Calling All Pet Parents! The Veterinary Community Needs Your Support
Hard to believe, but some people assume all veterinary professionals get to spend their days playing with animals. While vet pros do love and enjoy their clients, that’s definitely not the full picture of their day-to-day work lives.
The reality for veterinary teams involves everything from routine care of small and large animals to more challenging cases, terminal diagnoses, and administering euthanasia. Whether working with pets or production animals, veterinary professionals often experience a rollercoaster of emotions throughout a typical work day. Not surprisingly, these challenges have caused a growing workforce shortage in the veterinary community, with individuals leaving the field due to burnout, financial reasons, retirement, or death by suicide. Sadly, the pandemic has only increased the risk of suicide among veterinarians.
Not One More Vet (NOMV) is a nonprofit organization committed to supporting the mental health of veterinary professionals through a variety of programs and resources, such as peer-to-peer support, financial support grants, healthy workplace certification, educational presentations, and collaboration with partner service agencies. NOMV serves all veterinary professionals, including veterinarians, veterinary technicians, veterinary students, and veterinary support staff.
Karla Fernandez, a Registered Veterinary Technician in the Bay Area and a NOMV board member, shared a bit about why NOMV’s work is so important to her. “I wish to be an advocate - the advocate I didn't have when I was at a very low point in my life. I want my fellow colleagues to feel less fear, anxiety, and helplessness when faced with uncertain and stressful circumstances. As an advocate and volunteer for NOMV, I found my inner voice, my personal strength. NOMV represents a change, a voice, and a new focus for our profession. Being able to protect someone's dream of contributing to animal welfare is why NOMV is important to me.”
If you’re wondering how you can help as a pet parent, here are a few ways to support the veterinary community and help to reduce the daily stress that veterinary professionals face.
For starters, mark your calendar now for NOMV’s upcoming “Love Your Vet-A-Thon,” a fundraiser and awareness event that starts on April 24 and runs through May 31. Parents of companion animals are invited to celebrate their own veterinary teams while helping NOMV continue to improve mental health in veterinary medicine. With a donation of $35 for an individual or $125 for a whole clinic, you can recognize the people who help your pets stay happy and healthy, while supporting NOMV’s services for all veterinary professionals. Follow NOMV on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn and subscribe to NOMV’s newsletter for updates as the event approaches.
Another way to give back to the veterinary community is to become involved with NOMV. Pet parents can apply to volunteer as NOMV advocates to help raise awareness among the public or deliver care packages to clinics to provide veterinary professionals with a much-needed lift.
Yet another simple but effective way to support the veterinary community is to tell your friends and family about NOMV and share NOMV social media posts to help raise awareness of the challenges veterinary teams encounter. And don’t forget to ask your veterinary team if they know about NOMV. If they don’t, let them know that NOMV offers peer support, financial support, and educational opportunities to support everyone in the profession.
Finally, do your part by being kind to veterinary professionals. That includes valuing your pet’s life and your vet team’s livelihoods enough to invest in pet insurance or set aside funds for emergencies. Planning ahead can save untold anguish for you and those kind-hearted folks on your vet care team.
Veterinary teams are doing their best every day to serve our beloved animals and a little kindness and empathy can go a long way. In this month of valentines, let’s share a bit of that love with the people who care for our pets.
About NOMV:
Not One More Vet (NOMV) is committed to the mental well-being of all veterinary professionals. Its mission is to transform the industry through evidence-based peer support, mentorship, financial support, education, and awareness. Learn more at nomv.org.