Laurie_Gage

Photo courtesy of Dr. Laurie Gage

Recently retired from 20 years in public service, Dr. Laurie Gage writes about her experience working as a Veterinary Medical Officer for the United States government.

I worked as the Zoological Species and Marine Mammal Specialist for the United States Department of Agriculture's Animal Care division for over 20 years until I retired in September. Serving in that agency was an honor and a privilege.

Most of my job was comprised of serving as a subject matter expert and adviser for zoo, wildlife and marine mammal issues as they related to the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). I led the training of our inspector workforce to help them learn and understand the basics of husbandry, nutrition, handling and veterinary care of species kept in zoos and aquariums. I also served as a resource and a subject matter expert to our Office of General Counsel and represented the government in legal proceedings that involved these animals.

I have been alarmed as former colleagues in Animal Care have been fired or encouraged to resign, and a freeze has been put on much-needed hiring. I worry about the welfare of the animals that I and many other federal employees spent decades trying to protect. I am also concerned that the public doesn't understand the important work Animal Care does and how the well-being of thousands of animals depends on a robust, well-trained Animal Care workforce.

Animal Care's mission is to ensure the humane treatment of animals covered by the AWA and the Horse Protection Act. These laws apply to birds and mammals used in exhibition, research and breeding. The agency enforces welfare regulations through inspections, education and outreach. Animal Care inspectors conduct regular, unannounced inspections of all USDA-licensed and ‑registered facilities, of which there are more than 10,000. These include zoos, aquariums, exhibitors, breeders, dealers and research facilities, as well as carriers and transporters of the covered species.

Inspectors may identify animals that appear unhealthy, unusually thin, or that exhibit physical problems, such as lameness or hair loss. They examine premises to ensure enclosures are in good repair and there are no issues that could affect the health and welfare of the animals. They review veterinary and husbandry records, as well as ensure the animals' food is wholesome, palatable and appropriate for the species.

Citations cover everything from excessive handling, improper diets and hazards inside animal enclosures, like an exposed nail, to more serious concerns, such as discovering that an animal had suffered or died without appropriate veterinary care. Inspectors work with licensees and registrants to correct identified problems and ensure compliance with the AWA. The results of the inspections are documented in reports that are available to the public.

More than half of Animal Care's inspectors are veterinarians, officially known as Veterinary Medical Officers. The others are experienced animal care professionals, including veterinary technicians, and are called Animal Care Inspectors.

Even before the current Trump administration began slashing the workforce, offering inducements for resignation and freezing hiring, Animal Care was stretched thin. From 2010 to 2016, there were 120 to 130 inspectors throughout the country. During the first Trump administration, from 2017 to 2021, the number of inspectors dropped below 100 due in part to a shift in the inspection emphasis from strict enforcement to education and compliance assistance. That period saw a 67% decrease in documented citations and an almost 90% decrease in new investigations.

In my opinion, Animal Care lost a number of excellent, dedicated inspectors during that time because they felt they were not supported to do the job they were hired to do, which was to protect the welfare of the animals they inspected.

When enforcement ramped up again under the Biden administration between 2021 and 2025, the USDA strove to increase the inspector workforce, with the goal of hiring at least 20 veterinarians. While there were a number of excellent new hires, the total number of inspectors continued to drop because some long-time inspectors were retiring, many with over 20 years of service, while others were promoted to positions within and outside of Animal Care.

Adding to the pressure on remaining staff was a broad expansion of Animal Care's responsibility. In February 2023, a rule establishing new welfare standards for birds was enacted. This rule nearly doubled the number of animals that required inspection, making the mission of Animal Care nearly impossible to achieve with fewer than 100 inspectors.

And yet, we persevered. Our dedicated workforce did everything possible to ensure good welfare for the animals we oversaw. Inspectors crisscrossed the country to areas where we had lost and not replaced local inspectors. Species specialists like me helped to do team inspections of large facilities or premises with hostile or incompetent licensees.

I am aware of the public perception that there is a large percentage of poor performers in the government workforce. That has not been my experience. I encountered very few lazy or incompetent inspectors or support staff over the years.

Inspectors go out in the bitter cold or blazing heat and occasionally deal with combative licensees. It is not always a pleasant or easy job. Yet most of the inspectors I knew stayed at their posts for well over a decade, many of them achieving 20- or 30-year careers.

I also worked with people from several different agencies. I had regular interactions with folks from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other divisions with USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. After the Covid-19 pandemic hit, we collaborated frequently, discussing how to protect both people and other animals. I rarely came across anyone from any of those agencies who wasn't helpful, creative and hard-working.

Under the current administration, many of my former colleagues say they don't feel their jobs are safe. Almost 10% of Animal Care's field inspectors and their supervisors took the "Fork in the Road" deal, an offer of deferred resignation emailed to federal workers in January. With further cuts promised, I don't know anyone who isn't feeling stressed at the prospect of losing their job, or of losing some of the good people they work with, for no apparent reason.

While I'm not aware of any of the inspectors in Animal Care who've been fired, I have learned that two probationary employees doing program support were let go as part of the widespread firing of workers with fewer than one or two years on the job. Support personnel help licensees by answering questions and assisting with paperwork. They are critical to the program. Getting rid of probationary employees is not only wasteful but robs the agency of personnel who are the future of the organization.

If the dust settles and hiring begins again, I doubt many qualified people will want to apply for the job, given the uncertainty.

Animal welfare will suffer in this country because of these recent actions. I believe there are presently not enough employees in Animal Care to effectively do the job. Bad facilities and licensees will continue to cut corners, providing inadequate veterinary care or worse — neglecting and starving animals — with few to no consequences.

A board-certified specialist in zoological medicine, Dr. Laurie J. Gage was a zoo and marine mammal veterinarian in the private sector for 23 years before taking a job as a Marine Mammal and Zoological Species Specialist for the USDA's Animal Care program. She worked there for more than 20 years, retiring in September 2024. She has been a consulting veterinarian for the Veterinary Information Network, an online community for the profession and parent of VIN News, since 1998.