National Pet Day 2023 – resources for veterinarians

04 Apr 2023

 

April 11 is National Pet Day in the United States, but here in Australia we also believe in its message: celebrating the joy that pets can bring us. In recognition of this, the AVA has collated some resources to help veterinarians support the human-companion animal bond (HCAB). The aim is to ensure clients can access information that allows them to experience all of the emotional, physical and psychosocial benefits that come with having a pet.

When pet owners experience vulnerabilities or difficulties, this can be a barrier to optimal veterinary care, which can then have flow-on effects for veterinarians. The following information is designed to help vets know what services and resources they can pass on to clients to help preserve that all-important HCAB.

 

Pets in rentals

The 2019 Pets in Australia survey showed that one of the main barriers to pet ownership was unsuitable housing or lifestyle situations. The current rental crisis means that in many cases, renting can be an impediment to pet ownership.

Recently, the AVA compiled a list of resources to help veterinarians advise their clients how best to access resources regarding pets in rental properties. This includes state-specific legislation, contact details for the Real Estate Institutes of each state and links to knowledgebase articles.

This list of resources can be found here.

 

Veterinary Social Work

Veterinary Social Work (VSW) is a field still in its infancy in Australia, however the concept is beginning to take hold. VSW takes a community-centred approach to supporting veterinary clients experiencing vulnerabilities including:  homeless or at risk, domestic violence,  aged , physical disabilities,  mental ill-health and/or  financial difficulties.

Australia’s first formally qualified, internationally-recognised veterinary social worker, Wendy Till, recently co-founded the social enterprise Veterinary and Community Care (VaCC). Wendy, who obtained her post graduate qualification at the University of Tennessee, plans to develop VSW training programs and services in the near future, starting in WA, where VaCC is based. Another pioneer of VSW in Australia,  The Social Hearted Vet – Dr Alicia Kennedy of Cherished Pets, operates out of Victoria.

Both of these organisations provide VSW services in their local areas where local veterinarians can refer to them. However, given capacity limitations they are not able to provide broad, wide-reaching services just yet (but watch this space)!

The wellbeing benefits of utilising VSW flow not only to clients and the animals in their care, but also to the veterinary teams themselves, improving the mental health of the profession. This is a win-win-win for all – vets, clients and animals – and aligns with the core tenets of the AVA’s veterinary wellness initiative, THRIVE: Prevent, Promote, Protect.

For more information about VSW please visit these websites:  VaCC, Cherished Pets..

 

AVA policies

The AVA has some relevant policies which may be of interest to veterinarians. These are: