Dr. Christine Kunzweiler’s Honored with the Oklahoma
2008 Companion Animal Practitioner of the Year Award
Dr. Kunzweiler graduated at the top of her class with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, in 1987.
She started practicing in Virginia, and after two years she came to Oklahoma. She worked four years as a veterinarian at
the Animal Emergency Center where she developed her practice skills in critical situations.. She also did relief work for
area veterinarians. She missed the day-to-day conversations that you take for granted when you know your clients and
joined Veterinary Associates in 1989 as a highly skilled and experienced veterinarian. She has an expertise in emergency
and critical care, and extensive surgery experience. In addition to dogs and cats, she has had extensive experience
caring for “pocket pets”, such as guinea pigs, hamsters, hedgehogs, chinchillas, rabbits and ferrets.
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She has maintained a high standard of practice with the best continuing education courses across the
country for her own self-improvement and while continuing to develop and stay on the leading edge in
surgery, ultrasonography, and internal medicine. Dr. Kunzweiler is considered an authority, by every
colleague that has ever worked with her, in the diagnosis and treatment of challenging internal medicine
cases commonly seen in a small animal practice. Her surgical skills set her apart and she has a
gift with handling tough surgical cases.
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One of the character traits that distinguishes Dr. Kunzweiler in her field is her tremendous ability
to communicate with the clients and the trust that she builds with the client with her compassionate care.
Her talent and abilities were recognized early in the animal practices which she worked. She was the
first person asked to become a partner at Veterinary Associates. Her business and practice management
skills have helped moved the practice to the next level. She manages 5 veterinarians and 25 employees.
She continues to work with Cynthia Wutchiett (author of the “Well-Managed Practice”) and be
involved in the annual evaluation of the most progressive practices in the United States.
This is an on-going information sharing with some of the leading practices in the country.
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Dr. Kunzweiler is a woman of incredible energy and dedication. While maintaining a demanding professional
career, she is the wife of Steve, a Tulsa district attorney. They have three wonderful daughters,
Sandra age 18; Jenny age 16; and Jackie age 7. While managing her career as a veterinarian,
she multitasks with the three girls and all their activities. They live on four
acres where they can care for their dogs, cats, pony and horse.
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She is an inspiration to women in our profession who want a family. She leads the profession in showing them
how they can balance their career and family lives and have the best of both. While doing this, she is one
of the most positive and happy people you will ever meet. Her inspiration to women in the field was instrumental
in Veterinary Associates being selected as a “2007 Working Mother Magazine 25 Best Small Companies in
America” award recipient. The winners were selected from nominations submitted by Working Mother readers.
The top 25 list was featured in the magazine’s April 2007 issue. Editors of Working Mother found that the
top small companies mixed such strategies as traditional benefits, flexible schedules, professional development,
and paid leave. These recipients also had a nurturing culture that fostered employee growth and loyalty.
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Veterinary Associates was the only company in Oklahoma to be honored, and the only veterinary animal hospital in the
country to receive this distinguished business award.
She is the chairman of the Oklahoma Veterinary Legislative Committee. As chairman, she works with the
committee to try to initiate laws that will protect this wonderful profession. In an effort to give
back to the community, she is a member of Leadership Tulsa, involved in fundraising for the Cystic
Fibrosis Foundation, a Board member of the American Diabetes Association, and chairman of the Pet
Zone for the largest Diabetic event in Oklahoma, making the community aware of diabetes in pets as well as humans.
Dr. Kunzweiler stated, “Besides my family, my proudest accomplishment was becoming a partner at
Veterinary Associates in August of 2001. We consider ourselves family here, and I look forward with
great joy to being with such a wonderful group of people until the day I retire. Being a veterinarian
is not must about caring for small animals, but getting to know the owner and understanding how
important their pet’s life is in their life.”
