Lea este articulo en español aquí.
In 2021, Pet Friends and Rescue Manager Sara Talbot found her cat injured and in pain.
“We thought he had got attacked by a raccoon, but it turned out that he was hit by a car,” she said. “We called all the vets in the area, but nobody had the time or space. So we drove all the way to San Jose and the emergency vet there was able to help us.”
Sadly, Talbot’s cat did not make it.
The problem Talbot faced was that local veterinarian clinics are short-staffed and since COVID-19, residents have struggled to get appointments for their pets. Increased pet ownership since the pandemic has added to ongoing issues surrounding pet care in the U.S.
Today, because there are no emergency veterinary services available within the county, residents are faced with the possibility of losing their animals in times of crisis. The closest emergency clinics are in San Jose, Campbell, Santa Cruz and Monterey.
In April 2023, Jenny Mendolla Arbizu, a BenitoLink reporter, learned that her Chihuahua Gracie had developed diabetes. After receiving insulin, Gracie developed diabetic ketoacidosis the next day.
“The vet clinic told me they could see her in between patients, but I was thinking this little girl is dying. And because they were so short staffed they recommended we take her to San Jose or Monterey.”
Arbizu took Gracie to a pet hospital in Monterey, for a four-day stay.
Part of the problem is the sudden increase in pet owners in the U.S. during COVID-19. According to a survey by the American Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, one in five American households acquired a new dog or a cat between May 2020 and May 2021.
The World Population Review released statistics in 2023 stating that 57.2% of households in California own a pet, with 40.1% owning dogs and 22.9% owning cats.
Veterinarians in San Benito County cannot keep up with the demand for their services. Raquel Horando, a staff member at Animal Hospital of Hollister said, “It can be difficult working in San Benito. Sometimes it’s a bit overwhelming.”
Depending on veterinarian availability, Horando’s clinic can see 30 to 40 pets per day. Many vets have appointments booked out a couple of weeks in advance. The struggle to retain full-time vets sometimes means they are open only four days a week.
Horando said the lack of emergency services is also caused by the lack of vets. “So if a dog gets hit by a car or gets bitten by other dogs, our only option is to recommend their owners take them to emergency services in San Jose or Monterey.”
The shortage of veterinarians is not just a San Benito County problem. In a recent report, San Diego Humane Society says California is at least 30% below the number of veterinarians needed in the state.
For younger veterinarians, educational debt conflicts with the high cost of living in San Benito County and California in general. The American Veterinary Association states that the average debt for 2022 graduates from U.S. veterinary schools was $147,258.
Dr. Gary Weitzman, President and CEO of the San Diego Humane Society added, “Pair that with the cost of living in California and it’s hard to keep them [veterinarians] in the state.”
The shortage of vets has also affected shelters and rescues as well. In an article published by the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, more than 344,000 California shelter animals did not have access to consistent veterinary staff.
Nevertheless, there is some good news for the industry. A Veterinary Debt Relief Program bill AB1237 in the California Assembly could help attract more vets to the state. The bill, which was introduced May 18 by Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris, could forgive up to $150,000 in student loans for California veterinarians who agree to work in shelters in underserved communities for at least five years.
Talbot said Pet Friends and Rescue has felt the shortage keenly. After the previous veterinarian retired, she said the nonprofit has not been able to afford the cost of another one, which made the outbreak of ringworm among their kittens at the beginning of the year much harder to control.
“Yes the ringworm is annoying,” Talbot said. “If we had a vet on staff it would have been super helpful for getting prescriptions and equipment. We have to rely on Dr. [Jeff] Fankhauser and often if there is an outbreak he will give us extra medication, which makes more sense than trying to bring to him 12 kittens at once.”
Additionally, for spaying and neutering, which is legally required in California before adoption, the staff now have to drive to Monterey. “It’s not really a fun drive when you have to spend 40 minutes back and forth with eight screaming kittens or a large dog screaming the entire way in the car.”
Fankhauser, owner of Pet Maintenance and Repair, works with many shelters and rescues in both Monterey and San Benito counties. He said that most of the shelters and veterinarians are struggling with the influx of pets and demand for their expertise.
“I think it’s important for the public to understand how stressful vet medicine is right now,” Fankhouser said. “Many veterinarians retired after the pandemic. My field has high rates of deppression and suicide. It’s a stressful situation for people providing the care.”
We need your help. Support local, nonprofit news! BenitoLink is a nonprofit news website that reports on San Benito County. Our team is committed to this community and providing essential, accurate information to our fellow residents. It is expensive to produce local news and community support is what keeps the news flowing. Please consider supporting BenitoLink, San Benito County’s public service, nonprofit news.