Meet Dr. Dave

Jolley: Five Minutes With Dr. Dave Sjeklocha, DVM, Animal Ag Activist

Dr. Dave Sjeklocha operates a thriving large animal clinic in Sublette, Kansas. That’s his main business. He’s also an animal ag activist but you should read that phrase carefully. He’s pro animal agriculture and a little annoyed at the way we’ve all been portrayed by special interest groups like PETA and HSUS.

As a member of the Academy of Veterinary Consultants, he took action. Not content to do what we all do so well – complain about the situation over a cup of coffee with friends who will always agree with us – he decided to help rally the troops and defend the ramparts.

And he makes an unassailable point. If the meat and poultry industries don’t grab the bull by the horns and tell the whole story, those special interest groups will own the stage and continue to frame a one-sided debate in their own well-known terms. Never mind if their arguments aren’t based on even half-truths and their logic is usually as shaky and structurally unsound as an old barn in an Oklahoma windstorm, if it’s repeated often enough, it becomes accepted as the truth.

During the NCBA Convention in Phoenix, Dr. Dave was the moderator of what promises to be a gathering coalition of people and organizations dedicated to telling the general public the real story of animal agriculture. With most people several generations removed from any relationship with farming, there comes a disconnect that anti-ag groups have skillfully exploited.

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We had the opportunity to meet Dr. Dave in Phoenix at this meeting and present at it. He is very passionate about animal agriculture and is working hard to bring a lot of people together on this issue. Stay tuned for more updates from this working group.