Animal welfare deserts: human and nonhuman animal inequities

Reese, Laura A.; Li, Yongming

doi:10.3389/fvets.2023.1189211

Cited by 8 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 85 publications

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“…Clinic catchment areas and the ratio of care providers to population vary widely in the US, 7 and resources are skewed towards more affluent areas of cities. 49 The paucity of veterinary and other services in remote Indigenous communities, in particular, is well-recognised. 8,25 The 'Other' barrier category appeared important and had one significant association (Supplementary file 4), but was not interpretable.…”

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Barriers and Lack of Access to Veterinary Care in Canada 2022

Jacobson,

Janke,

Probyn-Smith

et al. 2024

JSMCAH

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Introduction: Despite concerns about access to veterinary care in Canada, there are no previously published national survey data. The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of barriers to veterinary care faced by Canadian dog and cat owners, and to identify associated factors. Methods: This was a national online survey conducted in mid-2022, the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was nationally representative of English and French-speaking Canadian adults as regards region, age, and sex. Results: Eighteen per cent of the respondents (440/2,500) could not access wanted or needed preventative veterinary care in the past 12 months; 12% (305/2,500) could not access sick care; and 8% (195/2,500) could not access emergency care. The most frequent barriers were the inability to afford care (preventative – 124/440, 28% of those who were unable to access care; sick – 75/305, 25%; emergency – 34/195, 17%); and the inability to obtain an appointment (preventative – 95/440, 22% of those who were unable to access care; sick – 80/305, 26%; emergency – 47/195, 24%). Twenty-one per cent (522/2,500) could not access other pet needs, most frequently pet food (43% of those who lacked access); grooming (34%); and training (28%). Recent immigrants (<5 years) and young people (18–34 years old) were more likely to report barriers. Affordability and appointment availability were the two most frequently occurring barriers. Conclusions: This survey identified a large number of pet owners who faced barriers to veterinary care. There is a need for industry leaders, educators and regulators to help support initiatives to expand access to care.

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Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Barriers and Lack of Access to Veterinary Care in Canada 2022

Jacobson,

Janke,

Probyn-Smith

et al. 2024

JSMCAH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…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.…”

Section: Impacts On Veterinary Carementioning

confidence: 99%

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

Kogut,

Montgomery,

Levy

2024

Preprint

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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.

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“…While the concept of access to care is multifaceted and can include accessibility and the lack of available services in certain geographic locations, as well as other spatial sociodemographic barriers [11], one important way to define accessible care is care that can be obtained within a client's means [12]. Because the client is primarily responsible for the full cost of veterinary care and more intervention is often more costly and time consuming, the availability of options for care on a spectrum is a way to reduce the financial burden on clients and improve access to care [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Veterinarians’ Self-Reported Behaviors and Attitudes toward Spectrum of Care Practices

Dolan,

Slater

2024

Animals

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Access to veterinary care for animal owners is an important part of keeping animals healthy and keeping pets and people together whenever that is appropriate. Insufficient financial and other resources to allocate to veterinary care are major barriers for pet owners to receiving preventative, sick, and emergency services. The veterinary community has begun to incorporate offering a range of diagnostic and treatment options more intentionally in response to clients’ inability to pay and to a lesser extent to mitigate other barriers to care. Many veterinarians are nonetheless oriented toward providing specialized and more sophisticated care based on their training. This study sought to identify the self-reported behaviors, knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of veterinarians about offering a spectrum of care options (SoC) to clients. The finding that many reported offering SoC is encouraging. However, veterinarians who report comfort and confidence in a variety of aspects of clinical care were most likely to offer SoC. Practitioners in the field for 20 or more years were less likely to offer SoC to clients with financial limitations. Rural veterinarians were more likely to offer SoC to any client compared to urban veterinarians. These results provide a point of reference and potential focus for veterinarians who are not currently offering SoC as well as an exploration of veterinarians’ reported knowledge, behaviors, attitudes, perceptions, and concerns about SoC.

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Animal welfare deserts: human and nonhuman animal inequities

Cited by 8 publications

References 85 publications

Barriers and Lack of Access to Veterinary Care in Canada 2022

Barriers and Lack of Access to Veterinary Care in Canada 2022

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

Veterinarians’ Self-Reported Behaviors and Attitudes toward Spectrum of Care Practices

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