Large animal care access gap in US persists

Before closing his practice this spring, Dr. Martin Moravec was the lone veterinarian in Rock County, Nebraska, an area home to 40,000 beef cattle and only 1,200 people. He tried once to hire a veterinarian to share the work, carefully wording his advertisement to highlight that the position meant lots of time in the outdoors, away from the stress of city life.

"I got zero response," he said.

Access to large animal care in rural parts of the United States has been a problem for decades, and agricultural and veterinary leaders at federal, state, university and community levels are still trying to solve it.

This story was published on May 29, 2026.