The nonprofit veterinarian shortage: who will care for the pets most in need?

doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-3915925/v1

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Research Article

The nonprofit veterinarian shortage: who will care for the pets most in need?

https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3915925/v1

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Introduction:

The national shortage of veterinarians, and the technicians and assistants who support them, has depleted every sector of the profession, including private practices, emergency and specialty clinics, agricultural practices, public health departments, and veterinary college faculty. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the veterinary workforce shortage on veterinary care provided at two types of public practice: 1) veterinary care for cats and dogs housed temporarily in animal sheltering organizations, and 2) veterinary clinics aimed at increasing access to care for animals in the community.

Methods:

Surveys were disseminated to 333 animal sheltering organizations (ASO) receiving a minimum of 2,500 animals annually and 118 access to care clinics (ATCC) that partner with or receive grants from the national animal welfare nonprofit Petco Love. Surveys included questions about staffing and vacant positions for veterinarians and veterinary support staff, current hiring efforts for veterinarians, and delays in animal care.

Results:

A total of 179 ASO completed the survey (54% response rate). Most reported being short-staffed for veterinarians (130/179; 73%) and for veterinary support staff (132/179; 74%). Of 143 ASO answering a question about spay/neuter surgeries,130 (91%) reported having a backlog with a combined total of 18,648 animals awaiting surgery. A total of 57 ATCC responded to the survey (48% response rate). Of these, 41 (72%) reported being short-staffed for both veterinarians and veterinary support staff. As a result, clients were waiting longer than usual for care at 45 clinics (79%), with delays of two months or more at 28 clinics (51%).

Conclusion:

This study highlights the critical impact of severe veterinary workforce shortages on nonprofit organizations responsible for medical care for the most vulnerable cats and dogs. These shortages pose substantial risks to animal welfare, the human-animal bond, and public health.

Small Animal Medicine

veterinary workforce

shelter veterinarian

veterinary nurse

veterinary technician

veterinary assistant

non-profit veterinarian

access to veterinary care

spay/neuter

animal shelter

shelter medicine

public health

dogs

cats

In 2023, The American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges concluded that “significant shortages of veterinarians exist across all sectors of professional activity and at all levels of specialization. .. a result of systemic, long-term trends in pet ownership and demand for veterinary services, along with limited capacity for training veterinary professionals.” i The American Veterinary Medical Association identified several industry segments most impacted by the shortage, including “food animal, equine, academia, shelters, emergency practices, specialties and public health.” ii

Veterinary workforce studies predict the shortage will increase to 15,000 companion animal veterinarians and more than 100,000 veterinary nurses/technicians by 2030, resulting in 75 million pets going without veterinary care.iii^,iv Of these, 20 million would be pets of families that can currently access care, and 55 million would belong to families that have historically lacked access to care. Analysts predict that while competition for veterinary care workers would bolster lagging wages, these higher costs would also lead to fewer families being able to afford care at private practices and the need for shelters and nonprofit clinics to increase their capacity to meet the widening gap.v^,1

Statewide studies suggest that shelters and nonprofit clinics have been especially hard hit by the veterinary workforce shortage. A 2023 survey of California shelters reported that 50% of veterinary positions and 54% of registered veterinary technician positions were vacant, leaving 344,000 animals without adequate veterinary care.vi This deficiency resulted in disease spread, prolonged length of stay, overcrowding, and increased euthanasia for the first time in decades. A survey of veterinary professionals in Colorado shelters in the same year highlighted understaffing issues leading to treatment delays and spay/neuter backlogs.vii Private practitioners in that study reported high levels of stress around performing economic euthanasia for clients that could not afford recommended care. They advocated for improved access to veterinary care for underserved pet owners. Another study estimated that the COVID pandemic shutdown resulted in a backlog of 2.7 million spay/neuter surgeries that were never performed.2 Aside from these studies, there was limited information regarding the national impact of the veterinary shortage on nonprofit clinics and shelters.

Petco Love, a national nonprofit, partners with over 4,000 organizations, including animal shelters and veterinary care providers, “to create a better world for animals and the people who love them.” In its 2022 fiscal year, Petco Love invested $30 million in grants and products, a portion of which supports veterinary initiatives to deliver the necessary care to pets in need, including preventive care, management of illness and injuries, and spay/neuter surgeries. Concerned about the perceived veterinary and veterinary technician shortage, Petco Love initiated this study to comprehensively evaluate the influence of the veterinary workforce shortage on animal care within temporary sheltering organizations and community-focused veterinary services enhancing access to care.

