V E T E R I N A R YNL E G E N D S
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El Paso’s history runs rich with individuals who made a significant impact on their community and left a legacy for their profession. Legends stand as pioneers—men and women who brought not only veterinary expertise to El Paso, but forms of creativity that are still admired and revered to this day.

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JERRY SIMMONS, DVM
Legends are Made, Not Born!

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El Paso has been blessed with a few men and women in the veterinary profession that have stood a head taller than the average—affecting change and making a difference in the animal industry. Previous recognized Legends are: Bob Butchofsky (veterinary mentor), John Broadwell (EPVMA founder), Sue Zarges (first woman practitioner in the Southwest), and Horst Schreck (veterinary renaissance man). Our 2015 honoree, Dr. Jerry Simmons ranks among these greats as a pioneer in the veterinary brokerage and appraisal industry.
mmnAfter graduating in 1965 from Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine, Jerry traveled to the west Texas city of El Paso to practice racetrack medicine. He soon discovered it was hard to break into that field, so he started a mixed animal practice operation out of his two-room house on Conley Road. Over the next 20 years, Dr. Simmons built, sold, rented, relocated, partnered and merged animal practices all over the map geographically in El Paso. Some of the practice locations he initiated were: Mesa Veterinary Clinic, Crossroads Animal Hospital, Anthony Animal Clinic, Sun Valley Animal Hospital, Pebble Hills Animal Clinic, and Foot Hills Animal Hospital.
mmnAll this buying, selling and merging locally set the groundwork for what was to become a widely acclaimed, national veterinary practice brokerage and appraisal business. Jerry called this newly formed corporation Simmons & Associates. Within seven years, this company expanded from its home in El Paso to the east and west coastal boundaries of the United States.
mmnJerry stands out as one of the pioneers of the veterinary brokerage and appraisal business in the western world. Veterinary legend, colleague, husband, father and friend—Jerry Simmons has given our profession 50 years of his very best.

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HORST SCHRECK, DVM · 1885-1967
(Posthumously Recognized)

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El Paso’s history runs rich with persons who made a significant impact on their community and left a legacy for their profession. Horst Schreck was one such pioneer who brought not only his veterinary expertise to El Paso, but forms of creativity that are still admired and revered to this day.
mmnBorn one of nine brothers in Herisau, Switzerland in 1885, Horst migrated via England to Canada and then into the United States in 1906 where he hired on as an apprentice printer in Cincinnati, Ohio. Legend has it that Horst entered a nationwide logo contest for national brands and one of his designs was chosen for the price of $2.00—the “Little Dutch Girl” on Dutch Cleanser.
mmnWhile working as a practice assistant in New York, Horst Schreck was accepted into the veterinary program at Indiana Veterinary College in Indianapolis, Indiana. Upon graduation in 1916, he joined the United States Army Veterinary Corps, and while serving in the Army, Horst became a U.S. citizen and was commissioned to produce national recruitment posters for the Veterinary Corps during World War I. Dr. Schreck settled to practice veterinary medicine in El Paso after his discharge in 1919 at his last military assignment at Ft. Bliss, Texas. His practice years stretched from 1920 until retirement in 1946. He practiced both large and small animal medicine and maintained a long-time association with Price’s Dairy, taking care of their extensive herd.
mmnA man of many talents, Dr. Schreck architecturally designed several houses and two veterinary hospitals. In 1932, he reconstructed the El Paso Veterinary Hospital on 2017 Texas Street. Created in Mission Revival Style, the structure still features a frieze that depicts animal skulls and a matched pair of carved Mastiffs above the entrance. Later, he designed the more modern hospital at 2101 Texas Street later known as the Animal Emergency Clinic. This hospital design was awarded and used as a principal design of other hospitals across the nation.
mmnAfter retirement, Dr. Schreck moved to a 228-acre farm on North Loop Road southeast of Ysleta. With coordinated soil/water and plant conservation programs for his farm, he reached a sustained cotton yield of two bales per acre and six tons of alfalfa per acre.
mmnIn the late 1950s, Dr. Schreck returned to art full time. Using all forms of paint media (inks, watercolor, oil, charcoal, etc.), Horst created many works that hang in numerous local homes and commercial buildings. He designed the stained glass windows for Asbury United Methodist Church and St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church. He also designed many award-winning floats for the Rotary Clubs of El Paso for the Sun Carnival Parade. Horst was admired by his art peers, especially his very good friend, internationally renowned El Paso artist and author, Tom Lea. Artist and illustrator José Cisneros remembers many talks with Dr. Schreck discussing the beauty and anatomy of their most common subject—the horse. Dr. Schreck married Emma Edge of El Paso and had one son, Robert, who passed away at a very young age. His living relatives are great nephew Leroy Gibson and great niece Edie Lundgren of El Paso.

