Cornerstone Animal Hospital has been part of the Joplin community under the leadership of Donald Loden, DVM, and Rebecca Conrad, DVM, since 1985.

Cornerstone originally started as Swanson Animal Hospital in 1954. In 1985, Dr. Loden and Dr. Conrad purchased Swanson Animal Hospital and began practicing veterinarian medicine in the Joplin community. Shortly after assuming leadership of Swanson Animal Hospital, Dr. Loden and Dr. Conrad decided to rename the clinic to reflect their value system. After much thought and discussion, the name selected was Cornerstone Animal Hospital. The name Cornerstone was selected because it stands for the fact that Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of their lives.