World Veterinary Day 2021

The world needs veterinary professionals. Not because our animals need specialists and guardians (which is crucial), but because of the type of people they are. They are caring, mindful, empathetic people who will persist relentlessly to ensure our four-legged family member is okay.  

Along these lines, we rehash the world needs veterinary experts just because the world needs better individuals. We are inclined to salute and acknowledge veterinary experts and their superhuman powers, however, spend a few minutes for yourself and read why has a whole day been dispensed to commend veterinary medicine. 

World Veterinary Day, a day dedicated to promoting the veterinary field and work on improving animal and human well-being, the environment, food safety, animal transportation, and quarantine. This year (2021), World Veterinary Day happens to be on Saturday, April 24th. Each year World Veterinary Day has a distinct theme to raise awareness on a selective subject. The current year’s topic is The Veterinarian Response to the Covid-19 Crisis.

The feared Corona Virus was certifiably not another word for qualified veterinary experts; however, COVID-19 was a hurricane nobody was anticipating. Medical attendants and specialists were confronted with the unimaginable challenge of staying cognizant of the psychological and physical wellbeing of people in general, also themselves. We salute them and will be eternally in debt.

Veterinarians were also confronted with an insanely unusual and critical challenge i.e., managing the overall public with their doubts, queries, fears, allegations, while attempting to treat and protect their fur balls. Veterinary experts were straightforwardly tossed into the fire when it came to deal with the pandemic.

A long time back, a lethal infection called Rinderpest had impacted dairy cattle until it was reported eradicated in 2011, through vaccination. It is the only animal disease known to have been completed eradicated.

Rinderpest was transmitted between cattle via droplets. The dairy cattle would be contaminated by breathing in these droplets, secretions, or excretions. Although Rinderpest represented no danger to people, it influenced their lives by causing starvation and poverty, also caused thousands of deaths.

Back in April 1863 in Hamburg, Germany, a general meeting among specialists had transpired to examine Rinderpest. Professor John Gamgee extended the invite to veterinarians and educators of veterinary medicine from all over Europe. This gathering’s principal objective was to examine epizootic sicknesses and concocted standard guidelines for the cattle business that could be supported by all of Europe.

This gathering turned into the first International Veterinary Congress (WVC). In Spain in 1959, at the sixteenth WVC, the World Veterinary Association was established. The WVA’s objective is “to provide global leadership for the veterinary profession and promote animal health and welfare and public health, through advocacy, education, and partnership.” 

In 2000, The WVA decided to devote a date to honour the veterinary profession, and it was deemed that the last Saturday in April would be celebrated as the World Veterinary Day.

While we all have our neighbourhood marvel vets who have brought back smiles on our faces hundreds of times, some of us would know of a British veterinary surgeon and novelist, better known by his pen name James Herriot.

James Herriot was a rural veterinarian whose semi-autobiographical stories about caring for animals in the Yorkshire Dales have been enjoyed by generations. His style of writing was easy, conversational type, that offered insights into human nature with warmth and ample humour. He is the one who introduced us to the rustic lives of farmlands, their challenges, and how essential it was for the veterinary services to be rendered at home. James Herriot’s books were absolutely unputdownable. You loved the guy, and you loved the pets as they almost came alive through his storytelling knack.  

This weekend, we are observing both, World Veterinary Day as well as the World Book and Copyright Day, hence let’s list down some groovy reading material from James Herriot’s stash.  

If Only They Could Talk (1970 in UK)

It Shouldn’t Happen to a Vet (1972 in UK)

All Creatures Great and Small (1972 as US compilation)

Let Sleeping Vets Lie (1973 in UK)

All Things Bright and Beautiful (1974 as US compilation)

James Herriot’s Yorkshire (1979)

The Lord God Made Them All (1981)

 The Best of James Herriot (1982)

James Herriot’s Dog Stories (1986 in UK)

James Herriot’s Treasury for Children (1992 in US)

James Herriot’s Cat Stories (1994 in UK)

Seven Yorkshire Tales (1995 in UK)

James Herriot Children’s Picture Books

Moses the Kitten (1984)

Only One Woof (1985)

The Christmas Day Kitten (1986)

Blossom Comes Home (1988)

The Market Square Dog (1989)