A much-loved Millstadt veterinarian was recognized recently by the community as he marked the end of a 45-year career, with countless farm animals and family pets left better off thanks to him.

Michael Harres was born and raised just a few miles south of Columbia. He graduated from Columbia High School and started his college career at Millikin University, pursuing an engineering degree.

As Harres recalled, it was around his junior year that he decided to change his plans, moving to the University of Illinois’ veterinary school thanks in part to many friends of his who were pursuing a range of medical fields.

Harres had also gotten to experience rural life in Monroe County thanks to his farming grandparents. He noted how he regularly saw local vets taking care of their animals both on his grandparents’ farm and during his high school summers working on a horse farm.

“I had a lot of friends in the medical health fields of study,” Harres said. “A lot of pre-med friends, a lot of pre-dental, that type of thing. I liked that direction. I liked the medical health field, but I really didn’t want to be a doctor, a human doctor. I really didn’t want to be a dentist, and I had grown up kind of in the country and had watched the vets work, had a love for animals and decided that would be a good career path for me.”

After graduating, he worked in South Bend, Ind., for a year before returning to the area.

As he was friends with fellow vet Dr. Shilliday in Waterloo, he reached out about a job only to be encouraged to start up his own practice.

He wound up in Millstadt, hoping to fill a major niche for the community in 1979 with the founding of Mon-Clair Animal Hospital.

“I went to Millstadt because, number one, there was no veterinarian in Millstadt, and I just felt like there was a need at that point,” Harres said.

Despite being the only veterinarian practice in the community, it took some time for business to pick up.

“I started this practice from the beginning, so it took a while,” Harres said. “Things were a little slow to develop. When I started the practice in the early years, I did everything. Small animals, pets, large animals, cattle, pigs, horses. Basically, anything that needed care, I did.”

Over the years, Harres steadily moved away from taking care of farm animals. His growing business had him too busy to travel out for a wealth of livestock patients, and he additionally stopped working on horses in the area when the needs of local house pets became enough to occupy his attention alone.

Harres recounted a few anecdotes from his work over the years, though he joked that he could fill several books on his different experiences.

One fond memory Harres and his wife share dates back to the early days of his practice when he was still largely working out of his car with a loaded doctor’s bag.

His wife joined him on one particular visit to care for a horse, though the many goats on the farm wanted his attention as well.

As the animals bumped and ran into him, others pulling equipment out of his bag, Harres’ wife was laughing away in the car.

Harres also recalled how, in his earlier days, he was still something of an athlete.

A sprained ankle sustained during a basketball game didn’t stop him from working, and Harres even managed to castrate a horse while he himself was on crutches.

When it comes to veterinary work, the actual care naturally centers around the animals, though Harres said he was always just as concerned about their human counterparts.

Harres voiced his appreciation to the community for allowing him to take care of their pets and animals, noting how much of a privilege it was for them to trust him with these family members.

Harres further spoke to how he viewed his work as a service.

“My basic philosophy was I was there for the people and their pets, not the other way around, and I wanted to do everything I could to help out the pets and the clients,” Harres said. “For every animal, there is a human being that’s involved, and it becomes an interesting dynamic where, in my opinion, you had to focus both on the needs of the pet and the needs of the client.”

Harres noted that as he sold his practice to a larger veterinary corporation some years back, his recent retirement didn’t end exactly how he had hoped.

Nevertheless, he looks back on his many years of service with great fondness.

“I loved my job,” Harres said. “I loved it from the beginning when things were slow and a little difficult, and I continued my love for my job all the way through. I miss it. I really do miss it.”

Harres has come to know several fellow vets in the area over the years.

One such vet, Dwight Boehm, currently operates out of Waterloo Animal Hospital, though he first worked alongside Harres for a time.

Boehm had high praise for Harres, noting how he absorbed his knowledge like a sponge and pointing out just how many previous patients have been wishing him a happy retirement.

“Mike has been my mentor,” Boehm said. “He’s taught me a lot of things, being with the public and how to present yourself and all that… I truly, truly appreciate what he all did for me.”

While he’s left his full-time practice, Harres anticipates continuing his work in some capacity in the future – though he still hopes to spend a great deal of time with his family.

Harres also further expressed appreciation for the many clients he’s served over the years.

“If one were to ask me if I could start all over and do it different, I’d say no,” Harres said. “I enjoyed every minute of it.”