Survey administration and audiences

Petco Love surveyed two types of organizations: 1) animal shelters and home-based foster programs (collectively referred to as animal sheltering organizations, ASO), and 2) veterinary clinics providing public access to veterinary care through low-cost or free services (collectively referred to as access to care clinics ATCC). Links to GoogleForm surveys were emailed to organization leaders, and responses were accepted from August to October, 2022.

Animal sheltering organizations

Petco Love works with ASO, including public governmental/municipal departments and private not-for-profit organizations (collectively referred to hereafter as “nonprofits”), to increase positive outcomes for the animals. These organizations are responsible for providing veterinary services for animals admitted into their care (“intake”). Additionally, many of these sheltering organizations also operate public veterinary clinics to increase access to care for community pets. For the purposes of this study, information about these public veterinary services is included in the ASO responses and not added to the free-standing ATCC clinic responses. Because many smaller organizations do not have full-time veterinarians on staff, this study surveyed organizations with annual intake of greater than 2,500, as higher intake levels warrant full-time veterinary care. These high-intake organizations constituted only 8% of Petco Love’s total animal sheltering partners; however, they collectively represented 66% of the total animal intake at all partner ASO.

Access to veterinary care clinics

Petco Love funds nonprofit veterinary clinics to improve access to care for all pets, including those whose pet parents struggle financially and for free-roaming community cats cared for in trap-neuter-return programs. The scope of services provided ranges from outpatient wellness, to uncomplicated spay/neuter surgery, to full-service veterinary care.

Animal sheltering organization survey

A total of 333 ASO meeting the inclusion criteria were emailed a link to the ASO survey (Appendix 1). The survey had a total of 9 questions about the ASO’s name, state, presence of a veterinary clinic for shelter animals and/or community animals, veterinary staffing, wait times for care, and number of animals waiting for spay/neuter surgery. Respondents could also enter an optional free-text comment. Information regarding shelter type, total animal intake, budget, and live release rate were obtained from Petco Love records.

Access to veterinary care clinic survey

A total of 118 ATCC were emailed a link to the clinic survey (Appendix 2). The survey had a total of 8 questions about the organization’s name, state, provision of veterinary care for community pets, veterinary staffing, and wait times for appointments. Respondents could also enter an optional free-text comment. Information regarding type of services and budget was obtained from Petco Love records.

Animal sheltering organizations

A total of 179 of the 333 eligible ASO responded to the survey (54% response rate). These ASO collectively took in 1,208,643 cats and dogs, representing approximately one quarter of the national shelter intake of 4.4 million in 2022.viii The largest proportion of ASO were located in the South (88/179; 49%), had animal control responsibilities (114/179; 64%), annual budgets of less than $2.5 million (77/179; 43%), and intakes of less than 5,000 animals per year (95/179; 53%). (Table 1). Most ASO had their own internal veterinary clinics for animals sheltered in their care (146/179; 82%) (Fig. 1A). The remaining ASO lacking their own in-house veterinarian had collaborating veterinarians of record who provided medical oversight and protocols for medical care to be carried out by trained shelter staff. More than half of ASO (106/179; 59%) also operated public-facing veterinary clinics for community animals in addition to caring for animals temporarily belonging to their own organizations (Fig. 1B). Information regarding ASO type, total animal intake, budget, and live release rate were obtained from Petco Love partnership records.

Table 1

Characteristics of 179 animal sheltering organizations (ASO).
Geographic division (179 responses)*	Number of AWO	Percent
South	88	49%
West	49	27%
Midwest	29	16%
Northeast	13	7%
Annual budget (177 responses)
< $2,500,000	77	43%
$2,500,000 – $4,999,999	52	30%
$5,000,000 – $9,999,999	23	14%
$10,000,000 – $14,999,999	9	6%
≥ $15,000,000	16	8%
Animal welfare organization type (179 responses)
Nonprofit or municipal agency that is responsible for animal control sheltering and performs adoptions	114	64%
Nonprofit, SPCA, or humane society that operates a shelter and performs adoptions	59	33%
Nonprofit organization that is primarily a foster based rescue	6	3%
Annual animal intake number (179 responses)
2,500–4,999	95	53%
5,000–7,499	39	22%
7,500–9,999	18	10%
10,000–14,999	12	7%
≥ 15,000	15	8%
Annual live release rate (179 responses)
< 60%	10	6%
60–69%	14	8%
70–79%	39	22%
80–89%	77	43%
≥ 90%	39	22%
*https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/hus/sources-definitions/geographic-region.htm

