Animal Disease Network

About the Program

Category: Civic Education and Public Information (Best in Category)

Year: 2009

The Office of the County Veterinarian protects animal health, agriculture, public health, and the environment by detecting harmful diseases in the county. Over 3,000 samples are submitted to its diagnostic laboratory every year, but this represents only a small percentage of the sick and dead animals in the county, many of whom could have diseases harmful to other animals or people. To increase the knowledge and improve the detection of disease in the county, a novel and economical program to gather disease data in the county was developed; SDAnimalHealth.net. The website captures disease information that would otherwise be lost. The reporting allows veterinarians to quickly and easily notify the Office of the County Veterinarian about diseases. This serves as a resource for pet owners, veterinarians, and others to learn about animal diseases and enhances the community’s ability to recognize, alert, and respond to diseases and helps to protect the health and safety of the county.