Familiar faces, Southern hospitality, and a personal approach to pet care make this locally owned Oxford clinic feel like home.
Best of Mississippi Score: 4.94 out of 5
There’s a certain feeling you get when you walk into a place where people are happy to see you. Shoulders relax. Conversation comes easily. You feel welcome before you ever sit down.
At Oxford Veterinary Clinic, that feeling starts at the front desk—and carries throughout the practice.
Owner and veterinarian Dr. Royann Leflore has built a team around a simple idea: relationships matter. Knowing the person holding the leash is part of knowing the animal at the other end.
The clinic’s motto is “Where pets are family.” Meet the people inside, and you begin to understand what that means.
The welcome starts with Carol
For many clients, Carol Gray is the first familiar face through the door.
A longtime Oxford resident, Carol spent her teaching career working with kindergarten children in Lafayette County schools. Now retired from education, she brings that same patient, welcoming presence to the clinic’s front desk.
She greets clients, helps them check out, and sets the tone for the visit. There’s something reassuring about being welcomed by someone with deep roots in the community—someone who understands the value of making people feel comfortable.
Carol’s classroom days may be behind her, but caring for families is still part of her day.
Familiar names, familiar smiles
That welcome continues with Alex and Rylee Butler, members of the veterinary care team who help support the doctors and care for patients.
Ask what makes them special, and the answer quickly becomes personal. They know clients’ names. They remember their pets. They bring smiles and an easygoing manner to the daily work of the clinic.
Those details matter when you’re bringing in an anxious dog, carrying a nervous cat, or worrying about a change in your pet’s health. A familiar face gives you someone to talk to and a little less to feel uneasy about.
Together, Alex and Rylee help give the practice the friendly, small-town atmosphere that feels right at home in Oxford.
Meet the doctors
Dr. Royann Leflore and Dr. Jessica Shumaker combine medical knowledge with the ability to make people feel at ease.
Their Southern warmth comes through in conversation: approachable, gracious, and comfortable talking with clients like people they know. They make room for the relationships that develop when families entrust their animals to the same veterinary team over time.
Dr. Leflore’s interest in animals began long before veterinary school. She grew up on a family farm, raised cattle and show pigs, and participated in 4-H. She earned her veterinary degree from Mississippi State University in 2006 and spent six years operating a practice in the Mississippi Delta before joining Oxford Veterinary Clinic.
Today, as the clinic’s owner, she helps shape a practice where professional care and personal connections go hand in hand.
Pet owners describe the personal attention
That sense of connection also appears in Google reviews reproduced on Pet Insurance Review.
One reviewer describes the team’s efforts to make a senior dog comfortable. Another recalls visiting Oxford with a seriously ill dog and finding help from Dr. Leflore, who reviewed the animal’s records and showed compassion toward both the patient and the worried family.
Other comments describe caring staff and personal connections with pets and their owners. These individual experiences offer a glimpse into the relationships families have formed with the practice.
Comfortable visits, comprehensive care
Small touches contribute to the atmosphere, including televisions in the waiting and exam areas that help pass the time.
One routine annual visit described for this feature took about 15 minutes from arrival to departure. Every appointment is different, but the experience reflected an appreciation for a visit that felt both comfortable and efficient.
The clinic provides care for dogs and cats, with services including wellness exams, vaccinations, dental care, surgery, internal medicine, in-house laboratory testing, digital radiology, and laser therapy. Learn more about the team and services at Oxford Veterinary Clinic.
Oxford Veterinary Clinic offers payment options through Cherry, CareCredit, and Scratchpay, giving families additional ways to manage veterinary expenses. Clients can ask the team about available plans, eligibility, and terms.
A little like coming home
The feeling has been compared to arriving at Grandma’s house for Thanksgiving: you’re welcomed, you’re comfortable, and you’re around people who care.
Few people look forward to needing a veterinarian. Knowing the people who will greet you makes returning easier.
From Carol’s welcome to Alex and Rylee’s familiar smiles, and from Dr. Leflore to Dr. Shumaker, the people are central to this clinic’s appeal.
For its welcoming atmosphere, locally owned character, and emphasis on personal relationships, Oxford Veterinary Clinic is a Best of Mississippi Staff Pick.
Visit Oxford Veterinary Clinic
Address: 1623 Highway 30 East, Oxford, MS 38655
Phone: 662-234-3930
Hours: Monday–Friday, 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; closed Saturday and Sunday
Website: oxfordveterinaryclinic.com
