Dr. Zach Adams, at left, has started his work at the Makotah Veterinary Clinic in Blue Earth.

Blue Earth’s veteran veterinarian, Dr. Robert Bogan, has undertaken a years-long quest to find a successor to his position.

The search has finally reached its conclusion.

Bogan, reluctant to leave Faribault County without a local veterinarian, pledged to prolong his retirement until a replacement could be found who was willing to care for large and small animals alike.

As an additional incentive to prospective candidates, Bogan promised he would gift his clinic, Blue Earth’s Makotah Veterinary Clinic, to the applicant of his choosing.

The searched ranged far and wide, and long. However, now Bogan and his team are thrilled to welcome Iowan Zach Adams to Makotah Clinic, and to Blue Earth.

Adams shares he grew up in a town very much like Blue Earth, where he and his sister, Ashley, were raised by parents Rhonda and Aaron Adams.

“Blue Earth is very similar to my hometown of Preston, Iowa,” Adams says. “It’s a very rural, farmer-type community.” 

Adams adds a clinic in a nearby town, Maquoketa, provided part-time work experience which prepared him perfectly to fill Bogan’s position.

“The clinic I worked at in Maquoketa has a similar mix between small and large animals,” Adams says. “So, this (clinic) feels very familiar to me.”

Though Adams has never lived in Minnesota, he has always felt an affinity with the state.

“I’ve always wanted to move to Minnesota; I’m a Vikings fan,” Adams says, adding he even loves the frigid winters which many Minnesota residents themselves despise.

Before arriving in Minnesota, however, Adams took a detour out East.

After receiving his undergraduate degree in animal science and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from Iowa State University, Adams traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina.

“I had a brief residency at North Carolina State University,” Adams says. “I studied poultry.”

It was through his Iowa alma mater that Adams discovered Bogan’s unique offer.

“I follow the Iowa State Vet School on Facebook, and they posted about this job,” Adams remembers. “I called my mom and told her this was a dream come true.”

“It was one perfectly-timed Facebook post,” he laughs.

At the time, Adams was very nearly done with his veterinary training. Now, he has received his veterinary degree and is waiting for his license to be processed.

“Dr. Bogan wanted to find someone who was ready to take the position,” Adams reflects when asked what he thinks set him apart from other interested candidates. “Nothing is guaranteed in vet school; it helped that I had already gone through the process.” 

Adams adds the position is well-suited to his interests in the veterinary field. It will allow him to maintain an even split between the time he spends calling on larger animals and seeing to smaller animals.

Adams anticipates roughly 40 percent of his time will be spent with larger animals, while the remaining 60 percent will be spent receiving smaller domesticated pets.

“It helped that I wanted to keep a 60/40 split,” Adams notes.

It was, in fact, the split in duties which Bogan found deterred many young vets from accepting the position in the first place.

Adams thinks the ratio is ideal, however.

“I like the variety,” Adams says.  

He explains the monotony of treating smaller animals year after year wears on many veterinarians.

“Burn-out is very common in the vet field,” Adams notes. “Small animal vets spend 80 to 90 percent of their day vaccinating pets and dealing with vomiting and diarrhea.”

Adams is looking forward to the variety in schedule which large animal care affords.

“I like being outside,” Adams says. “I love working with producers and getting to talk to farmers.” 

He enjoys aspects of clinic work as well, however.

“I love getting to cuddle with puppies, of course,” Adams says. “I also love doing surgeries.”

He concludes, “There’s more variety in the vet field. That’s not something human doctors get.” 

Nonetheless, Adams shares he originally assumed he would become a doctor for people, rather than animals.

“My grandma told me she wanted me to be a doctor of some sort,” Adams remembers. “If you get told you’re going to be a doctor, you think that’s what you’re going to do.” 

“I thought I would be an open-heart surgeon,” Adams continues. “But, I took an ag class in high school, and a vet came in to talk to us, and I thought it sounded nice to be able to help both people and animals.” 

“Animals are like family to people,” Adams clarifies. “The human/animal bond is healthy to both.”

As a pet owner himself, Adams can vouch for the joy of furry companionship.

“Most of my time at home is spent with my dog,” Adams says. He has a Chiweenie: a unique mix between a Chihuahua and a Dachshund.

“His name is Barkly,” Adams says. “If you see a car with an ‘I love my Chiweenie mix’ sticker driving around town, that’s me.” 

Adams also explores realms outside the animal kingdom.

“I love snowboarding,” he says. “I love fishing, and golfing. I love anything outdoors-y.” 

 Adams also anticipates lots of time spent at Makotah Clinic, however. He plans to complete at least a year of mentorship with Bogan. During this time he hopes to learn how the clinic works and become a better-known presence throughout the community.

“It’s important to build trust,” Adams notes.

He adds his first week of mentorship, which began on Jan. 3, went well. “My first day, I got kicked by a cow,” he admits.

“It’s nice to get back into the clinic setting,” he concludes, nonetheless.

Adams has big dreams for the clinic’s future.

“There have been a lot of changes in the veterinary field since Dr. Bogan came in the 1970s,” Adams explains. “There are a few modernizations to make.” 

However, Adams is happy to report the changes are not urgent. “He (Bogan) did a great job of taking care of the equipment,” he explains. “It’s older equipment, but it’s still in great shape.” 

Overall, Adams simply hopes to continue providing a service to the community which Bogan has become beloved for.

“I know the clinic means a lot to the city,” Adams says.