Source: Penn Live
Dr. Dean Cauffman, honored in 2025 for 50 years of Veterinary service, has uniquely balanced a large-animal Veterinary career with running his family’s 190-year-old, 400-acre Perry Valley farm. Starting in 1975 without advertising, he built his practice through word of mouth while maintaining the farm’s dairy herd. Over the decades, he shifted from cows to horses, serving as a resident vet at large equine operations, working with swine production, and even treating unusual patients like a circus elephant and milking camels.
Cauffman weathered financial challenges in the 1980s, paid off debts, and sold his prized hornless red-and-white Holsteins in 2005. He has witnessed major changes in Veterinary medicine, including rising costs that limit large-animal practice entrants. Despite personal loss, including his wife’s death in 1989, he remains active, often consulting for free. His daughter, Jessica, credited his dedication, compassion, and work ethic for shaping her life, recalling cherished childhood memories riding along in his vet truck.