Where did veterinary medicine start in the world?

Veterinary medicine is the art and science of providing medical care to animals. While there have probably been self-taught and lay animal doctors since humans first domesticated animals, modern veterinary medicine started in Lyon France in the 1880s. A royally-funded school of veterinary medicine was established to train medical professionals to control outbreaks of rinderpest, a nasty cattle plague that could devastate cattle herds and cause famine across Europe. Over time, veterinarians expanded their scope to all livestock - cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and horses were the primary species. Treating companion animals such as dogs and cats came later, as middle class families started to demand medical treatment for these animals.