Dr. Mike walks Josie in the early morning on his 150 acre farm that has been in his family for the past five generations. Josie was staying at the clinic while her owners were away.
It's another morning in Williamsburg – another day to face the joys and the sadness that come with being a small town veterinarian. He's continuing a family tradition, taking over the vet practice his father founded in the 1970s.
Caring for animals is "all I know," Mike says, and he treats each animal as if they're his own.
He has helped community members at their highest and lowest points, nursing their beloved pets back to health or holding dogs and cats gently as they take their last breath. "Putting dogs to sleep right in front of their owners is the hardest part," he says.
Mike, with three grown children and three grandchildren, lives alone on the farm his family has owned for five generations. Farming is in his DNA.
His love for his cattle stemmed from his grandmother. "My granny she always had them," he says. "I've done it so long it's just part of it."
"I'd be better off selling every damn one of them," he jokes, "but I just like keeping them."
Time on the farm is a form of therapy.
"One thing about being in a tractor, it makes you think," Mike says. "It allows you to relax and unwind. Farming is a hard life; you gotta have it in your heart to farm."
Mike “Doc” Culver is a beloved local veterinarian, who took over the practice from his father. Larry and Carol Bledsoe embrace as Mike puts down their 12 year old dog, Belle Starr. “Putting dogs to sleep right in front of their owners is the hardest part," Mike says.
Second generation veterinarian, Mike “Doc” Culver, spays a pregnant cat at his clinic in Williamsburg, KY on Oct. 25, 2024.
Ada and Glen Hall pet their dog, Ellie, while Mike gives her a shot. Glen's family has been coming to the clinic to bring pets for years. “We’ve brought 20 of our dogs through here,” he says.
Old medical books prove a useful to research tool. Mike looks up medial patellar ligament desmotomy (MPD), a surgical procedure that corrects upward fixation of the patella.
(Left to right) Vet assistants, Kim Williams and Maggie Powers laugh at Mike “Doc” Culver as he cracks jokes at his clinic in Williamsburg, KY on Oct. 26, 2024.
Mike walks from his second generation veterinarian clinic to his home built by his great-grandfather. His 150-acre farm has been in his family for five generations.
Mike sits in his tractor while answering an emergency call from a client whose dog had eaten rat poison. When not working at the practice, he spends his time on his farm taking care of his cows and driving his tractor as a means to unwind from the stresses of the day. “One things about being in a tractor, it makes you think… I like farming because it allows me to relax and unwind.”
“I always threatened my kids that one of these days I’m going to get a Chihuahua and I’m going to name it ‘Booger.’ And when I die, I’m going to leave everything to her,” Culver jokes.
Mike looks towards his cows grazing while sitting inside of the garage dedicated to his father. He has been raising cows as a hobby since his grandmother introduced them to him. "I'd be better off selling every damn one of them," he jokes, "but I just like keeping them."