Tales and Tails of a Veterinarian Up North
The journey of a veterinarian is filled with rewards and challenges. Let’s take a sneak peek inside the life of Dr. Dan Butterfield who practices in Park Rapids, Minnesota.
Dr. Butterfield was raised in Northern Idaho and received his B.S. degree in animal science at the University of Idaho in Moscow. A year later, he enrolled at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington (just across the ID/WA border from Moscow) where he received his veterinarian degree.
For Aspiring Veterinarians …
Aside from “getting good grades,” Dr. Butterfield recommends anyone interested in going to vet school should “get work in the field to find out if you like it. You’re investing eight years in education. Make sure that’s what you want to do before you get that far.” Dr Butterfield himself worked in a vet clinic for two years before going to vet school.
Upon graduation, he practiced in La Grange, Oregon for two years and later practiced in Bozeman, Montana for 19 years. The last six years in Bozeman, Dr. Butterfield ran his own mobile clinic. Then a year and a half ago, he decided to move to Park Rapids in northern Minnesota.
Serving Animals, Both Large and Small
When asked how he feels about being both a small and large animal vet, he replies “I like the diversity.” He likes being able to work with people with both large and small animals and being able to use information and styles from both to make each one better.
Dr Butterfield owns his own vet clinic, Evermore Services for Pets & Veterinary Clinic. He also continues to run his mobile unit that he takes on the road. Sixty percent of his practice is small animals and forty percent is large animals.
The biggest skill that large animal vets need is the ability to adapt to working out in the field instead of in the hospital. He adds, “but you can’t always get the same results because you can’t always use the same methods in both environments.”
Another skill he recommends is, “great communications.” You have to be able to read the dog, read the owner, and get the information you need to make diagnoses that provide the best care.
What Dr. Butterfield likes the best about being a vet is the chance to work with both people and animals. What he likes the least is needing to charge people and not being able to provide services to everyone who cannot pay.
As for having his own practice, Dr. Butterfield says “I enjoy the extra challenges of ownership and I enjoy the freedom to be able to point my practice in whichever direction I want to and it allows me the freedom to make my schedule.”
Staying Warm with ororo!
When asked how he stays warm in the winter, he responded “Heated Apparel! And lots of layers! Heated apparel is important as a veterinarian because sometimes you don't get to wear a lot of layers. You've got to strip down to be able to do some of the work that you're going to do and that's one thing that's great about a vest, when your arms have to be exposed.”
Animal Vet, Hobby Farmer and Ski Patroller
Dr. Butterfield also has his own hobby farm outside of Park Rapids with about 30 animals – horses, chickens, goats, dogs and cats. It includes a boarding facility with 42 kennels for dogs. He raises Flat Coated Retrievers and he and his life partner, Shawna Lea, show them as well. “The great thing about them is they are an all-purpose breed. Super happy, super functional, love to retrieve, love to work, love to hunt. They want to play. They want to do whatever you want to do.”
Another hobby of Dr Butterfield’s is being a ski patroller and EMT during winters in Bozeman. He started skiing as a wee lad of three years old, and he’s been a ski patroller and EMT at Bozeman for twenty years now. Since he’s moved to Park Rapids, he continues to go back to Bozeman for a few weeks in the winter for his ski patrol.
ororo Heated Vests are Perfect for Outdoor Animal Care
Dr. Butterfield proves his versatility in being a large and small animal vet in his office and on the road, keeping himself warm in the outdoors with his ororo Heated Vests! Check out our Men’s Heated Softshell Vest or visit our variety of vests (insert link) and other heated apparel to keep you warm when you need it!