Approximately three-quarters of ASO reported being short-staffed for veterinarians (130/179; 73%) (Fig. 2A) and for veterinary support staff (132/179; 74%) (Fig. 2B) (Table 2). Of the 130 organizations reporting a shortage of veterinarians, 109 (84%) were actively attempting to fill their vacant veterinarian positions. Ten additional ASO that were not currently experiencing a veterinarian shortage were also recruiting for one to expand their veterinary capacity, resulting in approximately two-thirds of ASO having vacant veterinarian positions (119/179; 66%).

Table 2

Proportion of 179 animal sheltering organizations with veterinary personnel shortages, delayed veterinary services for animals in the shelters, and number of animals affected by decreased spay/neuter capacity.
ASO with veterinary workforce shortages (179 responses)	Number of ASO	Percent
Veterinarian shortage	130	73%
Veterinary support staff shortage	132	74%
Actively seeking a veterinarian	119	66%
ASO with shelter animals waiting longer for internal veterinary services (179 responses)
Waiting longer for veterinary care	124	69%
Not waiting longer for veterinary care	55	31%
Number of sheltered animals awaiting spay/neuter (143 responses)
0	13	9%
1–49	52	36%
50–99	30	21%
100–199	25	17%
200–499	19	13%
≥ 500 (up to 3000+)	4	3%

More than two-thirds of ASO (124/179; 69%) reported delays in veterinary services for animals in their care. A total of 130 of the 143 ASO (91%) replying to this topic reported a combined total of 18,648 animals waiting for spay/neuter surgery. More than half of ASO with surgery bottlenecks (60%; 78/130) reported 50 or more animals waiting, with 3 ASO having 1,000 to more than 3,000 animals in the sterilization backlog. Only 13 ASO reported they were caught up with spay/neuter surgery and had no animals waiting.

Access to veterinary care clinics

A total of 57 of 118 eligible ATCC responded to the survey (48% response rate). Most ATCC were located in the South and had budgets less than $1 million (Table 3). These stand-alone nonprofit clinics reported similar staffing challenges experienced by ASO. Of these clinics, nearly three-quarters (41/57; 72%) reported being short-staffed for both veterinarians (Fig. 3A) and veterinary support staff (Fig. 3B) (41/57; 72%). Of the 41 organizations reporting a shortage of veterinarians, 34 (83%) were actively attempting to fill their vacant veterinarian positions. Two additional clinics that were not currently experiencing a veterinarian shortage were also recruiting for one to expand their veterinary capacity, resulting in nearly two-thirds of ATCC having vacant veterinarian positions (36/57; 63%).

Table 3

Characteristics of 57 access to veterinary care clinics (ATCC).
Geographic Division* (57 responses)	Number of ATCC	Percent
South	24	43%
West	18	32%
Midwest	9	16%
Northeast	5	9%
Annual budget (57 responses)
< $1,000,000	30	53%
$1,000,000 – $2,499,999	17	30%
$2,500,000 – $4,999,999	7	12%
≥ $5,000,000	3	5%
*https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/hus/sources-definitions/geographic-region.htm

The vast majority of ATCC (45/57; 79%) reported delays of 1–6 months for appointments (Table 4, Fig. 4)

Table 4

Proportion of 57 access to veterinary care clinics (ATCC) with veterinary personnel shortages and prolonged wait times for veterinary care appointments.
ATCC with veterinary workforce shortages (57 responses)	Number of ATCC	Percent
Veterinarian shortage	41	72%
Veterinary support staff shortage	41	72%
Actively seeking a veterinarian	36	63%
ATCC with patients waiting longer for veterinary services (57 responses)
Waiting longer for veterinary appointments	45	79%
Not waiting longer for veterinary Appointments	12	21%
Estimated wait time for an appointment (55 responses)	Number of ATCC	Percent
1 week	7	13%
1 month	20	36%
2–3 months	22	40%
4–6 months	6	11%
Supplementary materials

Respondent comments about the veterinary workforce shortage

A free-text box was provided at the end of each survey with the question, “Is there anything else you’d like to share on this topic?” A total of 69% of ASO leaders (124/179) and 67% of ATCC leaders (38/57) provided a reply. Respondents repeatedly stressed the difficulty they face effectively recruiting and retaining veterinarians and skilled veterinary technicians.

