By Vinde Wells

Editor

Oregon's newest veterinarian is committed to keeping pets healthy in every way.

"I like to see the bond between people and animals and keeping that healthy," said Emily Schier. "I like to focus on client communication and how we can prevent disease."

Schier, 28, began her practice in Oregon on Feb. 2, working with Dr. Tom Champley and the staff at Pines Meadow Veterinary Clinic, where she will focus her time on treating pets.

"I'll be doing general practice," she said. " We can offer new safer medications today. It's good to be working in an environment that's open to the advances of veterinary medicine."

Schier and her husband Eric live in Mt. Morris, where he and his father Larry raise beef cattle.

She previously was in a practice in the Lena and Freeport area but decided she wanted to work closer to home.

Animals have always been an important part of her life.

Growing up in the Sycamore area, she was involved in 4-H and FFA and showed pigs.

"And we always had dogs," she said.

One of the perks of her job is that her two dogs, Lily and Dannie Rae, can come to work with her every day.

Becoming a veterinarian was not her plan when she went off to college at Iowa State University.

"I actually wanted to be a teacher," Schier said. "But I was also interested in medicine and surgery."

Doing a swine research project at the university led her to change her major.

"That got me interested in being a vet," she said.

She earned her doctor of veterinary medicine degree at the University of Illinois.