Veterinarians focus on underserved, rural areas with trailer, storefront
By Ben Cox
Photos/Ben Cox
A mobile veterinary service that has spent the last few years bringing care to underserved communities across West Central Illinois is putting down permanent roots in Jacksonville.
Veterinarians Martha and Brian Johnson, owners of Johnson & Johnson Mobile Veterinary Clinic, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony January 5 at their future clinic location at 610 North Prairie St., the former site of Little White Cottage catering.
Present at the event was clinic staff, members of the Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce and Jacksonville Mayor Andy Ezard.
The Johnsons launched their mobile clinic in June 2023 with the goal of providing veterinary services in areas where access is limited. Since then, the clinic has regularly served Pittsfield, White Hall, Waverly, Hardin, Winchester and surrounding communities, offering wellness care, surgery, emergency services, advanced care and euthanasia.
The couple announced on April 13, 2025, that they felt needs were being met in Pittsfield and have stopped visiting there, but have since added Waverly to their mobile locations.
“We wanted to go where the need was,” Martha Johnson says. “There are a lot of small towns that just don’t have enough veterinary services, and the mobile clinic allows us to meet people where they are.”
While the mobile unit will remain a cornerstone of the business, the new Jacksonville facility represents a significant expansion. Renovations at the new location have been mostly completed, with construction overseen by Sutton’s of Springfield. The permanent clinic will operate Monday through Friday and every other Saturday.
Dr. Brian Johnson said the stationary clinic will complement—not replace—the mobile model.
“We’re continuing all of our current towns, and we’re hoping to add stops in Bluffs and Beardstown as well,” he says. “The Jacksonville clinic will serve local clients, but it’ll also be a place for people from those smaller communities to come if they need it.”
The new facility will include a kennel, a full small-animal pharmacy and space to provide the same range of services offered through the mobile unit.
“From a behavior standpoint, we don’t see much difference between mobile and stationary care,” Brian Johnson shares. “For some pets, especially those that don’t travel well, driving across town is a lot easier than driving 30 minutes. Both models really work together.”
In addition to scheduled stops, the clinic also provides home visits for pet owners without transportation, those with multiple animals, or pets with anxiety or special needs.
Both veterinarians attended Truman State University for undergraduate studies, where they met. Martha Johnson earned her veterinary degree from the University of Missouri, while Brian Johnson graduated from the University of Illinois. After completing their respective education, the couple moved to rural Greene County and worked in a traditional clinic before deciding to start their own practice.
The team is also growing. Brian Johnson’s sister, Dr. Rachel Barr, a 2020 University of Illinois graduate who previously practiced in Quincy, has joined the clinic as a veterinarian.
Martha Johnson said opening their own clinic has been a lifelong dream—one now shared with their newest family member. The couple welcomed their daughter, Ayla, during the construction phase.
“It’s been an adjustment balancing the clinic and being a new mom,” Martha Johnson says. “But we’re doing this for her future. This place is definitely going to be her second home.”
For now, the Johnsons plan to divide responsibilities, with Brian Johnson continuing to operate the mobile clinic while Martha Johnson focuses on the Jacksonville location. The clinic has added technicians to support the increased workload and is exploring the possibility of adding another veterinarian in the future.
“There’s definitely a need,” Martha Johnson says. “A lot of clinics are overbooked and overworked, and we’re hoping to help relieve some of that pressure in the community.”
