In early October, a bipartisan bill was introduced that aims to bolster the state’s farm-animal veterinary workforce by easing the student-loan burden for recent graduates.
The bill, sponsored by State Representative Joel Kitchens (R–Sturgeon Bay) and co-sponsored in the Senate version by Senator Cabral‑Guevara, proposes to offer $25,000 per year in loan-repayment grants, for up to four years, to newly-graduated veterinarians who practice in rural counties and devote at least 25 percent of their time to treating farm animals.
The University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Veterinary Medicine testified in favor of the Senate version, noting the “shortage of large-animal veterinarians, particularly in rural and agricultural communities” and commending the bill’s sponsors for “their interest and commitment to the success of Wisconsin’s future veterinarians.”
Dr. Al Martens of Waupun Veterinary Service, who covers farms across nine counties in eastern Wisconsin, spoke in favor of the bill, pointing out that many solo or small practices have disappeared, reducing access to emergency and routine farm-animal care.
There is a deepening nationwide and statewide shortage of veterinarians, particularly those working with livestock and other farm animals. According to a study from NCSL, the U.S. has lost 90 percent of its food-animal veterinarians since the end of World War II.
In rural America, more than 500 counties across 44 states were already identified as having veterinary shortages in 2019, and the gap has worsened; for example, one source noted that as of April 2021 there were 12.5 jobs per veterinarian seeking employment, up from 3.7 in early 2019. (RELATED: Evers Vetos Slew Of Legislation As Final 365 Days Closes In)
In Wisconsin specifically, by 2030 almost 41,000 additional veterinarians nationally will be required, and even with new graduates the expected shortfall is nearly 15,000.
Given the state’s heavy emphasis on livestock, dairy and agriculture, the proposed loan-repayment incentive seeks to shore up veterinary capacity in exactly those areas most under strain. (RELATED: ‘Let Them Sue’: Wisconsin GOP Bill Targets Doctors Over Gender Procedures)
