ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the provision of professional veterinary services within the peri-urban zone around Melbourne, Australia’s largest metropolitan city and the state capital of Victoria. The discussion centres on the concept of veterinary adaptability and is based on qualitative research that analysed websites of veterinary practices located in this Victorian hinterland. This website data suggests an industry in transition due to changes in development pressures and growth. The intrigue comes from learning about veterinarians as a professional group beyond what are more often consciously considered to be professional services necessary or desirable for community needs in new and expanding suburbs under conditions of population growth. Two parts to this question are raised by the interaction of actual and online presence of veterinary practices in this zone:
Are these veterinary clinics and practices oriented towards providing agriculture service or towards urban and domestic needs?
What story do veterinary clinics and practices tell by their online facades, in helping answer this question of urban or rural orientation?
