Growing up on a farm or a ranch seems to set the bar pretty high for developing a strong work ethic, a healthy respect of the soil, the outdoors and nature.

It’s a lifestyle that many continue where they raise their families with the same values. It’s a childhood that is fondly remembered with an upbringing that educates youngsters on creatures and beasts and fowl.

Some, even many, young adults will leave the homestead but pursue their love of critters and devote their life to caring for them.

That was the route for Stephanie McIntyre who recently moved here with her husband, Dustin, and she now works for the Thompson Falls Veterinary Clinic.

“I grew up on a farm in central Ohio, where we raised foals and started young horses. As a kid I spent more time in the barn than anywhere else. Any time you have horses, you are bound to have an emergency at some point, and this is where I always loved watching and learning from our veterinarian as a kid.

"There is nothing more rewarding than being able to help something that can’t help themselves,” she said with a warm smile.

McIntyre graduated from Ohio State University with her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, but prior to this, she had been to The Big Sky Country.

“In 2014 I worked for four months in Miles City, Montana, for the U.S. Department of Agriculture working on beef cattle. That is when I fell in love with the state! I returned in summer of 2017 to do an externship with a veterinary clinic in Hardin.”

The Buckeye State was home with her parents, and two sisters still living there, yet there was a tugging on her heartstrings.

“After working at a mixed animal clinic in Ohio, several large animal opportunities came up in Montana and I knew I couldn’t pass them up! Dustin and I got on a flight the next week to come see the area. When we drove up to Thompson Falls, we looked at each other and, in that moment, knew we needed to make this our new home.”

For the majority of people who meet someone who is a veterinarian, we first think of dogs and cats, right? It would fit the bill if we lived in New York City, but in western Montana, your patients vary in species and size.

So, a large animal vet, which McIntyre is, can almost be considered a specialty. She admits that cattle and horses are her favorites.

“I think both teach kids good lessons on responsibility and patience and is a good way to grow up. I like working with horses because it honestly amazes me what some horses will do for people and the bond that they create with them,” she explains. “I like working with cattle because they are tough and there’s nothing better than getting a healthy calf on the ground.

"But I also like helping and working with producers to come up with solutions to problems or prevent them in the first place. I not only want them to have happy, healthy cattle, but also for their business to succeed. However, I also enjoy working with small ruminants like goat and sheep, because they are just so darn cute! she said with a grin.

Western Montana is chock-full of ranches and farms. The 4-H clubs have some of the most reliable kids in the area and there is no doubt that some are thinking the way McIntyre was during high school years.

Her advice: “If you are considering it as a career, I recommend shadowing your local veterinarian so you can gain experience and see if it is the right field for you. I also recommend researching the costs of going through school, as the debt-to-income ratio is a huge issue for the industry right now.

"It is a tremendously rewarding career where you can have a big impact on the lives of your clients and their animals.”

McIntyre and her husband love to go hiking and discover new places and they are finding there is much exploring to be done. She also enjoys riding her horse “Kenny” and while the area is beautiful, it is the kind and caring people that make it truly special.

Her biggest surprise after getting settled in Sanders County? “How could anyone want to live anywhere else!?"