Amber Betts WSDA Communications
As Dr. Brian Joseph prepares to hang up his agency
stethoscope for the final time this week, we’d like to take a moment to
recognize the incredible career he’s had as the state veterinarian at the
Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA). State vet is just one notch
in the belt of his career for this retired Army Reserve Veterinarian and
humanitarian.
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| Dr. Joseph visited Belize in 2015, working with public health officers to administer rabies immunizations to dogs, and vaccinations and deworming for pigs, goats, cattle, and horses. |
Collaborative
relationships
When COVID-19 hit Washington state, Dr. Joseph was on a
mission to help educate families on what role their family pets had to play in
the spread of the virus. There was the potential for a lot of hysteria around
companion animals. Could they become
infected? Could they infect each other? Could they infect people?
“There was so much we didn’t know,” Dr. Joseph said.
Dr. Joseph collaborated with colleagues across the state to
develop guidance for testing and care of Washington pets in shelters and COVID-19
positive households. In doing so, they blazed the trail for other states.
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Dr. Joseph performing
a physical examination on a camel and training another Army veterinarian how to work with camels. |
Dr. Minden Buswell immediately arranged a conference call
with Dr. Peter Rabinowitz, head of the University of Washington One Health
Program; Hanna Oltean, zoonotic disease epidemiologist at the Washington State
Department of Health; Dr. Tim Baszler and Dr. Kevin Snekvik of the Washington
Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory; Dr. Sandra Newbury of the University of
Wisconsin Shelter Animal Medicine Program; Dr. Leonard Eldridge, USDA APHIS Area
Veterinarian in Charge; Dr. Joseph and regional veterinarians.
“We included Center for Disease Control experts and came up
with the best guidance that we could based upon the information we had. It was
sound, and the present guidance from USDA and CDC largely mirrors the path we
set early on,” he said.
Dedicated WSDA staff and the strong collaborative
relationships with partner agencies and organizations is what he’ll miss the
most.
“There are several things I will miss the most,” he said. “I
will miss the dedicated staff that we have at WSDA. I will deeply miss the strong collaborative
relationships we have with the University of Washington One Health program, the
Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Washington States’ School of
Veterinary medicine, the Washington Department of Health, our USDA APHIS
colleagues, our WSVMA colleagues; the Beef Commission; all our livestock
organizations; and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. These strong relationships make us more
productive and facilitate animal health management and a strong agricultural
economy in Washington.
“We are truly fortunate, but maintaining these relationships
takes the investment of time and shared responsibility,” he added.
The path that led us
here
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| Dr. Joseph delivering school supplies to children in Obo, Central African Republic in 2016. |
There was a lot to consider for his future and becoming a
veterinarian was the least desirable, in the end however, he chose it, and I
think we’re all glad he did.
“I chose this path because I believed it would be the most influence
over improving the lives of animals,” he said.