Dr. Mike Thompson
Owner, Veterinarian
Dr. Mike Thompson grew up in rural Benton County, Mississippi on a row-crop and cattle farm. Even though he was too young to fully grasp all that being a veterinarian involved, he proudly proclaimed as a boy that he was going to become an animal doctor one day. The older he got, the more certain Dr. Thompson became: he wanted to dedicate his life to veterinary medicine and help all the animals and pet parents that he possibly could! His dream has come full circle, and he’s now the proud owner and operator of Willow Bend Animal Clinic.
Dr. Thompson was accepted into Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 1983 after only two years of undergraduate education, and graduated with his Doctorate in 1987. He practiced for the next year in Ripley, Tennessee before moving closer to home and working in Tupelo and Guntown. After three years of fantastic learning and growing opportunities there, Dr. Thompson joined the team here at Willow Bend Animal Clinic. He purchased half of the clinic in early 1992, and the rest in early 2018. Now, he’s been a member of the hospital family for more than 28 years and couldn’t be happier to continue serving the pets, livestock, and animal owners of this area.
Dr. Thompson is proud to have been recognized with multiple awards and accolades over the years. He was named Young Veterinarian of the Year by the Mississippi Veterinary Medical Association in 1997, and became board-certified in theriogenology (reproductive medicine in animals) in 2007. In 2015, Dr. Thompson served as program chair for the Annual Conference for the Society of Theriogenology in San Antonio, and was named Veterinarian of the Year by the MVMA in 2016. He’s also proud to have served as President of the Society for Theriogenology since 2016, and as the current Treasurer of the Theriogenology Foundation.
When he has time away from work, Dr. Thompson enjoys hunting and fishing, and would also like to finish restoring his three old Jeeps. He’s also fond of spending quality time with his family and pets at home. He and his wife of more than 30 years, Terry, have two children: Rebecca, a dentist who practices in New Albany, and Joshua, who is currently completing veterinary school himself. The family shares their lives with Bonnie, a loveable Border Collie; a pair of Jack Russell Terriers named Chip and Ringo who never fail to make Dr. Thompson laugh; and four horses.