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SUE ZARGES, DVM
Zarges Animal Hospital and the Region’s First Woman Veterinarian

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Dr. Sue Zarges blazed the trail for El Paso women veterinarians—she was the first woman veterinary practitioner in the Southwest.
mmnThroughout her 47-plus years of veterinary practice, she has strived to set the example of professionalism for her peers and progressive and proficient skills for her clientele. Dr. Zarges was the first woman to practice racetrack medicine in the Southwest, the first woman to be a veterinary practice owner in El Paso, the first woman president of the El Paso Veterinary Medical Association (1975), and the first woman in El Paso to have an accredited hospital with the American Animal Hospital Association.
mmnA Colorado native and 1960 graduate of Colorado State University Veterinary School, Sue married Sid during their junior year of vet school at a time when women rarely entered the field. Sid’s large animal/horse practice brought them to Ruidoso, NM (Sid was from Cimarron) during racing season. A one bed/one bath apartment served as their first office, with cages welded by her dad and the kitchen table doubling for exams and surgeries. After the season, they moved to El Paso for Sunland Park’s races. Sue worked on small animals of track personnel and assisted Sid at the track, a daunting task at a time when women veterinarians were virtually unknown and not trusted to be up to the tasks at hand.
mmnSue continued facing the challenges of repeatedly proving her capabilities and establishing her excellent reputation at the rotating seasons between Ruidoso and Sunland Park as well as one summer in La Mesa Park in Raton. From de-scenting skunks, porcupine quill removal and castrations to leg fractures, C-sections and numerous disease/condition anomalies large and small, the work and miles traveled mounted.
mmnMeanwhile, they started their family and by 1965 Sue had her third daughter. Home now consisted of a Vinton Road farm and Fairway Circle house as well as summer in Ruidoso where Sid continued.
mmnThat’s when they built the Doniphan clinic, where mom Lillian was the receptionist and dad Shorty was her technician. Years later they built an equine surgery facility on their farm, which they still use today.
mmnTaking all emergencies until the El Paso Animal Emergency Center was built, Sue continued to take large animal calls, taking all three girls with her on night calls. An early student of the first veterinary acupuncture seminars, Sue also dedicated her practice to the dental field, keeping abreast of the latest in both studies to this day.
mmnThroughout her career of almost five decades, Sue has worked on all kinds of animals. She castrated a monkey, removed canine teeth from a mountain lion, worked for a chinchilla farm, treated an ocelot, performed an exploratory on a coatimundi that had liver cirrhosis, and treated some bobcats. She also assisted with the x-ray of a tiger. Sid examined an elephant in Ruidoso and x-rayed an African lioness with a dystocia for Dr. Lea Hutchinson once. Sue treated some turtles that had been run over and worked on several birds. She also worked on ostriches, llamas, and pigs. Sue was game for almost anything, however she did not work on snakes.
mmnToday Sue’s daughter Cynthia is a computer software engineer, massage therapist and personal trainer. Daughter Julie is a registered nurse in labor and delivery at Thomason Hospital. Daughter Kristi graduated from Oklahoma State University Veterinary School in 1995 and in 2002 came to El Paso to take over the practice. Sue now works primarily on small animals, assisting Sid with equine arthroscopy surgeries and Sid/Kristi on other small/equine surgeries. She spends a lot of time doing dental procedures like root canals, incline planes and tooth extractions. She and Sid have four grandchildren, the work continues to walk and roll in and Sue’s amazing legacy carries on.

