Dr. Hartfield has taken her love of veterinary medicine and turned it into an education tool to help kids. She has written two books and is currently touring to help promote them and teach kids about caring for animals!
“Dr. Rebekah Hartfield’s personal struggle to pursue her passion of being a veterinarian is a badge she wears with honor. It’s also why she fights so hard to take the best possible care of the large and small animals she sees daily at the Cushing Veterinary Clinic in rural Oklahoma.
“Dr. Hartfield is one of about 25 rural veterinarians that helps care for over 57,000 food animals found in Payne County, Oklahoma, which are a critical component of our food supply chain. It is also an example of the critical shortage of rural veterinarians the agriculture industry is facing when one veterinarian is essentially responsible for over 2,200 food animals in a rural area.
“As more females enter veterinary medicine and opt for urban practices, rural areas continue to suffer from a shortage of large animal veterinarians. Dr. Hartfield is not only a rare find in the agriculture industry – as a rural veterinarian working with large animals at a mixed animal clinic – she’s also a producer with a small ranch she maintains in Tryon, Okla., with her horse-trainer husband. Because of this, she understands the importance of agriculture professionals to support and help sustain the industry, so she’s hoping to inspire a whole new generation.
“The Doctor Hartfield Veterinary Book Series was launched in the summer of 2017 with the release of Rosie the Pig, and created for the purpose of educating and entertaining children about pet care while also promoting the veterinary profession. There will be six books total in the series that focus on stories about caring for large animals, like pigs and horses, as well as more common household pets like cats and dogs. She hopes to help expose children to animals they may not see everyday and spark a desire in young children to help care for all God’s creatures.
“Each book takes the reader through the exam, diagnosis and treatment of one of the animals on the main character Abby’s farm. The beautifully illustrated books also include educational tools like quizzes and a glossary of terms that builds throughout the series to increase their knowledge. Proceeds from the sell of the books goes to support a scholarship at the Oklahoma State University Center for Veterinary Health Sciences.
“Since self-publishing her first book, Rosie the Pig, Dr. Hartfield has read to over 6,000 students at schools, libraries, and events across Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas. She talks to the kids about being a veterinarian and what it means to care for animals, both small and large, every day. She does all this while still working 60 hours a week at the clinic, answering farm calls, and taking care of her own ranch animals.
“Her newest book, Pistol the Horse, was released in June 2018 and will be the feature of her 2018-19 book tour where her miniature horse, Pistol, will accompany her.
“The Doctor Hartfield Veterinary Book Series is available for purchase through her website doctorhartfield.com and at select distributors, which also can be found on her website. The books sell for $14.99 each, or $13 at readings and events. You can request a reading with Dr. Hartfield and Pistol at doctorhartfield.com.” -Lisa Johannsson
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