The veterinary profession is facing an unprecedented crisis that threatens animal welfare nationwide. While the lack of access to veterinary care (AVC) has been identified as the greatest modern threat to companion animal welfare, one critical aspect remains underexplored: the alarming attrition rate of shelter veterinarians.
This white paper, “Keeping the vets we have: shelter veterinarian retention as a core strategy to support Access to Veterinary Care,” examines how veterinarian retention is not merely a staffing issue but a fundamental strategy for addressing the broader access to care crisis. Drawing on extensive research and frontline experience, the authors, Dr. Kate Hurley, DVM, and Dr. Jennifer Scarlett, DVM, share how keeping the veterinarians we already have may be the most immediate path to improving animal welfare.
Key insights you’ll find in this white paper:
- Background on this issue: Shelter overcrowding has reached historic levels nationwide, making it challenging for veterinarians to provide quality care and prevent professional burnout.
- Factors driving veterinarian departure: This research reveals three critical factors driving veterinarian departure: lack of support staff, inability to provide adequate care due to overcrowding, and misalignment with shelter leadership.
- Practical solutions: The white paper outlines targeted interventions in four key areas: improving support staffing, addressing overcrowding, aligning organizational priorities, and enhancing compensation and work-life balance.
- How key stakeholders can work together: Solving this crisis requires coordinated action from shelter leadership, external stakeholders, policymakers, and funders.
Read the full white paper to explore these insights and discover how animal welfare organizations, veterinary professionals, and community leaders can work together to address this critical issue.