South 71 Veterinary Clinic & Supplies

06/16/2024

06/14/2024

Last week was Pet Appreciation Week. Tonight our staff gathered together with our Distributor from MWI Trudy & Elanco Representative Tony. Sidewalk artists (Lacey, Nicky & Jenny) displayed art in honor of last weeks Pet Appreciation Week. We want all of our pet owners to know we appreciate your pets you share with us.

06/09/2024

We wait all year for summertime! Just a little reminder about our furry friends with temperatures climbing this summer!

06/05/2024

5 Functional Features of our Vet Clinic (That make your visit more comfortable and less stressful on our Patients too!)

1. Plenty of seating in a large space to rest while waiting for your appointment (making it easier to keep space between your pet and others; if that's preferred for them... and you)

2. In Floor Scale: Simply bring your pet over to the scale and we can grab a quick reading- no need to lift, step up, or finagle with a scale!

3. Treatment rooms with double doors. We can then tailor the appointment to the needs of the animal- if we need to go to another room, or out the back, we have easy, private access.

4. Cat Room specifically for our feline friends with a built in table and a hard ceiling (no chance to escape and hide…we’re here to help, we promise!)

5. ICU kennels in our central treatment area, allowing us to keep an EXTRA close eye on our patients who need special care.

Every day we are grateful for these options in the new clinic and we know they make each interaction with you better as well.

- Your South 71 Veterinary Team

05/27/2024

Our offices are closed today. We will have regular business hours beginning Tuesday.
For EMERGENCIES you can reach an on-call veterinarian at (320)235-7396 to triage your emergency.

05/20/2024

The ticks have been out in full force! Preventatives work! Stop in and pick up a product for your canine or feline today! (some products require a current exam with a veterinarian) These are a few ticks that were removed from patients this past week!

05/17/2024

Spending time at the lake can be a lot of fun! however, be cautious of blue-green algae.

05/12/2024

Happy Mother's Day to fur-Moms today!

Happy Mothers Day to all the mamas of pets and people! Enjoy your day today! 🐾

04/22/2024

Do you like baseball & dogs? Take a look at this upcoming event! Hope to see you there!

Upload your dog photo here!

Once the photo is submitted, a Stingers representative will contact you to purchase the ticket package and secure your dog’s photo on the jersey.

South 71 Veterinary Clinic & Supplies
Hawk Creek Animal Shelter

Read more: https://bit.ly/3Us8QsI

04/15/2024

Reminder to administer heartworm prevention this month! The 🦟 🦟 mosquitoes are out!

03/22/2024

Hi all! Jess Tollefsrud here 👋🏼

If you know me and my husband, Ryan, you know I'm the talker of the two 😉 so I thought I'd share a bit of his/our backstory:

1. In high school, Ryan helped out on a dairy farm along with crop farming with his brothers (5th generation family farming).

2. Originally, he went to SDSU for dairy production, but switched majors for Veterinary Medicine and graduated from Kansas State.

3. Right after graduating KSU, Ryan started working at a large dairy as a dairy herdsmen. He decided he could help more people by working at a vet clinic.

4. He took a job as a mixed animal Veterinarian at South 71 Veterinary Clinic under Dr. Steve Rumsey.

5. In 2017, Ryan bought the South 71 Veterinary Clinic.

6. In 2019, the Granite Falls Pet Clinic moved into a newly remodel vet clinic from Casey Gas Station.

7. Also, in 2019, his fiancé (now wife...thats me! 🙋🏻‍♀️) introduced horses into his lifestyle. He took the old retired John Deere baler out of storage and got it up and running again. In addition to everything else, he somehow manages to find time to bale hay in the summer to help feed our 2 horses.

8. In 2021, Ryan added the Montevideo location as a new satellite clinic.

9. In 2022, a BRAND NEW Veterinary Clinic was built to better accommodate all of South 71 patients/clients. (Thanks TWC!)

10. Outside of work and farming, we enjoy taking family trips: Zoos, Amusement Parks, Museums etc.

Oh! And he has a huge heart for his family and all his patients. We're pretty proud of our guy!

