The College of Veterinarians of BC and veterinarians are speaking out about the vet shortage and burnout within the profession, which is expected to continue for the “foreseeable future.”
Castanet and CBC report that the lack of veterinarians and the strong demand and pressures placed on vets leads to mental health issues. The Society of BC Veterinarians’ executive director Corey Van’t Haaff says that if the Ministry of Advanced Education would provide the funding, the funded seats available for BC students at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine could be doubled.
“We’re short 100 veterinarians a year for the next five years, and we’re only graduating 20 veterinarians from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine,” said CVBC Council Vice-President Michele Martins.