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JOHN M. BROADWELL, DVM · 1909-1995
Founder of the El Paso Veterinary Medical Association
and Beloved Veterinary Medicine Mentor
(Posthumously Recognized)

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A major early influence (1947-1983) on veterinary medicine in El Paso, Dr. John M. Broadwell committed his career to helping the helpless and sharing his vast field knowledge with upcoming veterinarians. Born in Trinidad, Colorado in 1909, he was raised as a proficient hunter and fisherman with a respect and appreciation for animals wild and domestic. A 6'2" authentic “Horse Whisperer” nicknamed “Shorty,” John studied at Colorado A&M (now Colorado State University) before employment with his brother-in-law, a veterinarian in Windsor, Colorado. Hooked, he returned to A&M in Fort Collins, married his high school sweetheart, Claire Newcomb, and graduated in 1936.
mmnNumerous positions in Colorado, Texas and U.S. Army Reserves during WWII led to private practice in Colorado and an invitation to partner with Dr. Dick Siemer at the El Paso Veterinary Hospital, which he purchased in 1949 and operated until 1983. Almost everyone in his family, including grandchildren, worked at the hospital at different times while numerous veterinary students interned and marveled at his expertise. An innovator, “Shorty” founded the EPVMA and was the first veterinarian in the region to utilize x-ray and ultrasound equipment. With an operation staffed 24-hours a day, he often personally answered emergency and house calls to treat dogs, cats, pocket pets, horses and livestock. Clients included the celebrated western artist and author Tom Lea, who consulted with him for his famous book of horse illustrations.
mmnIn addition to running a small quarter horse ranch in the Upper Valley, he owned and operated the Coronado Hills Branch of the El Paso Veterinary Hospital form 1972-1982. Always with a benevolent spirit, John provided free veterinary care to countless strays, many taken in by convent nuns near the downtown facility, as well as gypsy canines who lived at the auto body and mechanic shops around his neighborhood. One of the most admired and adept veterinary surgeons, he remained an avid reader, horticulturist and devoted family man. The literal American Southwest cowboy never spoke of his own accomplishments and legacy of veterinary medicine contributions. Always reticent about such titles and honors, he succumbed to non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 1995. “Shorty” and his beloved Claire were married for 63 years.

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ROBERT BUTCHOFSKY, DVM

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The premiere award recipient and major early influence (1946-1993) on veterinary medicine in El Paso, Dr. Robert “Bob” Butchofsky committed his career to helping the helpless and sharing his vast field knowledge with upcoming veterinarians.
mmnBorn and raised in our Sun City, the Ysleta High graduate and Texas A&M football star opened his first practice as a one-room office in his mother’s garage after receiving his 1946 degree. From a homemade operating/exam table, one cage,
a few medications and an old Army Ford for large animal calls, he developed a rock-solid reputation as a medical man in demand. His comprehensive service led to building the landmark Animal Clinic on Alameda one year later. Phenomenal growth followed, as did two years of Reservist work during the Korean War. During his absence, Dr. Doyle Kern leased and operated the facility.
mmnUpon returning, “Butch” as he was known, purchased new equipment, built onto the clinic and business boomed again. As one of the cofounders of the El Paso Veterinary Medical Association and founding member of the Animal Emergency Center, Dr. Butchofsky and his expertise, compassion, wonderful humor and personality solidified his standing as an innovative pioneer and unsurpassed surgeon. The vast majority of veteran El Paso veterinarians credit Dr. Butchofsky and his many dedicated years of practice for the positive influence and early education they received in animal care.
mmnSelling the Animal Clinic to Dr. Alfred Ellis in 1977, Dr. Butchofsky served the region with relief work until his 1993 retirement. He and wife Marcie initially raised horses in Montana, but now reside in the Rockies of Ruidoso, New Mexico.

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