Living the Lake Life for over 40 years.
Serving the Lake of the Ozarks since 1984, with a passion for the unexpected.
Lake of the Ozarks Animal Hospital opened its doors on January 1, 1984, with Dr. Jim Willsman, DVM, at the helm. Built specifically to serve as a veterinary hospital, the clinic has been part of the Lake community for more than four decades. And if you know the area, you might recognize its signature blue building, a local landmark that has helped clients find their veterinary team since day one. Today, the hospital continues its story as R Veterinary at the Lake in Linn Creek, bringing its own character and commitment to the unusual to the R Veterinary family.
Where It All Began
On January 1, 1984, Dr. Jim Willsman, DVM, opened Lake of the Ozarks Animal Hospital, establishing a veterinary hospital in the heart of the Lake of the Ozarks area.
From the beginning, the clinic had a place of its own, both in the community and on the local landscape. Its purpose-built facility was ready to welcome patients, and its unmistakable blue exterior would become a familiar sight to clients and passersby alike.
A willingness to embrace the unexpected, a team with plenty of personality, and a long-standing tradition of caring for the animals and people who make the Lake community unique.
The Big Blue Box
Some buildings blend into the background. This one has never had that problem.
Built in 1983 specifically to serve as a veterinary hospital, the building was ready for its first patients when Lake of the Ozarks Animal Hospital opened on January 1, 1984. Its signature blue color has been a recognizable part of the local landscape ever since, helping clients and passersby spot the hospital through the years.
Affectionately known as the Big Blue Box, the building is more than a place to bring a pet for care. It is a familiar landmark with a history of its own, standing as a constant through decades of veterinary medicine at the Lake.
A Lake of the Ozarks Original
Life at the Lake has its own character, and Lake of the Ozarks Animal Hospital has built an identity that reflects its surroundings. Since 1984, the hospital has been part of a community where pets are part of everyday life, whether they are homebodies, outdoor adventurers, or companions along for the ride.
The clinic's commitment to the unusual is part of what makes it distinctive. It reflects an openness to the unexpected and an appreciation for the variety of animals and experiences that come through a veterinary hospital's doors.
As R Veterinary at the Lake in Linn Creek, the hospital continues to bring its own personality to the broader R Veterinary family while keeping its Lake-area roots at the center of its story.
A Lake of the Ozarks original Joins R Veterinary
In May 2016, Lake of the Ozarks Animal Hospital became part of R Veterinary, joining Dr. Katie and James Rericha in building something bigger while preserving what made the hospital special. For Katie, the Lake has always been close to home. As the first clinic in the R Veterinary story, Linn Creek helped lay the foundation for a vision rooted in veterinary medicine, meaningful relationships, and a commitment to the communities that make these practices more than just places to work.
Together, Katie and James set out to grow R Veterinary by bringing independent veterinary practices together without erasing the history, identity, or people that made each one unique. Their approach was built on a simple belief: a clinic can become part of something bigger and still feel like home. That means supporting the people who provide care, respecting the trust a practice has earned over the years, and creating room for veterinary teams to keep growing.
Lake of the Ozarks Animal Hospital brought decades of history, a distinctive local identity, and its unmistakable Big Blue Box to that vision. Its place in the Lake community was already established, and joining R Veterinary gave that legacy a new chapter rather than a new identity.
Today, R Veterinary at Linn Creek remains part of the story that began here in 2016. The vision has grown to include nine clinics and over 125 team members, but the heart of it remains the same: independent, doctor-led veterinary care built around people, their pets, and the communities they call home.