With the costs of hiring and retaining veterinary staff increasing, maintaining full veterinary staffing has become prohibitive for many nonprofits. Even organizations offering market rates still reported difficulties in filling vacancies. Some who were seeking to fulfill the needs with private practice veterinary support or relief vets reported the cost to be unsustainable or that the private practice support was no longer available in their areas. Many of the comments simply stated: “we need more vets,” “please help,” or “thank you for this timely survey.”

Some answers were particularly clear regarding how all aspects of medical care were impacted: “[s]taff shortages also impact medical rounds, check-ups, intake, and euthanasia decisions.” One organization shared that nine county shelters, six city shelters and 21 rescue organizations were seeking their clinic’s help for spay/neuter and urgent care because those organizations could not find local private practice veterinary support. One commenter stated “[S]omething has to change, because every single day this continues, animals die for absolutely no reason other than there are no vets to service them.”

One final comment summed up the overall sentiment of the survey comments: “We are completely desperate for a solution, and we need it now. Shelters are being forced into the role of providing accessible and affordable care because of this shortage. .. Something has to give because we are failing the people and the animals in our community.”

This study documented that nonprofit veterinary workforce shortages initially described in California and Colorado are occurring nationwide. The similarities and high personnel vacancy rates in both ASO/ATCC provide compelling evidence for a crisis in these essential services for the most vulnerable animals: those in shelters, free-roaming community cats, and pets belonging to families that can no longer access veterinary care. This nonprofit veterinary vacancy rate depletes already limited options to provide low-cost services to pet parents at a time when the economic climate, overcrowded shelters, and increasing cost of veterinary care create a greater need for more accessible services.

Impacts on veterinary care

Approximately three-quarters of ASO reported vacant positions for both veterinarians and veterinary support staff. Without proper veterinary staffing, shelters cannot effectively manage their pet population and the care needed to efficiently move these pets to their best outcomes and save lives. Whether these pets need important vaccinations and parasite control, treatments for illness and injuries, or spay/neuter surgeries, every delay contributes to crowding, spread of disease, animal and staff stress, and unnecessary euthanasia.ix^,3

With surgical sterilization before adoption as standard practice, the veterinary staffing shortage resulted in a backlog of shelter animals awaiting surgery. Nine out of 10 shelters collectively reported spay/neuter backlogs involving nearly 20,000 animals. Options for managing surgery backlogs, such as keeping pets longer in shelters or foster homes, implementing post-adoption surgery contracts, or using “foster-to-adopt” placements all have drawbacks, including increased workloads, bottlenecked animal flow, risk of poor compliance with sterilization, and the birth of accidental litters.

Similarly, more than two-thirds of ATCC had open veterinarian and veterinary support staff positions. These nonprofit veterinary clinics may include everything from limited wellness and spay/neuter surgery services to comprehensive full-service and urgent care for emergencies. Inability to meet demand means pets are waiting longer to receive needed care in 8 out of 10 clinics. More than half of clinics had wait times of 2 months or more. Apart from the evident challenges in providing timely treatment for sick animals, delayed access to spay/neuter procedures elevates the risk of unintended breeding.

Importance of access to veterinary care safety nets

ATCC/ASO provide spay/neuter and essential preventive health care for pets that would otherwise lack access and pose risks to animal welfare and public health. High-quality high-volume spay-neuter (HQHVSN) clinics and ASO altering pets before adoption were significant factors contributing to the decline of shelter euthanasia from 22–25 million animals in the 1970s to approximately one million by 2022.x^,4 Current reductions and delays in spay/neuter procedures jeopardize the life-saving trends of the last 50 years.

