PRESTON — The Animal Medical Clinic, which has served the community for decades, has expanded from three veterinarians to four.

Dr. Alan Atkinson, owner of the clinic at 795 W. Oneida St., said two new veterinarians have been hired in the past couple of years. The first was Dr. Ty Carpenter, who was hired after a previous veterinarian decided to move to another practice, leaving Atkinson and Dr. Lincoln Mumford shorthanded.

"It's difficult to recruit veterinarians for rural mixed practice," Atkinson said. "We had put out ads, but two years went by without any serious interest."

Atkinson said Carpenter expressed interest in coming to Preston in spring 2024 after graduating from veterinary school. He officially started work at the clinic in July 2024.

"He was also looking at three or four other practices," Atkinson said. "Luckily we rose to the top."

The second doctor who brought the practice to four veterinarians is Dr. Sabrina Wallace. She worked at the clinic before attending veterinary school and wanted to return. She was hired in May.

"We already knew her and had a good relationship," Atkinson said. "This was the only place she wanted to come to work."

Wallace was worried she wouldn't be able to get a job at the Animal Medical Clinic because it had just hired Carpenter, but there was room for her.

"Before we lost our third vet in 2022, we were about to the point where we were trying to bring in a fourth," Atkinson said.

The transition to four veterinarians required ensuring there was enough work for everyone, but Atkinson said everyone is happy with the new situation.

"We're happy to have the extra help after being down a vet," Atkinson said. "We were blessed that we could get two quality individuals."

The Animal Medical Clinic was founded in 1979. Atkinson has been with the clinic since 1999 but didn't become the owner until 2015. Mumford has been with the clinic since 2005.

"It's continued to grow," Atkinson said. "It's become more of a true mixed practice."

When the clinic first opened, it mostly treated livestock. Now it treats smaller animals such as dogs and cats but still treats livestock.

"The clinic wasn't adequate for smaller animals," Atkinson said. "It was too cramped, so in 2020, we remodeled and added on. We pretty much doubled our working space."

The Animal Medical Clinic serves animals from throughout the region, including Preston, McCammon, Bear Lake, Malad and northern Utah.

"Since we are close to the Utah border, we're licensed in Utah and Idaho," Atkinson said. "We cover both states."