Associate VeterinarianJonathan Tingle, DVM
A Colorado native growing up in Buena Vista, he is not a stranger to our beautiful mountain ranges. Every summer he stayed in Creede, Colorado with his family who ran a backpacking camp near there. Dr. Jonathan Tingle is excited to be back in his home state after attending Texas A&M University for both his undergraduate degree and subsequently his medical degree. We are thrilled to introduce you to Dr Jon, our new associate. Originally focusing his career on equine medicine, he developed a newfound passion for small animal medicine and joined our practice to serve our small animal community in Colorado Springs.
As a young adolescent working at a dude ranch offering trail rides and a petting zoo, he quickly learned of the joy that animals bring humans, and he knew from that moment on that he wanted to pursue a career helping animals and people! When you get the chance, you will want to ask him about a special old donkey on the dude ranch named Eeyore!
As a middle child with one older brother and two younger sisters, he has a strong connection to family life, making him a great addition to the Pine Creek Veterinary family. His (limited) spare time is spent with his wife and family including his Goldendoodle, Gryffindor (for all you HP fans!). Between his love for the Weminuche Wilderness and his favorite 14-er, Uncompahgre Peak, Dr. Jon enjoys all that Colorado has to offer including flying fishing, antler shed hunting and ultralight backpacking.
WHERE DID YOU ATTEND MEDICAL COLLEGE?
Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART OF WORKING AT PINE CREEK? OR WHAT DREW YOU TO WORK AT PCVH?
I was drawn to Pine Creek by the high quality of medicine performed by the clinicians and the collaborative and team atmosphere between both the doctors and the staff.
WHEN DID YOU KNOW YOU WANTED TO BE A VETERINARIAN?
I knew when I was 10 years old.
WHAT HAPPENED THAT MADE YOU BECOME OR WHY DID YOU BECOME A VETERINARIAN?
I spent a summer working as a stable boy at a dude ranch that offered horse trail rides and a petting zoo. I saw how much joy the animals brought to the visitors lives and knew that I wanted to be in a job that allowed me to care for both animals and people.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN EMPLOYED IN THE ANIMAL RELATED FIELD?
I have worked with animals in different capacities since I was 10 years old.
WHAT WAS THE MOST GRATIFYING THING YOU EXPERIENCED WHILE WORKING IN THIS INDUSTRY?
I had a case of during my internship that was a pregnant springer that had Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and cryptococcal meningitis that stayed in the hospital for the duration of her pregnancy for treatment. I got to manage the case for about a month and really bonded with her and her owner. She did great and went home after whelping 6 puppies – and my Lily is one of those puppies!
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE ANIMAL?
I love most animals, but my favorite is my Goldendoodle Gryffindor.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES?
Backpacking, fly fishing, playing with our dog, woodworking.
WHAT’S YOUR FUNNIEST OR FONDEST MEMORY FROM WORKING WITH ANIMALS?
I started working at a dude ranch when I was 10 years old. I had no experience with equids but was eager to begin learning. The ranch owned a pony cart but at that time the only creature capable of pulling the cart was an old donkey named Eeyore. I really wanted to put the cart to use so I asked the ranch manager if I could train Eeyore to be a cart donkey. The ranch manager, a firm believer in the educational power of experience, explained to me that training old donkeys was very difficult but if I really wanted to, I could attempt the feat. I was elated and immediately went about the job. I haltered Eeyore and cleaned him up. I found the tack for the cart and approached him with harness. It was then that I learned several valuable lessons in a brief amount of time: Old donkeys are not fond of being put in unfamiliar tack, putting said unfamiliar tack on a now scared and grumpy old donkey from behind is unsafe, and even a small old donkey when scared and grumpy is capable of moving its legs with incredible speed and force. Roughly 10 minutes after embarking on my first training endeavor I had a painful understanding of how difficult it was to train an old donkey to pull a cart and had learned my first lessons about working with equids. I returned sometime later to the ranch manager seeking a less ambitious task.
WHAT WAS THE MOST GRATIFYING THING THAT YOU EXPERIENCED WHILE WORKING IN THIS INDUSTRY?
I have had the privilege of participating in a lot of rewarding cases. One that stands out in my mind was a lame horse that belonged to a young girl. We performed surgery on the horse and he made a full recovery and was able to go back to work with his young owner. She was so thankful and excited to get to be riding her horse again.
WHAT ARE YOUR GENERAL HOBBIES?
Backpacking, fly fishing, playing with our dog, woodworking.
WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?
Buena Vista, Colorado
ARE YOU A MEMBER OF A PET CLUB OR ANIMAL ORGANIZATION?
My parents ran a backpacking camp near Creede, Colorado. We moved out there every summer and I loved getting to be out in the mountains.
WHAT IS THE CRAZIEST THING YOU’VE EVER DONE?
During one of my summer breaks in Veterinary school I went to Alaska and worked on a commercial salmon fishing boat for 6 weeks. We spent the whole 6 weeks on the water, regularly fishing for 24-48 hours without sleeping.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE IN COLORADO?
The Weminuche Wilderness
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HIKE?
My favorite hike is Western Loop of the Colorado trail around the Collegiate Peaks.
HOW MANY 14-ERS HAVE YOU HIKED?
I don’t know the exact number of 14-ers I have hiked but its somewhere between 10-20. My favorite is Uncompahgre Peak