Access to subsidized veterinary care for pets in underserved communities can reduce relinquishment of pets to animal shelters. These “safety net” programs provide services ranging from basic preventive care to treatment of common illnesses, injuries, and emergencies and may be the only option for veterinary care for some families.xi. For example, in a national study of patients admitted for spay/neuter at 22 low-cost clinics, the spay/neuter appointment was the first visit to a veterinarian for 49% of dogs and 77% of cats5. Nearly all cats and a third of dogs over four months of age had not been vaccinated against rabies, and 22% of female cats and dogs had already produced litters by the time they were brought in for spay/neuter. Nearly half of families using the clinics had household incomes of less than $30,000.

Access to veterinary services for the most vulnerable populations and animal welfare are closely coupled. Without reasonably prompt access to veterinary care, sheltered and owned animals can experience greater risk of morbidity, mortality, and unnecessary euthanasia for preventable or treatable conditions. There is also a strong correlation between lack of access to veterinary care and human health care within the same communities.^6,7 This raises the specter of increased vulnerability to human health due to zoonotic diseases and other risk factors,8 but also presents a One Health opportunity to develop health services addressing “the whole family” of pets and people together.

Community demographics and pricing impact accessibility to veterinary care.^9,10 Of 3,108 counties in the contiguous US, 344 have no veterinary clinic at all, impacting an estimated 1.4 million pets¹¹. The cost of veterinary services in the private sector has outpaced the consumer price index since 1996¹², and the current trend of veterinary costs exceeding inflation by 3%-4% per year is expected to continue over the next 8–10 years.xii As a result, as the cost per visit has increased, the overall number of visits has decreased, along with the sale of important medications, such as heartworm, flea, and tick preventives.13xiii ^, Nearly 30% of pet owners do not see a veterinarian at least once a year, with the cost of care cited as the most frequent reason.^6,12,14 Price sensitivity is not limited to low-income pet owners. “Financially fragile” families are defined as unable to access $2,000 within 30 days. Approximately one third of pet owners at a wide range of income levels already fall into this category, especially for unplanned emergencies.15

Factors impacting nonprofit veterinary staffing

Competition for veterinarians has driven up compensation offers, making it harder for ASO/ATCC with limited budgets to recruit and retain veterinarians. In 2022, new veterinary graduates entering companion animal private practice accepted their first positions at an average salary of $120,317, 28% higher than those entering nonprofit positions at $93,922.xiv The average salary for all veterinarians working in companion animal private practice was $140,348, 42% higher than salaries for nonprofit veterinarians averaging $98,833. Unlike their counterparts in private practices, nonprofit organizations encounter limited flexibility in passing on swiftly escalating costs of compensation and medical supplies to clients through elevated service fees.

Mental health and burnout issues prevalent in the wider veterinary profession also affect veterinarians working within nonprofit practices. Burnout among veterinarians has consistently risen annually since the initiation of the Professional Quality of Life: Compassion Satisfaction and Fatigue (ProQOL) survey in 2015.^xiii Primary factors contributing to this burnout are long work hours and on-call responsibilities post-shift.^xiii,16,17 Burnout leads to turnover of both veterinarians and support staff at rates higher than other medical professions.^xv^,13 Despite veterinarians' aspirations to reduce their work hours, shelters often face limitations in alleviating workloads or number of animals in care without jeopardizing positive outcomes or population-level animal wellbeing.

Similar challenges and staffing turnover impact veterinary nurses, technicians, and assistants in both nonprofit organizations and private practices, but are amplified by historically low compensation. Salaries for veterinary technicians averaged only $21–25 per hour in 2022, a rate that forced one third to take on second jobs or to leave veterinary medicine for better paying professions to make ends meet.18 Veterinary support staff and shelter personnel report even higher rates of burnout, compassion fatigue, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal ideation and suicidal attempts than veterinarians.19 This is particularly pronounced among those involved in euthanasia decision-making or directly engaged in the euthanasia procedure itself.^20,21,22,23

Opportunities for recruitment and retention of veterinary personnel

Despite plans for ten or more new veterinary colleges, the persistent shortage of veterinarians and technicians is expected to endure for another decade. This scarcity may disproportionately affect recruitment by ACO/ATCC. Nonprofit organizations must explore all viable means to reduce turnover and retain their existing veterinary professionals, emphasizing the benefits of nonprofit practice and fostering an inclusive atmosphere.

