If you asked veterinarians Susie and Justin Dickerson where they thought they’d be today 10 years ago, Cullman, Alabama probably would’ve been last on the list.

From the start, Mississippi natives Justin and Susie Dickerson both had a crystal clear vision of their future career goals.

“I grew up on a small dairy farm in Mississippi surrounded by all kinds of animals. Every detail of life on the farm was wonderful to me, especially getting to help tend to the cows and other animals- I think I always knew I wanted to spend my life caring for them in some capacity,” Susie said.

Justin hails from the same stomping grounds and has very similar roots in Mississippi farming. Also brought up on a small farm, Justin spent much of his childhood taking care a myriad of farm animals from horses and chickens to Australian Shepherd puppies.

“We had a house call vet that would come out to the farm to look after the horses,” said Justin. “He’d let me help him with the mares and he’d walk me through all the procedures. That’s when I seriously started considering veterinary school.”

After graduating from Mississippi State College of Veterinary Medicine, the newly wed couple began to search for prospective jobs, mainly focusing their search in their home state. With no promising leads within their parameters, the Dickersons widened their search and stumbled across a practice for sale in an Alabama town by the name of Cullman.

“We really knew nothing about Cullman going in, but the more we read and researched, the more we started to fall in love,” said Susie. “The tangible sense of community and wonderful school systems here really drew us in, especially with a little one on the way. Not to mention back home we’d have to drive 45 minutes to go to Walmart or grab dinner,” laughed Justin. “Cullman just seemed to have everything we’d been praying for.”

Now, almost 10 years later, the Dickerson’s are living out their childhood dreams, caring for all kinds of furry friends everyday.

“It’s really a unique blessing that I get to work with my wife everyday. I can come to her with a difficult case with a special kind of trust most doctors don’t share in the workplace. We bounce ideas off each other and challenge ourselves to be better everyday.” says Justin.

The doctors work day in and day out making sure the community’s fuzziest members are happy and healthy—a part of the job both Susie and Justin qualify as the most rewarding— but the critters aren’t the only ones that leave the Dickerson practice feeling good as new.

It was that feeling that led client Kristi Patterson to nominate the Dickersons for Unsung Heroes. “Drs. Justin and Susie Dickerson go above and beyond to care for your pets. The love that they show for animals is amazing. Medicine goes a long way, but the love, care and dedication that Northside and the Dickersons give you and your ‘furry companions’ is exceptional,” said Patterson.

“People have such special relationships with their pets, a lot of times they’re regarded as family members. It’s our job to see that they live long and healthy lives,” Susie said. “Getting to tell an owner that their ‘kid’ is going to be okay is a feeling that I work for everyday, it’s inspiring and motivating.”