The Colorado Department of Agriculture is pleased to announce Dr. Morgan McCarty has been selected as the Assistant State Veterinarian for the State of Colorado.
In the role, Dr. McCarty will focus on disease response activities, overall management of division activities, and supporting Colorado State Veterinarian Dr. Maggie Baldwin and the mission of the Animal Health Division.
“We are excited to have Dr. McCarty on board as the new Assistant State Veterinarian for Colorado," said State Veterinarian Maggie Baldwin. "She brings a breadth of experience as a private practicing veterinarian and livestock producer from the Western Slope that will be invaluable to guide our work in the division."
Dr. McCarty earned her DVM from Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in Fort Collins. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Animal Science from Colorado State University before attending veterinary school. She started her career as an associate veterinarian in a large animal practice before starting her own mobile large animal practice in Western Colorado.
“CDA is honored that Dr. McCarty is bringing her years of experience and knowledge to our department. Her years of working with ranchers and livestock owners on the Western Slope are going to bring invaluable connections to the land and the people of Colorado,” said Agriculture Commissioner Kate Greenberg.
Dr. McCarty owned and operated her veterinary practice for 10 years until 2018, when she sold it to pursue a lifelong dream of hiking the Appalachian Trail, a 2,200 mile trek from Georgia to Maine. After four and a half months of hiking, Dr. McCarty returned to Rifle to start a beef cattle consulting practice and pursued a career in small animal medicine.
“I am extremely passionate about agriculture and the livestock industry and am excited to apply my veterinary and producer experience to my new role as the Assistant State Veterinarian," said Dr. Morgan McCarty. "I look forward to working with veterinarians, producers, and the livestock industry to work towards ensuring a safe food supply, protecting the health of Colorado’s livestock, and to strengthen our agricultural industry as a whole.”
Dr. McCarty grew up in Rhode Island on a small farm with horses, sheep, and beef cattle and was an active 4-H and FFA member. She and her husband own and operate a small purebred cattle operation near Rifle, Colorado. When she is not working cattle she enjoys reading, hiking, backpacking, paddle boarding with her Australian Cattle Dog, and spending time outdoors with her husband.