Dr. Dale Kaufman
“Doc” Kaufman grew up on his family’s farm and ranch, growing row crops and raising cattle and turkeys, in St. Vincent, Arkansas, a rural community of some two hundred families ten miles north of Morrilton, where his grandfather ran a country store. Doc graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology and animal science from Arkansas Tech University in 1975 before going on to Oklahoma State University, where he earned the DVM in 1979.
Doc has also completed additional training in cosmetic and soft tissue surgery, ear cropping, and ultrasound diagnostics. His professional affiliations include the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Arkansas Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Equine Practitioners, the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, and the American Society of Theriogenology. He is also a member of the Knights of Columbus.
In 1982, when Doc was ready to establish his practice, he chose Russellville for a variety of reasons. Not only was he an alumnus of Arkansas Tech, but “Russellville was just a great place to raise a family and a community where I could grow in knowledge and experience, take my kids to work with me, and live my life as a mixed practitioner specializing in anything no one else wanted to do.”
Doc is an avid hunter and fisherman who also enjoys horseback riding, cattle ranching, being a conservationist, and watching things grow. He and Jeana Kaufman raised four children: Kendra, also a veterinarian (OSU, 2006); Amy, a restaurant manager at a Tulsa-area Chili’s; Kristen, an intensive-care nurse at Children’s Hospital; and Brandon, a surveyor employed by the Heartland Surveying Company in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The Kaufmans are the proud grandparents of five delightful little girls.
According to Doc, “Veterinary medicine has been a way of life for us—not just a living. Come be part of our family.”
Dr. Jeana Kaufman
Jeana Kaufman grew up in the small towns of Hackett, Arkansas, and Jensen, Oklahoma. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Animal Science at Oklahoma State University in 1982, Jeana earned her DVM degree at Oklahoma State in 1988, specializing in small animal medicine. She started working at Town & Country in the spring of 1988, and over the past 25+ years, her goal has been “to provide the best care for each and every pet and client every time.” Jeana is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, as well as the Arkansas Veterinary Medical Association.
Jeana’s special interests include art, fishing, raising cattle, farming, gardening, cooking (she’s an excellent cook!), and being “MeMe J” to a bevy of talented and gorgeous grandchildren.
According to Jeana, “I have always felt that animals are a part of our souls, and we need them to make that part complete.”
Shelly Chwalinski – Veterinary Technician
Shelly has been with Town and Country for 26 years.Shelly is a certified Veterinary Technician and was voted Vet Tech of the year in 2009. She is married to Richard Chwalinski and they have three sons Zach age 21, Cullen age 21, and Tras age 17. All together they own and operate a cattle farm in Havana, AR and an excavating company in Little Rock, AR.
Delana Lewis – Bookkeeper
Delana has been with Town and Country for 11 years. Her duties include but are not limited to taking care of the books,bills,banking,accounting,and payroll.She enjoys spending time with her son Lee, daughter-in-law Misty, and precious granddaughter Maylee.
Ellen Schmidt-Kennel Tech
Ellen has a Riding Master IV degree from Meredith Manor School of Horsemanship and a Bachelors of Science in Equestrian Studies from Breneau Women’s College. She has taken classes in Animal Husbandry and Equine Science at Southwest Texas State University. She is a life member of the Welsh Pony and Cole Society of America. On her farm in Dover, AR she breeds and raises welsh ponies and crossbred cattle. In the past she has bred registered Labrador puppies, worked on many horse and pony farms and milked for goat and cattle dairies.