For example, a study comparing veterinarians who left shelter practice with those who stayed revealed that both groups valued Shelter Medicine duties.²⁴ However, departing veterinarians rated their roles lower in terms of relationships with administrators, team involvement, mentorship opportunities, and input into medical decisions. Meanwhile, those who remained were more engaged in management, policy development, and treatment planning.

Veterinarians employed in governmental or nonprofit roles have access to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, offering capped monthly loan payments based on income and debt write-off after 120 payments. Since 8 out of 10 senior veterinary students graduated in 2022 with student loan debt averaging $179,505 each,^xiii loan forgiveness can amount to a significant economic enhancement and recruitment tool for ASO/ATCC, especially when organizations are unable to match cash compensation packages offered by private practices.

Enhanced support for training in Shelter Medicine, high-quality high-volume spay/neuter (HQHVSN), and spectrum of care is essential to equip veterinarians for confident practice in ASO/ATCC settings.^25,26 Sustainable funding sources are needed to enhance academic Shelter Medicine programs,²⁷ provide internships and residencies, and continuing education opportunities. These are crucial for recruiting new graduates, developing specialists, and supporting mid-career practitioners transitioning to nonprofit practice.²⁸ Partnerships between veterinary schools and ASO/ATCC offer practical experiences for students and serve as recruitment opportunities when showcasing positive work cultures and commitment to team well-being.

Active recruitment of veterinary professionals to this sector should prioritize competitive compensation, novel student debt repayment options, and increasing awareness of the scope and rewarding nature of practicing in these fields. Since burnout driving veterinarians and support staff away from this sector in particular or from veterinary medicine altogether is most strongly related to workplace culture, poor relationships with management, lack of input on medical protocols and operations, working longer hours than desired, and poor work-life balance, organizations have the opportunity to increase retention of veterinary staff through positive work environments, engagement in decision-making, options to work with or without public clients, and implementing desirable schedules such as 4-day workweeks, family-friendly hours, and no on-call duty.

Limitations

A limitation of this study is that respondents were drawn exclusively from organizations that partner with Petco Love. In addition, the response rate of approximately 50% could influence results if a subset of eligible participants were more motivated to participate due to a particular experience or point of view, such as having a veterinary personnel shortage in their own organization. Furthermore, this unique audience may not represent the greater sheltering and access to care community. However, Petco Love has broad reach in the animal welfare field, and survey respondents reflected a national cross-section of organization types, size, funding levels, and region, thereby reducing the chance of bias.

Nonprofit organizations tasked with caring for the most vulnerable cats and dogs are experiencing severe veterinary workforce shortages that put animal welfare, the human-animal bond, and public health at risk. Approximately three-quarters of shelters and low-cost clinics have vacant veterinarian positions, leading to delays in preventive healthcare, spay/neuter, and treatment of sick and injured pets. Access to veterinary care for pets of low-income households and unowned pets has always been a challenge, but increasing shelter intake and euthanasia rates and more pet owners left out of care due to economic conditions have increased the urgency for creative responses. Failure to act risks reversing progress in reducing unnecessary pet euthanasia and adversely impacts the health of pets, their families, and the well-being of shelter and veterinary professionals.

Author contributions

SK conceptualized the project and designed and implemented the surveys. MLM and JKL curated the data and prepared the formal analysis. SK prepared the original draft, and all authors contributed to the final writing and editing. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Statement of ethics

This study was exempted from human subject research review by the University of Florida Institutional Review Board (#17745).

Conflict of interest and funding

This work was supported by Petco Love and the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. SK is President of Petco Love, a nonprofit foundation that has previously provided grants to the survey respondents.

Conflict of interest statement

This work was supported by Petco Love and the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. SK is President of Petco Love, a nonprofit that partners with animal welfare organizations around the country to save pet lives. The University of Florida has received grants from Petco Love.

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The authors declare potential competing interests as follows: This work was supported by Petco Love and the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. SK is President of Petco Love, a nonprofit that partners with animal welfare organizations around the country to save pet lives. The University of Florida has received grants from Petco Love.

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The nonprofit veterinarian shortage: who will care for the pets most in need?

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Animal sheltering organizations

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Animal sheltering organization survey

Access to veterinary care clinic survey

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Animal sheltering organizations

Access to veterinary care clinics

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Importance of access to veterinary care safety nets

Factors impacting nonprofit veterinary staffing

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