A couple American veterinarians are headed to Liberia this month to care for animals ravaged during 14 years of strife and war. The vets are said to be the only practicing veterinarians in the country. Though there was a tradition of veterinary medicine in Liberia, it is assumed most vets left to escape civil war.

According the Veterinarians Without Borders US, the project is vital to ensure that Liberias animals remain healthy and contribute to its food security, human health and economy. You can read more about the project and the organization here.

The US Congress is working on a bill that would address the "severe lack" of veterinarians that are trained in public-health and safety. HR 2999 would provide scholarships, loans and fellowships to encourage the growth of veterinarians at the federal level. The programs would fall under the purview of the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Recent public safety scares such as the swine flu outbreak highlight the need for veterinary expertise at the federal level. The bill would establish a new Division of Veterinary Medicine and Public Health (DVMPH). Cost seems to be the biggest obstacle to passage, the first bill to address the shortage of DVMs failed to pass because of its $1.5-billion price tag. It is hoped this latest bill will be an easier sell to lawmakers because of its incentive and cost structure.

You can learn more about the bill here.

Hello World! Welcome to the first post by VetBlue. We're a team of dedicated software developers and veterinarians that are building the next generation veterinary practice management software. We can't give too much away just yet, but stay tuned in the next coming months as we'll have a lot of exciting products and features in the works.