F E AT U R E S TO R Y
HALF A CENTURY
Columbiana vet continues to share knowledge, love
By Lauren Dowdle
Photos by Catherine Cousins
His patients might say “thanks” with
tail wags and wet kisses, but Dr. Charles
Thornburg wouldn’t have it any other way. The
veterinarian has been working at his practice,
Shelbiana Animal Clinic in Columbiana, for 50
years — though his career path wasn’t always
so clear.
“I was early in school and playing around a
little too much,” Thornburg says of his time at
Auburn University. “My dad said, ‘You’re going
to have to buckle down and do something that
you’d like to do to make a good living.’”
Thornburg had grown up around cattle,
cats and dogs out in the country and enjoyed
taking care of them. His dad suggested he go
into veterinary medicine, so that’s just what he
did. However, he did face a few hurdles, mainly
organic chemistry.
It was the one course he lacked to get into
Thornburg told himself there was no way he
could learn all of the materials before the test
and went to bed. His roommate pulled him
At the beginning of his career, some of his
customers were people who had gone to
school with his parents, and some were
was going to watch him study all night so that
he could get into veterinary school. Luckily,
class.
After graduation, Thornburg interned
generations of his family being from
Columbiana, he knew that was home. So,
he moved back to open a veterinary clinic.
Thornburg bought a lot at the intersection of
Old Hwy. 25 and Hwy. 25 for $12,000, paying
just $25/month with no interest.
There were two other vets in Shelby County
But, they later went out of business, making
Thornburg’s practice now the oldest in the
county.
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