Pires AFA, Peterson A, Baron JN, Adams R, Martínez-López B, Moore D (2019) Small-scale and backyard livestock owners needs assessment in the western United States. PLoS ONE 14(2): e0212372. Across the western United States, agricultural animals such as poultry, sheep, goats and other species are finding their way into backyards and small scale farms. The purpose of this project was to identify the veterinary service needs that owners of these urban or peri-urban animal might have in Washington state, Oregon, Colorado and California. Most owners desired improved access to livestock and poultry veterinary care and medicine. These animal owners indicated that they would seek out competent veterinary care if it was available, but many perceived that they had sufficient experience to deal with minor medical issues however, those same respondents preferred to call a veterinarian for animal husbandry and production questions.
Alda F. A. Pires, DVM, MPVM, PhD1; Amos Peterson, DVM, MSc3; Jerome N. Baron, DVM, MSc2; Ragan Adams, MA, DVM4 and Dale A. Moore, DVM, MPVM, PhD (2020) Assessment of veterinarians’ engagement with backyard poultry and small-scale livestock operations in four western states. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 257(2):196-209. Once we learned that there were some veterinary service needs among owners of agricultural animals in urban and peri-urban settings, we needed to understand the veterinary practitioners’ views in those areas on providing service. We conducted a survey in four western states among mostely companion animal practitioners. They perceived that urban and peri-urban agriculture was increasing in popularity in California, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington. Although their responses varied substantially, there” was a consensus that veterinarians played critical roles in guarding public health and preventing the spread of zoonotic diseases.” They felt there were sufficient veterinarians to treat companion animal species, but few were treating production animal or livestock species because of the challenges including the lack facilities or experience to examine and treat those types of animals. “Nevertheless, poultry and livestock maintained in UPAs require veterinary services, and the veterinary profession has an opportunity to improve both the health and welfare of those animals as well as maintain its standing as a defender of public health.”