COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region is struggling to provide services to the public because of a veterinarian shortage.
The CEO of the Humane Society, Duane Adams, says hiring veterinarians has become increasingly difficult. He believes there is some hope as more vet schools increase their enrollment.
Adams also says new telehealth services adds options for pet owners and takes pressure off of veterinarians.
"They can visually take a look at what's going on and let you know, yeah this is something you need to get into a veterinarian clinic right away, or this is something that is probably not as severe, give it twenty four hours," said Adams. "So, those kinds of services really help out people and the pets."
Adams says the big reason for the shortage is that veterinarians leave school with a higher debt to income ratio than other healthcare professionals. This discourages people from wanting to join the field.
He also believes burnout could be to blame since many veterinarian clinics are short-staffed.
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
