Dr. Dean Peterson of Milton - 1997

Dr. Dean Peterson of Milton - WVMA President 1997

Photo:  Courtesy of Dr. Dean Peterson

Personal information

       My 8th grade aptitude test said I should work toward being a veterinarian. I discarded that test right away, as I was the son of a poor dirt farmer with 20 cows that he milked by hand. We had just purchased our first tractor 10 years before. Previous to that, my dad was working the land with horses. Besides, there was no veterinary medical school in Wisconsin and I didn’t like to study that well. Sports and farming were my big interests.

       However, after graduating from high school in 1959, I went on to the UW Farm Short Course program so I could be a better dairy farmer. I found that I liked the Madison campus life so much that I transferred in to the long course program graduating in 1965 with a BS degree in animal science. After that, I was the livestock and 4-H agent for Jefferson County. Feeling that I needed more schooling to be an area livestock specialist, I went back to Madison and obtained a MS degree in 1967. During these two years in Madison, I met veterinarians that were in graduate school in the veterinary department. These conversations sparked my 8th grade prediction that I should go to a veterinary college. I was admitted to Michigan State University and graduated in 1971. 

        After veterinary medical school, I served a one year internship in an internationally known equine practice in Lexington, Kentucky called Hagard, Davidson and Magee. From there I went on to work at a mixed practice in Lodi, Wisconsin for one year, before going to T.B. Racetrack in Chester, West Virginia for seven years. While there, I purchased a practice and built up another off track, three doctor practice. I sold both practices and moved back to Wisconsin in 1978. In Janesville, I started a large animal practice serving horses and cattle. We expanded into a mixed animal practice in 1985.

        Just before veterinary medical school, I married Ellen Trachsel. We had three children in three different states as we moved around. They are all grown and I now have seven grandchildren.

Involvement in the WVMA

      When I moved back to Wisconsin in 1978, I joined the WVMA and started volunteering for committee work. I think I have served on every committee except animal welfare and awards and recognition. With the WVMA’s support, I ran for a position on the AVMA’s council on public relations, which I enjoyed very much. Meetings were always held in the board room at the AVMA’s headquarters in Schaumberg, Illinois.

      During the 1980’s and 1990’s, the WVMA had a traveling display that was moved around the state to different county fairs by a veterinary technician student. This display involved a pickup truck pulling a small, two-horse trailer with a fistulated Jersey cow. She was penned behind the trailer so that fair-goers could see the inside of a cow’s rumen. Other educational displays were set up around the trailer for people to learn about veterinary medicine. That was discontinued a round 1990.

      I called the WVMA office and suggested a modern stand-up display be purchased with pictures of veterinary activities attached. Soon, I was given the job of developing the public relations tool. A professional photographer and I set up many photo sessions in small animal clinics, farms and equine hospitals. I think the traveling display is still available today for clinics to borrow for open houses, etc.  

      Cow Need Doctor’s Too video project was completed. The Public Education and Marketing Committee completed filming of a video depicting the role of a bovine practitioner in keeping cows healthy for the production of clean milk.

        Mr. Ben Brancel was Secretary of Agriculture and Dr. Siroky was appointed State Veterinarian. The US was down to only 26 cattle herds nationally that had brucellosis.

      The USDA’s goal was to be down to zero herds by the year 2000. Wisconsin had eight positive cases of equine infectious anemia in 1997. This was down from 60 cases the first year that mandatory testing was implemented.

       The WVMA established an email address and began communicating in cyberspace.

       A coloring book called “Living Compatibly with Dogs” was produced and has excelled predicted demand. Our 60,000 copies have been produced and sent to veterinarians, pediatricians, humane societies, etc.

        The Wisconsin Veterinary Practice Managers Association was just getting organized and growing in membership.   Involvement on the Executive Board In 1992 I was elected by the District 2 membership to the WVMA Board. I served on the board for four years and attended many meetings throughout the state.   

       During my year as past president, I was asked to run for a position on the AVMA council on public relations representing equine. During the AVMA convention I had to present my qualifications orally before the House of Delegates. Luckily I was elected over an equine surgeon from Ohio. It was a privilege and a joy to serve on this AVMA council for several years.

Annual Meeting/Convention

        In 1996 when I was introduced as the new president-elect, I was surprised and disappointed because my opponent, and very good friend, Dr. Warren Wilson had not won. That was the last year the WVMA had a contested election. At the convention, my staff was handing out flashing buttons that read, “Don’t blame us.  We voted for Wilson”.  I did not campaign, but Warren had sent flyers that read “Win With Wilson” with Bayer sales representatives to be distributed to Wisconsin veterinary clinics.

     During the annual meeting, while I was addressing the audience, I told the joke about the short cowboy.   It made the secretary of the Department Regulation and Licensing laugh so hard that I had to stop my talk so she could finish laughing.  

     The 82^nd Annual Convention was held at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva. We had many fine speakers that touched on a variety of different subjects. They varied from small animal oncology, osteosarcoma, lymphoma, and seizures, to cattle reproductive ultrasound, site injections lesions, financial analysis on dairy farms, equine chiropractic principles/application to equine colic.  Certified Public Accountant Fritz Wood spoke about new veterinary business model. The Veterinarian of the Year Award was given to Dr. Peter Vanderloo. The Meritorious Service Award was given to Dr. Pete MacWilliams.

Challenges and difficulties during presidency

       The staff and Leslie, our executive director, were wonderful during my presidency. There were three big legislative issues we faced during my term. The first one being, preventing lay people, especially AI inseminators, from being able to palpate cows for pregnancy.   The second, stopping rabies vaccine from being sold over the counter or from catalogs and third, changing the minimum age at which a dog or cat can first receive the rabies vaccine from four months to three months.  

       We were successful in defeating legislative issue number one and three, but due to opposition from the Wisconsin Horse Council and the Chairman of the Senate Ag Committee, we could not successful win getting the rabies vaccine out of the hands of lay people. 

        Bovine tail docking also became an issue during my presidency and the WVMA had to develop a policy and stand on it.

Final thoughts

        This seven- year period of time attending the WVMA board meetings was a wonderful time of my life. I made great friendships with veterinarians from around the state and nation. I always encourage anybody thinking about serving on the board to do it. You give a lot of time to the organization, but the friendships made and the experience is well worth it.