By AARON SUNDERFORD
Nebraska Examiner
LINCOLN — Nebraska has a new state veterinarian, and he’s spent decades helping livestock in a state whose economy depends on animal agriculture to pay many of its bills.
Dr. Roger Dudley, who served as state epidemiologist and deputy state veterinarian for the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, replaces Dr. Dennis Hughes, who retired in December.
“Veterinary medicine is my career and my passion,” Dudley said in a department press release. “I look forward to continuing my work with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and taking on this leadership role to help protect the livestock industry.”
The state veterinarian helps local livestock producers protect Nebraska’s 6.8 million head of cattle, 3.6 million hogs and growing poultry stock from disease and related disruptions.
Dudley has worked for the state for more than a decade. State Ag Director Steve Wellman praised his relationships with producers, understanding of animal epidemiology and leadership skills.
He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and his veterinary medicine degree from Kansas State University. He worked at an animal hospital in Gothenburg, Nebraska, from 1996 to 2011, eventually buying the business.
“He is the best person for the job of keeping Nebraska’s livestock healthy and safe,” Wellman said.