Big fairs, livestock shows and equine events are more than just exhibition grounds, they’re high-visibility stages where animal health, food safety, welfare and fair competition all come into focus. Veterinarians are often approached to serve as the veterinarian on record for such events, yet few have formal training in navigating the medical, regulatory and ethical responsibilities that come with the role.
Dr. Caitlin Dobecka, the current official vet for the State Fair of Texas, talks about her experience in the role, and how veterinarians can ensure everything behind the scenes is working, not just what the public sees. Dobecka hopes she can start a dialogue on working such events, as there are currently no official guidelines in place.
“I used to keep these kinds of jobs like my best kept secret and that was a huge mistake on my part,” Dobecka says. “I was younger in my career, and I was a little bit fearful of telling other veterinarians what my protocols were because, to be honest, I wasn’t very confident in them. I didn’t have a manual or a playbook to go by.”
She now embraces the value of sharing experiences, so that they can be collaborated on and built upon. While there might be a lot of variation across events, some key considerations should hold true.
Considerations for Veterinarians at Livestock Events
Clear Contract and Expectations
Before hooves hit the ground, a strong written contract is essential. This needs to detail exactly what the expectations are along with your ideal and non-negotiable items. Essential information includes:
- What services will be provided and how much of your time do they need
- What equipment and materials are required and what is provided
- How much staff support is available
- What paperwork is required (health certificates, proof of vaccination, licenses)
- How compensation will be handled
Dobecka emphasizes: “Don’t forget that you are the expert when it comes to public health, veterinary medicine and animal welfare. So yes, they need to tell you what they need from you, but don’t be afraid to speak up and say: ‘Actually, based on this schedule and the number of animals, I think you need a lot more from me, or maybe less from me.’”
Biosecurity and Animal Health Protocols
Preventing disease is preferable to reacting to disease. Biosecurity starts before the animal leaves home with a thorough health inspection. Consider both what is required of incoming animals and how to best manage animal health on-site including certified veterinary inspections, arrival inspections, unloading procedures to catch issues early and securing isolation/quarantine areas for sick animals. Pre-event planning should solidify what to do with a sick animal
Event Rules and Regulations
Events are governed by state, federal and event-specific rules. Contract veterinarians need to be familiar with the event rules pertaining to animal health, welfare and exhibition rules. Further, they must have protocols in place and facilities ready for emergencies, mortalities, euthanasia or necropsy.
Drug Testing
Drug testing can be a major responsibility for event veterinarians to ensure fairness in competition. Be certain to have clear protocols for sample collection, chain of custody and who oversees testing. Ensure there are enough staff to separate emergency care from drug-testing duties to avoid conflict of interest and contamination
One other consideration is whether security is appropriate for your event.
“Professional security is recommended for high competition events,” Dobecka says. “When you’re focusing on the drug testing, you need someone else to be enforcing the rules. Sometimes, after a really long day of showing, there’s alcohol involved, there’s 45 people in the family, and some of them want to be the one to pull the blood … but just keep them out of the area.”
Facilities, Team and Logistics
Ensure the layout, staff, and available tools are appropriate for the tasks you need to perform. Have a separate veterinary space and an animal isolation area away from the public eye. Have a loose animal protocol in place to protect human and animal safety. To avoid fatigue, organize a capable team working in shifts with scheduled rest times.
Speaking on having animals inside show rings: “Event producers, exhibitors, stock contactors, organizers; everyone needs to be on board,” Dobecka says. “Anytime we have a rodeo, we have a preproduction meeting. … It gets really old, but it is really important. … We need to be on the same page about what’s going to happen if we have an animal emergency.”
Ethics, Public Relations and Communication
Along with medical care, veterinary staff at events are also stewards of public trust and animal welfare. Be transparent with exhibitors about what is or isn’t possible within the rules. Veterinarians are often pressured to work miracles for exhibitors, but the rules need to be prioritized. Establish beforehand who will communicate with the media about any questions, concerns or publicity; consider someone with specific media training.
Benefits and Challenges
Doing this type of veterinary work can be both demanding and rewarding. While you might face challenges related to taking time away from your regular practice, and potential emotional and physical stress with high-stakes events, the benefits are also very real. You take the credit for protecting animal welfare and maintaining public and exhibitor trust in the fairness of competition.
Livestock events are complex. The success of these events depends on advance planning, clear contracts and rules, appropriate infrastructure and staffing, rigorous biosecurity, and transparency. When all of that comes together and the show goes on, both animals and people come out better for it.
