Animal agriculture in Indiana is on the rise, and so is the demand for veterinary care, both in the barn and at home.
Across the state, growth in livestock production is increasing the need for large-animal veterinarians, while a surge in pet ownership over the past five years has added pressure on small-animal clinics. For many Hoosiers, finding a veterinarian who is accepting new clients has become a real challenge.
But according to Denise Derrer Spears with the Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH), “We did a survey of a group of veterinarians, and a quarter of them said they’ve got capacity to see large animal clients. And when you get into small animals, more than a third of them said that they have capacity. And so we started thinking, maybe there’s a mismatch in services to those who need them and trying to find a way to match them up. And so that’s where we landed on the veterinary practice Finder. We’re calling Find a Vet.”
Users can search by species, location, specialty, and even how care is delivered, whether that’s in-clinic, on-site, or at a haul-in facility.
Spears says, “The veterinarians don’t pay to be in it. We don’t charge a fee for it. And it’s a completely voluntary opt in. But we had over 200 practices opt in on the first wave. We have a second wave of veterinarians. And now that they’ve seen the product they’ve wanted in, and we’re over 300 at this point.”
The goal is simple: help bridge the gap between growing demand and available care, ensuring both livestock producers and pet owners can access the veterinary services they need.
“Animal owners can find the find a Vet search tool on the Indiana State Board of Animal Health website, on the home page, or the Indiana Board of Veterinary Medicine, “ Spears concluded.
