Staff shortages leave Carinthian animal welfare duties at risk

A shortage of official veterinarians is leaving animal-welfare work at risk in parts of Carinthia, the Austrian state broadcaster ORF reported. The state’s animal-welfare ombudsman, Jutta Wagner, said the situation was especially concerning in the districts of Spittal an der Drau and Klagenfurt Land.

Marie-Christin Rossmann is the only official veterinarian responsible for Klagenfurt Land. During a routine inspection of a dairy farm in Moosburg on Tuesday morning, she said extra staff would be helpful, at least for follow-up checks. Rossmann said a judge had once expressed surprise that she worked alone without a second person present.

Wagner warned that animal welfare could be neglected because official veterinarians have a broad range of duties, including work related to human health. “Animal welfare is the thing that can most easily be left undone, because animals have no voice,” she said.

Rossmann said her workload had become increasingly difficult to manage, with animal-welfare cases reaching an especially challenging scale this year. Seizures can involve large numbers of animals. Small animals taken from owners may be brought to TIKO Klagenfurt, an animal-care facility where they wait for new homes.

Rossmann said the workload affected almost every district. She has asked for a data-based assessment of staffing needs, but said there had been no time to carry it out.

The Carinthian state government said it was aware of the importance of the official veterinary service. It said the information previously available had not clearly shown an urgent need for additional staff in Klagenfurt Land, but that recently submitted supplementary information was now being reviewed.