The best doctor in the world is the veterinarian. He can’t ask his patients what is the matter – he’s just got to know. — Will Rogers

Four legs or two legs, feathers or fur, canine or bovine, 1,000 pounds or 10 pounds, young or old – all are treated with compassionate, common sense care in the hands of longtime Hennessey resident and veterinarian Dr. James M. Matousek.

As a new, yet familiar face, he has recently taken ownership and full-time veterinary practice at Wheatland Veterinary Hospital north of Kingfisher.

Matousek purchased the clinic from Dr. Jim and Nancy Stock upon their retirement in May, after 42 years of serving the Kingfisher community.

A 1997 Hennessey High School graduate and 2004 graduate of Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Matousek began his career in Siloam Springs, Ark.

After completing an internship at the clinic, Matousek accepted a position as an associate veterinarian for two years. He worked alongside four experienced veterinarians in the large clinic which served residents of three states - Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri.

“It was a very busy practice and I learned a lot there,” Matousek said.

The experience and the mentorship of the veterinarians in Siloam Springs did a lot to shape the course of his practice, he said.

“They were eager to teach and share their experiences and to guide me,” Matousek commented.

One of the most important things he learned from them was to never be afraid to tackle a job that you haven’t done before or have limited experience with, he said.

In the summer of 2006, Matousek and his wife, Sarah, returned to Hennessey, where he began practicing at Matousek Veterinary Clinic with his uncle, Denis Matousek. He served the people of Kingfisher County and surrounding communities for 14 years at the clinic before purchasing Wheatland Veterinary Hospital in May.

Most veterinarians want to branch out and own their own clinic and it was time, Matousek said.

He approached Dr. Jim and Nancy Stock to see if they were looking to retire soon and would be interested in selling their practice.

The timing was perfect.

Matousek has begun a new venture at the longstanding clinic and the Stocks are also on a new journey to relax a little and spend more time with family.

“I have driven by this vet clinic for the past 14 years and admired it every time I drove by,” Matousek said.

It is a really nice vet clinic with nice facilities and a great location, he said.

“With the help of my wife and children, everything worked out great,” Matousek commented.

Married for 16 years, he and his wife have six daughters – Jocelyn (12), JoHanna (10), Julianne (9), Jessica (7), Joy (5), Jane (3) and another child on the way.

Sarah is originally from Enid and is a speech therapist.

Matousek is also a fourth generation farmer/rancher in Kingfisher County. His parents, David and JoElaine Matousek, are Hennessey natives and he and his father have a cattle and farming operation together.

Together they raise wheat and alfalfa, along with a cow/calf herd.

As a young boy, he told his father his future plan was to farm and do a little doctoring on the side. His father suggested he do some doctoring with a little farming on the side.

The decision to pursue a career in veterinary medicine, Matousek said, gave him the ability to provide services for people and their animals and still remain close to the farm.

With his cow operation, Matousek also raises embryo calves for some of his clients throughout Oklahoma.

He has been practicing bovine embryo transfer for about 10 years, he said.

“I’m all about anything in bovine reproduction,” Matousek commented.

Basically the process involves using medication to increase production and rescue of eggs from donor cows, fertilizing them in the cow via artificial insemination and then retrieving the embryos to be frozen or transferred into a recipient cow, he said.

With his embryo transfer service and years of veterinary practice in Hennessey, Matousek has developed relationships within the community and is looking forward to continuing to serve the community at his new location.

There are currently three other employees working alongside Matousek at the clinic - Shelby Cameron, Jared Cook and Nancy Stock.

“Nancy agreed to continue working part-time and she is a great asset to the practice, as well as Shelby and Jared,” Matousek commented.

The Stocks did a great job keeping the clinic up to date and his plan is to continue to improve it as needed, he said.

“I am very fortunate to own Wheatland Veterinary Hospital,” Matousek said. “It is a great opportunity to serve the people of Kingfisher County and the surrounding communities in this location.”

They are able to provide services for both large and small animals at the clinic.

“I hope that when people come to our veterinary clinic they feel like they received a service that benefited them and their animals well,” Matousek said.

“They can always rest assured that common sense medicine will be practiced here.”