03/21/2024

This week is Pet Poison Prevention Week! To spread awareness, these are a few toxicity we have seen at our clinic. Please call right away if you would suspect ingestion of these items. Quick responses can be important to the safety of your pet.

03/21/2024

Did you know it's Pet Poison Prevention Month? A reminder of common toxins to keep away from your cats and dogs!

02/16/2024

February is Dental Month! Brushing your pets teeth with pet toothpaste and giving special chews and treats can aid in good oral hygiene. Complete dental cleanings (including full mouth radiographs) are available at our Willmar location. Please call if you are interested in more information.

02/14/2024

This sweet black and white kitty with a head tilt is Zoe. I'd posted her picture on Black Cat day here on the South 71 page, as I’m proud to share about all of our animals here on the farm.

We bought our farm 5 years this May and it came with a couple cats… but now we have plenty! We’ll be getting the ones we can catch fixed when possible in warmer months.

Out here in rural MN, there are risks for our cats of course. We know they enjoy roaming in freedom, but we keep an eye out for any issues.

We’ve had quite a few emergency needs for our animals, and the staff at South 71 has always been amazing to work with.

We had adopted Bella 🐶 from Hawk Creek . She’d been adopted out and then brought back a couple days later with trauma to her head, cuts in her mouth and swollen red eyes. They think she suffered abuse from previous adopters.

Once she was healed enough to adopt back out, I went to get her and I’ve had her ever since. It will be a year February 3rd.

Our cat, Carol, was dragging her back legs one day and we knew she needed help. So we brought her into South 71 late at night, like 10pm. Unfortunately there was nothing they could do so we had to put her down. The staff at South 71 handled her with extreme care and sympathy🫶🏼 for us.

And then there’s June, the white and grey cutie🐱! We made an emergency call for her and turned out she had a bad ear infection and busted ear drum. She spent a couple days at south 71. It wasn’t looking good because she wouldn’t eat, but we said just hold out for one more day and then she ate 🙌🏼 !

My husband, Nick, and I will do anything for our animals. They are our world.

We are big supporters of Hawk Creek Animal Shelter. They know I’m a sucker for special needs cats, so they had let me know about Zoe and I’m so thankful they did.

If anyone is looking for a new four-legged family member, please consider Hawk Creek adoption.

Thank you South 71 Vet Clinic for your care and your Emergency Services, we are so grateful to have you in our community!

-Vanessa

01/22/2024

The outlook looks great! (for January in Minnesota) The temperatures are heading up this next week! It will be a great opportunity to get outside and walk the dog!

01/12/2024

I grew up on a dairy farm. I enjoyed it very much, as I had my own special calves and led them down from the pasture. My dad would do the mechanical stuff and the crop farming; I took care of the animals. I participated in FFA through high school, acting as the President.

I went to Willmar Junior College. While there, I took an aptitude test. It so happened that I excelled in Veterinary Medicine and the Medical field. Once I got on the tract of Veterinary Medicine, I recognized it was a good fit.

I moved to Clara City after graduation and practiced there for 7 years. I met Karen at this clinic when she brought in her family dog. I had to check on my patient (wink wink) multiple times after that appointment. I later learned Karen’s dad (who typically brought their dog to me) told her SHE needed to take their dog in, and Karen was onto him. Her dad was my wingman 😆 God blessed the relationship and we were married.

It was shortly after starting our life together that I learned a most valuable lesson: I needed to pray about the major decisions in our life. Karen wholeheartedly agreed, and we started to make prayer a priority- what’s God’s will for us?

That intention in prayer led us to start the clinic here in Willmar. We didn’t have much capital, we had many hurdles to overcome, but God orchestrated the funds and the path so we could move ahead with the project.

Shortly after opening the doors, God provided way more business than we had anticipated. We started Dec. 1 and created a budget. By January, we were starting to say, “we need help!” We were open some nights and Saturday mornings to accommodate the business.

We gave it to God and He gave it back overflowing.

We spent our 5th wedding anniversary at Pizza Hut staring at each other falling asleep we were so exhausted.

At the height of the clinic operations, we had 8 doctors and 2 satellite clinics. Over the years, we’ve had amazing employees, we can’t thank them enough.

