Agriculture
Season 3 Premiere Shines Spotlight on Veterinary Care Deserts
PARSIPPANY, N.J.— Based on estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), 17 counties in Montana are facing a shortage of care from large-animal veterinarians.1 Through its Born of the Bond Series, Zoetis, a global animal health leader, has turned the attention to how veterinarians and livestock producers across the country are facing this care shortage.
“Across the country, livestock producers are feeling the strain of a growing shortage of veterinary care,” said Mike Lormore, DVM, MS, MBA, Director of Cattle and Pork Technical Services, Zoetis. “When producers don’t have reliable access to veterinary care, it’s not just the health of their animals at stake; it’s their ability to run a viable operation and keep a safe, quality food supply flowing to consumers.”
The first episode of Season 3 features Stillwater Veterinary Clinic, Absarokee, Montana. The episode shows how the clinic evolved its care model and recruited a new associate veterinarian to help address the demand across a growing geography.
“Right now, there’s a lot of producers in this area that are just having difficulty finding someone to answer the call,” said Jesse Olsen, DVM, MS, owner and partner in Stillwater Veterinary Clinic. “We’re in a veterinary desert because of the lack of veterinarians in the area.”
The large-animal veterinarian shortage isn’t only a Montana issue or only a livestock producer issue. The USDA identified more than 500 U.S. counties across 46 states that are experiencing a large-animal veterinary shortages in 2025.1 These shortages also extend to veterinarians to fill key roles in the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and the Food Safety and Inspection Service, which could impact U.S. consumers.1
“There is a shortage of care provided by large-animal veterinarians in the United States,” said Denise Loyning, a cattle producer near Columbus, Montana. “So, to have these doctors here at Stillwater Veterinary Clinic, it’s pretty amazing. If they were not here, I could not even express what kind of gap we would have in our business, because they’re such an integral part of what we do.”
A live premiere event at the historic Empire Theatre in Livingston, Montana, on October 29th introduced the short film to an audience of veterinarians, cattle producers and cattle industry stakeholders.
Born of the Bond Series, Season 3 – Answering the Call, premieres to the public on Friday, Oct. 30, on the Zoetis Livestock YouTube channel. All episodes are also available to view at BornOfTheBond.com.
About Zoetis
Zoetis is the world’s leading animal health company, driven by a singular purpose: to nurture our world and humankind by advancing care for animals. With a legacy of nearly 75 years, Zoetis continues to pioneer ways to predict, prevent, detect, and treat animal illness, supporting veterinarians, livestock producers, and pet owners in over 100 countries. We integrate deep scientific expertise, data-driven R&D, advanced manufacturing, and commercial excellence to deliver meaningful innovation across medicines, vaccines, diagnostics, biopharmaceuticals, and digital solutions. Guided by our vision to be the most trusted and valued animal health company, Zoetis is committed to setting new standards for the future of animal care through innovation, customer obsession, and purpose-driven colleagues. To learn more, visit Zoetis.com.