Access to Affordable Veterinary Care: Implications and Solutions

STUDENTS: Alex Burk and Safira Teja
FACULTY MENTOR(S): Dr. Serge Chalhoub and Dr. Tessa Baker


ABSTRACT

Lack of access to affordable veterinary care has important implications on various stakeholders including veterinary professionals, the animal care community, and marginalized populations. Research shows that an increasing contributor to poor mental health indices seen in veterinary staff is moral stress and ethical dilemmas, including contending with limited owner finances. Papers analyzing the animal care community have found that animal surrender rates can be predicted by social determinants, and that a shelter’s capacity for care is strained when alternative sources for affordable animal care are not available to pet owners. Marginalized populations including unhoused, rural, and Indigenous populations face various barriers that prevent them from accessing veterinary care, which are compounded by societal discrimination and stereotypes they face. Offering a spectrum of care, providing accessible literature on preventative medicine, and increasing affordable telemedicine all offer opportunities to bridge this gap in care. Additionally, re-examining the role of animal control officers and creating partnerships with civil society organizations working in this space are promising approaches. Underlying all these strategies must be a focus on cultural competence, non-judgmental relationships, reciprocal knowledge sharing and shared decision making.

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