HALLTOWN | For the first time in decades – maybe ever – Red Bay has hometown licensed veterinary care.
Vina native Lindsey Turbyfill Smith has opened her own practice just east of Red Bay at 4595 Hwy. 24 in a completely renovated building near County Road B-28. She is happy to be back home, is excited about the prospect of running her own business, and looking forward to being part of the community and getting involved locally.
“I’m glad to be closer to family,” Smith said. “My husband is originally from just outside Starkville (the town of Mathiston, Miss.), so this is moving for him. I’ve always been small-town oriented, with my dad owning his own business. My mom was very involved in it as well.”
Smith, who is a 2006 graduate of Vina High School, attended Northwest Shoals Community College before transferring to Mississippi State University, where she completed her studies in the College of Veterinary Medicine in 2016. After college she worked for a veterinarian in New Albany, Miss., for two years, handling all the emergency after-hour calls. She now looks to bring her passion for taking care of animals back to residents of this area. She credits time spent as a youth with her grandfather, Roy Bolton, for spurring her interest in the field.
“The generic answer is I’ve always loved animals,” Smith said. “But it had a lot to do with Papaw Bolton’s farm, growing up and going there. I learned a lot from him. He’s always taken pride that I could tell the sex of a kitten pretty early. He taught me that.”
Smith said she enjoys working with both dogs and cats, but is also looking forward to being able to go out and work with farm animals as well. There are a few more inspections to go through before she will be able to offer farm-call services.
Smith Animal Clinic brings a state-of-the art facility and services to Red Bay. The latest in diagnostic equipment has been installed, allowing Smith to do blood tests in-house in as little as 10 to 15 minutes and digital x-rays that take 60 seconds to process. Additionally, the clinic offers boarding services and features an air-conditioned facility with outdoor runs. The clinic will also offer several lines of pet foods, including prescription-based pet foods and other brands not typically available locally, saving area residents trips to Florence or Tupelo. They will carry flea and tick products, such as preventative treatments and shampoos as well.
A ribbon cutting for the business is planned for Saturday, Sept. 29 at 11:30 a.m. The clinic is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed from noon-1 p.m. for lunch), and will also open the first Saturday of each month from 8 a.m. until noon, but that is subject to change. They also take emergency and after-hours calls. Simply phone the main number, 256-356-2800, and a message will tell how to get in touch with her.Smith is the daughter of Tony and Laurel Turbyfill of Vina. She and her husband, Daniel, have two daughters, ages 4 and 16 months old.
