The Way Veterinarians Contribute to Society

As a society, we are demanding of many things that numerous people take for granted, such as animal products that are safe for consumption, new vaccines, or an environment safe from diseases such as Malaria, Ebola, or the Avian flu. Veterinarians work with animals to help the animal community, and they work with people to help the human community. Many veterinarians additionally work in research, food safety, environmental protection, and public health. It is In these ways that they contribute greatly to society.

The primary responsibility of a veterinarian is animal medicine. Every person who decided to become a veterinarian did so because helping animals was a passion. If you are a small animal veterinarian, you are caring for a client’s family member. If you are a food animal veterinarian, you are caring for a client’s “business”. If you are a zoo or wildlife veterinarian, you are caring for the Earth’s animal population. A veterinarian’s responsibilities in these regards are to keep healthy animals happy and healthy, provide treatment to sick animals, and euthanize suffering animals. As a result of helping the animals, veterinarians are also helping society. Maybe a veterinarian saves the only connection an old widowed woman has to her late husband, culls a diseased cow that saves the dairy farmer’s business, treats an animal carrying a zoonotic disease, or successfully breeds an endangered species to help bring back the population. Veterinarians serve society in these ways.

Many veterinarians also provide education to clients, students, and/or the public. When a veterinarian is delivering information about a client’s animal, he/she is also educating the client about their animal’s condition(s) and why it needs a certain treatment. Communication is key in developing a strong and healthy Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR) in order to provide the best care possible (1). During the building of this relationship, veterinarians ensure the clients understand their diagnoses and treatments. In addition to client education, some zoo or aquarium veterinarians may give presentations about their animals or speak during visitor tours that inspire an appreciation for wildlife and educate about the various endangered species. Lastly, some veterinarians teach at colleges and universities to educate students interested in the veterinary profession. They may teach in classrooms or veterinary teaching hospitals. The education veterinarians provide is a huge contribution to society since it allows people to become more knowledgeable about the species of the world.

A large portion of veterinarians contribute to society by conducting research for the benefit of public health. Veterinarians who perform research in the pharmaceutical and biomedical fields keep us well and safe by helping develop drugs and other biological products for animal and human use (2). There are veterinarians working in research for the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure the safety and effectiveness of new drugs, medical products and pet foods (2). As a veterinarian, sometimes you have to find new ways of diagnosing, treating, and preventing illnesses. Any of those new discoveries can also be applied to human medicine which is a huge contribution to society. For example, after researching and studying the effects of mosquitos, on animals, veterinarians discovered ways to control Malaria in the human population (2). They also developed an in-vitro culture system in mice; a discovery that has been shared with human medicine to perform human in-vitro fertilization as well as stem cell therapy (3). And, animal research of neurological diseases and disorders have helped treat, prevent, and cure similar diseases in humans (3). Veterinarians in research have made tremendous progress in the animal world which has greatly benefited the human world.

Veterinarians also have responsibilities in food and agricultural systems and environmental protection that impacts society. Veterinarians working for the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) ensure the public’s good health by carefully monitoring meat and dairy products for safe consumption (2). The job of a food animal veterinarian is to ensure proper medical care and welfare of food animals via excellent nutrition, proper vaccination and techniques, and necessary quarantining, inspection, and disease testing of animals brought into the country. This level of care benefits society by preventing diseases that could affect human health and our food supply. Moreover, veterinarians working in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) research how the effects of pollutants from industrial sources, pesticides, and others affect animal and human health (2). This data can be used to protect food processing plants, restaurants, and water supplies from contaminants we could ingest (2). Veterinarians in this field contribute a lot to society as they monitor the health and safety of the animals and animal products we consume as well as protect the nation’s agriculture from disease.

Additionally, veterinarians play a vital role in the investigation and prevention of widespread diseases and plagues such as swine flu, West Nile, avian flu, and others. Veterinarians working for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are essential to the care of the public’s health by monitoring and investigating disease outbreaks all across the world. Veterinarians look into zoonotic diseases such as rabies, salmonella, and lyme disease and develop a plan for treatment and prevention. There are also veterinarians working with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) who prepare, protect, and recover communities from catastrophic events such as manmade or natural occurring disasters (2). They also work to develop antiterrorism procedures and protocol to keep our nation safe (2). Veterinarians who work in these departments are crucial to the health of society for always monitoring diseases and catastrophic incidents.

In summary, there are many contributions veterinarians make to the happiness, health, and safety of society from small animal care, to education, to research and disease prevention, to food animal, agricultural and environmental protection. As a zoo veterinarian, I hope to deliver the utmost care and welfare to the animals, further the preservation of species, and promote education to the public. A veterinarian who provides care to zoo animals is helping the animals and society.

I want to ensure the health and humane treatment of these animals so that zoo-goers are able to enjoy, appreciate and discover new knowledge about them. Additionally, I would contribute to society by participating in conservation projects, which include breeding programs, education, advocacy, research and fieldwork. Saving endangered species is a passion of mine and I would be elated to promote conservation efforts and inspire the public’s inquisitiveness about the species. Furthermore, I would help ensure the happiness, safety, and health of zoo visitors by monitoring and protecting the public from any potential zoonotic diseases by putting in place proper vaccination protocols and quarantining, inspecting, and testing new animals. As a zoo veterinarian, I hope to contribute to society by achieving optimal animal care and welfare, advancing the conservation of wildlife, and providing education. 

Works Cited

1. Hamlen, E. (2016). The Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship: A Road Map for Success. Today's Veterinary Practice, 6(2), 24-30.
2. AVMA. (n.d.). Veterinarians and Public Health. Retrieved from https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/avma-policies/veterinarians-and-public-health
3. Croney, C. C., & Millman, S. T. (Eds.). (2016). Handbook of Laboratory Animal Science, Volume I: Essential Principles and Practices (3rd ed.). CRC Press.
4. Kahn, L. H. (2010). One Health and its strengths. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice, 40(4), 609-613.
5. Anderson, J. (2012). Animal Disease Surveillance and Survey Systems: Methods and Applications. Springer Science & Business Media.
6. Hald, T., & Baggesen, D. L. (2010). Animal Reservoirs and Zoonotic Potential of Salmonella Serotypes. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice, 26(2), 417-433.
7. Bowman, D. D., & Georgi, J. R. (2013). Georgis' Parasitology for Veterinarians (10th ed.). Elsevier Health Sciences.
8. Goodrich, M. R. (2012). Veterinary Medical Guide to Dog and Cat Breeds. CRC Press.
9. Ogilvie, G. K., & Moore, A. S. (Eds.). (2013). Managing the Veterinary Cancer Patient: A Practice Manual. John Wiley & Sons.
10. Witte, T. H., & Firth, E. C. (Eds.). (2013). Veterinary Surgery: Small Animal. Elsevier Health Sciences.