Karen has been with me every step of the way, in fact, she handled the operations and bookkeeping masterfully. I once asked her to find a receipt in the shoebox I had for “filing” and that was maybe enough. She developed a set of systems and organization that was invaluable to our practice.

Our daughter, Elizabeth, had her 3rd birthday party at the clinic; she and our son, Isaac, spent many hours at the family business. Elizabeth had her own project she called “Creature Things”. When she was 3 years old, she was my assistant during an emergency puppy c-section, taking each puppy and stimulating them to be sure they were okay. She just chipped right in! Isaac spent a lot of time with me going on calls. At 6, he knew how to hook up the apparatus to pull a calf.

Our motto was “Take advantage of the opportunities that you’re given”.

One time, I got a phone call and the lady said, “I need you to castrate my camel.” Yes, here in West Central MN! I said, “I’ll do it.” When I got there, I entered the pen and all the sudden, right in front of me, was an 8 foot Ostrich. I stepped left, he went to the left. I went right, he went right. I said to myself, “I better get out of here!” I ran for dear life. I only got kicked a couple of times. The good news is, we got the camel castrated and I earned more business at the exotic farm, including a bear I took care of for 16 years.

As I’ve sold the business to Dr. Ryan Tollefsrud, who is capable, energetic and genuine, I’m now able to work 3 days a week and focus on time with Karen, family, and grandkids (ranging from 1 year to 20! How fun!). God knew it was time for us to shift and He orchestrated it in His timing, which was perfect as always.

Karen and I are filled with gratitude for our family, friends, and this community. We are above all thankful for God’s will and hand in our lives. He is faithful and to be praised.

-Dr. Steve Rumsey

01/01/2024

We will return with regular business hours Tuesday! We wish you and your pets and animals a Merry Christmas!

12/19/2023

Happy Holidays!

12/08/2023

Meet the Team!

Meet Lacey!
Lacey joined us in 2023. She is a certified veterinary technician graduate from Ridgewater College in 2021. Large animal has Lacey’s heart, but also enjoys working with small animals. Spending time in surgery is a favorite. Outside of the clinic, Lacey enjoys camping, fishing, and cooking while sharing her home with her husband and dog, Winnie.

11/23/2023

Happy Thanksgiving! Our offices will reopen tomorrow morning.

11/20/2023

Holiday Hours for Thanksgiving week!

11/11/2023

Today we honor military veterans that served in armed forces. Both human and canine.

10/31/2023

Happy Halloween! Remember to keep the chocolates out of reach for our furry friends and to have ID tags on, in case of an escape!

10/27/2023

National Black Cat day is today! Let's celebrate together and share photos of all of the black cats we love!

10/15/2023

October 15-21, We celebrate Veterinary Technician Week! We would like to celebrate our technicians, as they are vital to our veterinary clinic! Emma, Nikki, Nicky, Nick, Nicole, Jess & Lacey, Thank you for everything you do!

10/02/2023

This week is National Walk your Dog Week! There are so many benefits of walking your canine. Today is a beautiful day to get out there and walk!

Happy DAY ONE of !

Walking your dog daily is crucial for several reasons:

1. **Physical Exercise**: It helps maintain a healthy weight, keeps muscles toned, and promotes cardiovascular health.

2. **Mental Stimulation**: Exploring new environments, encountering different sights, sounds, and smells engages their mind, preventing boredom and potential behavioral issues.

3. **Socialization**: It allows them to interact with other dogs and people, enhancing their social skills and reducing anxiety around unfamiliar situations.

4. **Behavioral Benefits**: Regular walks can help reduce hyperactivity, anxiety, and destructive behaviors in dogs.

5. **Bonding Opportunity**: It strengthens the bond between you and your dog through shared experiences and positive reinforcement.

6. **Joint Health**: Walking helps maintain healthy joints and can be particularly beneficial for older dogs or those with arthritis.

7. **Regulation of Bowel Movements**: It establishes a routine, making it easier to predict when your dog will need to relieve themselves.

Remember, the specific exercise needs can vary depending on the breed, age, and health of your dog, so it's important to tailor the walk to their individual requirements. 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

Show us pictures of your dog and tag