THERE’S AN old saying that curiosity kills the cat. However, when it comes to veterinarian Dr. Ross Capps and his love and dedication to animals, along with his ever-growing knowledge of veterinary medicine, any curious cat is not only safe from harm, but has the opportunity to get the very best in care from Capps, along with his dedicated fellow veterinarians and staff at All Creatures Veterinary Clinic in Tullahoma.
An ever-evolving love of pets
At All Creatures, every day is different. With over a decade in veterinary medicine, Capps embraces each animal’s challenge, constantly learning, evolving, and deepening his care. A lifelong lover of pets, Capps’ journey seemed destined to work with animals. He said he was particularly drawn to the work because of the variety it offered through practicing medicine.
“I knew I wanted to do something medical, and I thought being a vet would offer me a lot of variety,” he explained. “Sometimes I wear my cardiology hat, and oftentimes I have to put on my dermatology hat. It’s not boring work. You see something new every day. Also, I have always had a love for animals.”
A graduate of Lipscomb University and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Capps found Tullahoma after wanting to live in Middle Tennessee post-college. In 2018 Capps and his All Creatures partners purchased Dr. Brad Windley’s Animal Medical Clinic on Lincoln Street. All Creatures Veterinary Clinic has locations in Manchester, Monteagle, Morrison, and Tullahoma.
The Tullahoma clinic relocated in 2022 to its current location at 936 N. Jackson St.
Going with the flow
For Capps and his team, veterinary medicine is a daily adventure. With evolving techniques, discoveries, and a deeper understanding of animals, each day brings fresh challenges that keep their work exciting and meaningful, and they are never stuck in routine.
“The constant changing of day to day is great,” explained Capps. “I love how every day is different. I just got back from a conference with lots of new ideas, and it’s exciting to come back and try out new procedures and ways of doing things. One of the main aspects I love about my job is surgery. I like doing surgery more than anything.”
Capps added that he also enjoys building relationships with both his patients and their owners.
“I love building relationships with people in the community,” he said. “Honestly, I didn’t foresee that happening in my career. But I have found that building relationships in the community and getting to know people and their animals is a fulfilling part of veterinary medicine, and building that trust with people is very important.”
Veterinarian meets the Tullahoma Police Department
Along with Capps’ many veterinary talents, he can also now include working with K-9s at the Tullahoma Police Department (TPD).
“I met (Cpl.) Derek Bowles through the Tullahoma Baseball League. He is the officer in charge of the department’s police dog,” explained Capps. “He began bringing his dog in, and the rest is history. Working with the dog and keeping him healthy has been exciting because I worked on some military dogs while in vet school at Tennessee.”
Capps added that the K-9s offered a chance to do something a little different.
“You are not able to treat these dogs like you treat other dogs, as they can be really intense, but I enjoy working with them,” he said. “I like working with hunting and police dogs, because they have a job to do. Keeping them healthy and top-notch with medicine and preventative medicine is super important because they have very important work to do. It’s exciting to be able to help keep that dog in good shape and feeling healthy so he can protect us in the community.”
For four years, Capps has worked with past and present TPD dogs, including the recently retired Storm and the new Tullahoma PD K-9, Nike.
“I started with Storm,” he said. “He’s a German Shepherd-Malinois mix that contracted a tumor in his front leg, along with some mild hip issues. Amputation was an option, but we chose to retire him instead. Derek adopted him, and we keep him comfortable with meds and supplements. We also ensure he stays active, happy, and has a good quality of life.”
Now stepping in to take Storm’s place is Nike, a pure Malinois.
“He’s a totally different dog from Storm,” said Capps. “While Storm is super active and aggressive, Nike has a little better head on his shoulders. He knows that he knows me when he comes into the clinic, and I can do his whole exam without a muzzle. We’ve become buds and he’s getting really good at his job.”
For the future
Celebrating 30 years, Capps is proud of his locally owned and operated facility. He plans to continue serving the community with dedication, care, and excellence while honoring its roots and looking ahead to many more years of trusted service and meaningful impact.
“There is always a lot going on,” explained Capps. “While we have our regular appointments, we also have stuff going on in the back, multiple patients that are being worked on. There may be surgery coming up in the back. We may have a dog having an epileptic seizure episode, so we’re trying to stop the seizure. So, patience is certainly important because I want to spend just as much time on your pet as I did on the last pet. The goal is to get a healthy animal walking out the door along with an owner who is relieved their pet is going to be OK.” GN
