Drew Grosz grew up helping his grandparents work on their farm whenever he was given the chance. Living in Rapid City, SD didn’t allow Drew to work with animals in his everyday life, but it gave him the opportunity to look under a microscope in school, which he found fascinating and ultimately led him to where he is today.

Working on a farm and taking the science classes that interested him set Drew up great for what he wanted to do as a career: help animals. He studied premed at South Dakota State University, majoring in animal science. After a long five years and a rejection from his first choice of veterinary school, Drew went on to pursue a master’s in biology with a specialization in parasites at Iowa State University. He did all this with his current wife by his side.

Drew met Linnea in high school back in 2003. From then on, they knew they were meant for each other. Linnea was a year younger than Drew but followed him to SDSU for teaching. She then got her master’s in counselling and mental health just in time for the big move to Iowa. In Iowa, Linnea became a certified counselor. After Drew graduated 2015, they went to Mobridge, SD before moving to Belle Fourche, SD about eight years ago.

Drew found the Belle Fourche Veterinary Clinic, where he now works on many animals. He sees dogs, cats, cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, and even the occasional chicken. Drew doesn’t just stay inside the vet clinic either, he spends long days out in the country working on a lot of bulls and cows. Although Drew loves and values his work as a veterinarian, it can be tough. Especially being one at a large animal vet clinic, one of the only ones in the area. Between doing six surgeries a day, dealing with foreign animal cases, and having to put down animals, Drew is faced with a lot of hardships. Depression is something that affects many people, including him.

“You gotta have an outlet,” Drew says. His includes having a big and supportive family. His four young children keep him very busy, along with his three brothers and their own children. Drew also enjoys going fishing and hunting with his family when he can.

If Drew had to do anything over again, it would be going to school to study microbiology. Because Drew wasn’t sure if he would get into a vet program after his undergrad, having microbiology would have set him up for another career path. Although this might’ve been a better way to go about it, he is very thankful everything turned out the way that it did.

Today, Drew stays busy at the clinic doing meaningful and important work with animals, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.