Tom Furman, D.V.M., M.S., Owner and Veterinarian

 Dr. Tom Furman practices large and small animal medicine, with special interest in surgery, equine dentistry and beef cattle management.
  Dr. Tom graduated from Kansas State Veterinary School in 2004. After graduation he went on a traveling internship for one and a half years. He spent three months in Las Vegas doing primarily small animal surgery with several board certified surgeons. The surgeries included knee, hip, fracture, and soft tissue surgeries. He worked at the Oklahoma City Sale Barn pregnancy testing cattle and then went on to Redcloud, Nebraska for training in multiple food animal surgeries and industry procedures.   Dr. Tom spent time in Canada where he worked with a large feedlot consulting practice that serviced 35 feedlots in the area. While Dr. Tom was in the Great White North, he also gained extensive training in equine dentistry from the veterinarian that invented the powerfloat.  Back in the States, Dr. Tom practiced at Littleton Equine Medical Center, a prestigious equine hospital in Colorado. He gained special training in colic management, lameness evaluation, and treatment. From there, he went to Piedmont, South Dakota to do some reproductive work that included artificial insemination, semen collection, and embryo transfer with cattle and horses.   Dr. Tom brought all of his experiences back to Alliance in June of 2005 and has put his knowledge into practice for the benefit of his clients, both large and small.    Dr. Tom currently holds veterinary licenses in the states of Nebraska, Wyoming, Nevada, and South Dakota. He has a Beef Cattle Management Certification from the University of Nebraska, serves on the Nebraska Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) Board of Directors, and on the Box Butte General Hospital Board of Directors. Dr. Tom graduated with a Masters Degree in Epidemiology from The University of Nebraska in December 2014. He also received the Young Veterinarian Of The Year award from Kansas State University for his contributions to veterinary medicine through practice and education.   Dr. Tom enjoys practicing veterinary medicine, educating clients, and operating a cattle ranch with with his dad in Alliance.  

  My journey to becoming a veterinarian started at the age of 5 when I told my parents that I was going to be Free Willy’s doctor. I have always felt a special connection to animals, wanting to rescue and save any species I came across. My parents love to tell the story about the time I accidentally ran over a garter snake with the lawn mower and cried about not being able to save it. Though the dream of being Free Willy’s personal veterinarian hasn’t come to fruition (yet!), I realized at an early age that I wanted a career in medicine and have pursued that passion ever since.

Originally from New Jersey, I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. I attended veterinary school at Auburn University, graduated in 2019, and am a diehard Auburn Tigers fan (WAR EAGLE!) I spent 9 weeks at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover in Hannover, Germany learning and practicing avian, reptile, and exotic small mammal medicine. I also spend one afternoon each week at the Riverside Discovery Center in Scottsbluff providing veterinary care to the zoo animals.

I joined The Animal Center in 2019 and have really enjoyed the challenge and variety that each day in a mixed animal practice brings. When I’m not working, I enjoy traveling, reading, watching sports, and spending time with my menagerie of pets. My wife, Kayla, and I share our home with our two dogs and four cats. We also have two popcorn-loving guinea pigs and a hedgehog with a particularly prickly personality!

My desire to be a part of the veterinary world began when I was a young girl. Originally from Carmel, CA I wanted to be a marine biologist and work at the world famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. After a visit to a family ranch in western Colorado I fell in love with cattle ranching and the beef industry. I got my B.S. degree in Animal Science from California Polytechnic University with a specialty in beef cattle nutrition. Immediately following my years at Cal Poly, I studied and graduated with a  M.S. degree in Animal Science from The University of Nebraska. It was at UNL that I met my husband, Dr. Tom, after he graduated veterinary school and was doing his traveling internship. The first time I visited Alliance I called my parents back in CA and told them I felt like I'd just been home. I've felt that way ever since. My first 5 1/2 working years were spent managing the research feedlot for the University of Nebraska Panhandle Research Center in Scottsbluff. Ivan Rush was my mentor and I have so many fond memories of working with the team there. 

