Morton Relief Veterinary Services, LLC
W. Bryant Morton, DVM 600 Hilltop Road Shelbyville, TN 37160
931-695-3301 931-808-5756
Dr. Morton provides relief veterinary services for veterinarians that need temporary help for vacations, continuing education, emergencies, etc. Located in middle Tennessee, Bryant is licensed to practice veterinary medicine in Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia but is currently not accepting jobs farther than a couple hours' drive from home.
Bryant graduated from N.C. State with a degree in Animal Science, and went on to Tuskegee University where he graduated in 1995 with his degree in Veterinary Medicine. He was awarded the Upjohn Large Animal Proficiency Award during his senior year in vet school. He worked in a private mixed animal practice in southeastern NC for one year following graduation, and then opened up the Elizabethtown Veterinary Hospital in Bladen County, NC with his wife Wendy (University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine 1991) in July of 1996. The hospital was a mixed animal practice (80% small animal) in a large rural county and business grew quickly. Bryant was named Young Veterinarian of the Year in 1997 by the N.C. Veterinary Medical Association. Elizabethtown Veterinary Hospital was named Bladen County Small Business of the Year in 2006. Desiring a change in lifestyle with two young sons, and heeding a call from their farm in middle Tennessee, the Mortons sold the practice and moved to TN in mid 2006.
Bryant understands the concerns a practice owner faces when leaving their business for any period of time. He understands the need to 'get away from it all' without being on the phone 'putting out fires' at the hospital. He understands the need for a smooth transition between attending veterinarians for the patients', clients' and employees' sake. He knows what it is like to try to find a relief vet in an emergency situation with less than 24 hours notice. He is a firm believer in the value of client communication, the demand for practicing top quality veterinary medicine, and the importance of teamwork in the workplace.
Bryant works as an independent contractor and carries his own liability insurance. He charges by the hour with rates higher on the week-ends and holidays. He is available for emergency duty if necessary, and for emergency clinics overnights and on week-ends. He currently practices almost exclusively small animal medicine and surgery, but has significant experience in large animal and some zoo animal experience. His schedule usually fills up several months in advance but he is willing to fill in at a moment's notice if he has an open day.
Bryant spends his free time working on his farm. Golden Gaits Farm breeds and raises Tennessee Walking Horses, Spotted Saddle Horses, Friesians and Curly horses. The farm also has a fledgling vineyard, with hay production and cattle in future plans. He and Wendy have two sons- Bart (7) and Alex (4).
