18 Jun 2020 A new face: Vet feels calling to care for others
Dr. Emily Lovell has had a big heart for helping others, especially animals, since she was a young girl. Today, she is putting that interest and her education to work as an associate veterinarian at Hartman Animal Hospital.
“Helping people and animals just made sense to me,” she said. “As I grew up, animals just became my happy place. I knew without a doubt in my heart that God placed me on this earth to take care of others, specifically animals.”
Emily likes almost every aspect of her work. “My absolute favorite thing is teaching clients the ins and outs of their animals and how their bodies function,” she said. “It is such a rewarding experience when I know a client walks out of the room understanding what is going on with their pet and why we do the things we do to prevent and treat diseases.”
It is important that clients understand and seek preventative medicine for their pets, according to Emily. “Vaccines, annual blood work, checkups, etc. are the best way you can care for pets,” she said. “Always being proactive about your pet’s health is so much more important than only taking your pet to see us when they are ill. Please always be responsible and only take the advice of a licensed veterinarian when it comes to your animal’s wellbeing.”
Emily said that being a veterinarian does have its challenges. “I think most veterinarians would agree across the board that it is incredibly challenging to lose a patient and even more challenging to help the families cope with these losses. It is an emotional experience no matter the circumstances.”
Born and raised in Fort Smith, Emily earned a bachelor of science degree at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith and a doctor of veterinary medicine degree at the University of Missouri in Columbia. She and her husband, Dylan, recently moved to Conway from Columbia. He is a financial advisor at Northwestern Mutual in Conway. “We have been married for three years this July,” she said. “The rest of my family lives in Fort Smith, and the rest of Dylan’s family is spread out all over the state, some in Northwest Arkansas, Jonesboro and Texarkana. Our families are especially important to us.”
Emily and Dylan’s “fur kiddos” include a Golden Doodle named Harper. “She is our oldest and sweetest of the group. She never meets a stranger,” she said. “Our second is a yellow Labrador named Rue who is the best cuddle bug around. We also have a kitty cat named Messi, after the soccer player, because my husband said if we had a cat, he got to pick out the name.”
Still new to Conway, the two have not had an opportunity to get involved in the community or join a church, but it is something they plan to do. “We hope to establish a church family very soon, as we just moved to town,” she said, adding that faith is very important to them.
Emily and Dylan also enjoy spending time outdoors. “I actively enjoy working out, golfing, kayaking, fishing, running, etc. I love to be outside,” she said. “My husband and I most every weekend are planning our outdoor adventures. We are still so new to town we haven’t established a lot of club activities yet, but I would eventually love to be a part of the Chamber. Social volunteering and establishing that town relationship is essential to me and has always been a big part of my life.”
As they settle in, Emily said she and her husband are happy to call the 501 home. “We are so excited to be in Conway, and we cannot wait to see where else God leads us while we are here!”
Hartman Animal Hospital, located at 385 Hogan Lane in West Conway, is staffed by Drs. Greg Hartman and JoAnna Roath. The clinic provides general veterinary medicine, diagnostic services and companion animal medicine and surgery. For more information, visit hartmananimalhospital.com or call 501.450.6444.
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