I officially joined The Animal Center in 2012 right before the birth of our daughter, Frances. Our son, Logan, was born a few years later. We are blessed with the opportunity to raise them on our own cattle ranch  with the family values we hold dear. It is incredibly fulfilling to be able to be in both the veterinary and beef industries with the work we do. Our local community is amazing and our team strives to provide the absolute best veterinary care to every patient who walks through our doors. Tom and I are so grateful for the opportunity to continue the traditions of exceptional animal health at The Animal Center, a family business for over 40 years. Here's to another 40 years!

 I have spent the majority of my working career at The Animal Center. I enjoyed working with the animals and now I enjoy working more closely with their owners. It has been fun learning all the many aspects of the veterinary field. My appreciation for all the different roles within the clinic has grown. Like the saying goes, you don’t know what it’s like until you’ve walked a mile in someone’s shoes. Besides being the doctor, I have been there and can relate. I love my work family. We laugh together, at times cry together, and I couldn’t ask for better people to surround myself with. We have a great team! 

My family consists of my husband, Klete and three children, Taylor, Kash, and Tripp. Our dogs Sunny, Rip, and Griz make up a small portion of our animal family. We also have horses, sheep, and a donkey. 

One thing that I try to live by is being kind and thankful. You never know what others are going through so be kind. If you have a thankful heart you tend to be a happier person. Put the two together and we can make this world a better place. 

I graduated from CSC with a Bachelor's degree in Human Biology. I am a volunteer EMT/Firefighter for the Alliance Volunteer Fire Department. When I’m not at work at the clinic I also teach American Heart Association CPR/First Aid classes. 

My favorite time of the year is summer! I enjoy playing softball, camping, BBQs, fire pits, and watching my kids play sports.

My four year old black lab mix, Colt, can tell you I am a HUGE animal lover.  I also consider myself a people person, so when the opportunity to work at the clinic presented itself, I was thrilled to take advantage of the opportunity.

I firmly believe that you should treat others how you want to be treated and this resonates through so many others at the clinic that I really consider my coworkers like family.  Even though my educational background revolves around early childhood education, I truly enjoy working with both the amazing clients and pets that come to The Animal Center.

 Knowing that I have the ability to save people’s furry family members is what motivates me each day.  Getting to know the clients is a true honor and I truly feel that they become a part of my family. Being able to work with animals has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid.

I truly try to live life to the fullest and never give up.  These values have been instilled in me in part from my wonderful family including my parents, two sisters, one brother.  My four dogs, Boomer, Kodah, Mya, and Xena are also a huge part of my family.

My other passions include spending time with my nieces and nephew and going to the gym.

 Realizing I have a passion for making sure that the animals that enrich our lives are as happy as they can be is what has led me to being a veterinary technician.  Animals have been a major part of my life since I was a little girl and I feel that we have a duty to make sure they are as healthy as possible.  

I started my journey in veterinary medicine at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture, majoring in Equine Industry Management.  In my twelve years working in the veterinary field, I have found my calling working with large animals.  Seeing livestock producers raise successful herds and seeing horses thrive and live comfortably makes me proud of what I do.

The motto that is on my Scottish family’s clan crest, “Sapienter Si Sincere,” “Wisely If Sincerely,” is how I choose to live my life.  I try to be sincere and honest in every part of my life because it is always the wisest thing to do.   Waiting for me at home every night are my ten year old red heeler, Sadie, and her five year old cat, Djanga.

 I have always wanted to experience working at a vet clinic and am so excited that I finally get to have this experience.  I really enjoy working with all the animals, big and small, learning new things and meeting new people.  

As a recent graduate of Alliance High School, I am still finding out what life is all about but I believe that you should always let your faith in things be bigger than your fears.  The animals I love the most are my dog, Harley Jo and cat Charlie.