Legislation Looks To Address Vet Shortages In Washington

Legislation that recently cleared the Washington state House looks to address the shortage of veterinarians across the state.  Sponsor of the legislation, Representative Tom Dent, said House Bill 1705 will set up a task force with Washington State University, industry leaders, existing vets to study the current shortage, and recommend strategies to recruit, train, and retain large animal veterinarians.

Dent added HB 1705 will focus on encouraging the next generation of large animal veterinarians, which he pointed out is a very different career than small animal vets.  The Moses Lake Republican said while the legislation will help the rural and Ag community, it will benefit Washington in general.

“I think it's really important that we work on that and a lot of people don't understand that the veterinarian community is sometimes our first line of defense against diseases that can affect human beings.  They're out, they see it in the animals and if we can catch these things early, so it doesn't come into the human population, well, that's a good thing.” 

Dent said he’s been pleasantly surprised by the amount of support he’s received from Olympia, and he feels as more conversations take place, the support continues to grow. 

The legislation was introduced last week in the state Senate, and had it’s first hearing on Thursday.

Click Here to learn more about HB 1705.

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