Bull, buying into the business was a natural step. Bull said that, in a way, she grew up with Kauffman, bringing her own pets into BFVC. “I just knew that I wanted to be a part of the community here,” said Bull. She always loved animals and became a vet to work with them and most importantly, to become an integral and useful part of her community. Having grown up in Corvallis, and taking her sheep to 4 H events in the valley and to the clinic, the journey for her has seemed to come full circle, back to BFVC. “We just meet a community need,” said Bull, and to her that’s what means the most. 

For more information on Burnt Fork Veterinary Clinic, interested parties can visit the website at burntforkvet.com.