Those who lovingly care for our pets are in a profession that brings them close to ending their lives.

The number of Americans who keep pets has increased dramatically throughout the last 30 years. Nearly two-thirds of American households (86.9 million houses) have pets as of 2024. According to data on pet ownership, that number has increased from 56% in 1988.

Pets can prevent loneliness, which the US Surgeon's Advisory Board considers an epidemic. A whopping 97% of pet owners feel the same way about their furry family members. Yes, family members, not simply animals that live in the home.

Nearly 62% of U.S. households have at least one pet, with 35% having multiples. Additionally, a survey by the Pew Research Center found that virtually all American pet owners (97%) consider their pets to be an integral part of their family.

Just over half of pet owners (51%) claim their pets are as much a part of the family as any human member, and many go even further than that. The social media platform Threads showcases pet owners who consider their pets family, using terms like "mom" and "dad."

On that platform, users extensively share content that provides a glimpse into the lives of pets and their owners and advocates for pet adoption, rescue, and care. Who would ever think a turtle would cuddle with puppies? Go to the site, and you’ll see video proof of this and other unusual pairings of animals in groups never thought to bring in other species. You’ll also see pet rescue, where one animal literally saves another from drowning. The content is thought-provoking in terms of animal intelligence, too. Watching any videos of pigs may push you toward becoming a vegetarian.

When we think of pets and owner responsibility, who comes to mind? Veterinarians, of course, because they provide vital services to pets, but at a cost to those health professionals, the price can mean life itself. New research is revealing this disturbing suicide statistic as it relates to veterinarians.

Veterinarians and Suicide

Nearly 400 veterinarians committed suicide between 1979 and 2015, according to 2019 statistics given by the US CDC National Center for Health Statistics. Suicide is almost four times as common among female veterinarians and twice as common among male veterinarians compared to the general population, according to the statistics.

The alarming statistics surrounding veterinarians’ mental health crises have numerous root reasons, according to researchers. Factors such as financial constraints, job demands and long hours, pet owners’ expectations, trauma exposure, and the frequency of euthanasia all play a role. Corporate pet healthcare is challenging, and pet health insurance adds more red tape. Limited appointment time and rising costs brought on by business acquisitions threaten independent animal care in the veterinary profession. Veterinarians know their relationship with pet owners is changing and not for the better.

How bad are rising pet care costs? Taking your pet to the vet has become more expensive because of the worst round of inflation in the United States in four decades. According to official data, the cost of veterinarian services has increased by 10% in the last year, the largest annual price increase in records spanning twenty years.

And veterinarians aren’t raking in the money like many might think. Money problems are common for veterinarians as well. Because of the high cost and stringent admissions requirements of veterinary school, many veterinarians often have substantial student loan debt compared to their not-over-the-top salaries.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median yearly salary for a veterinarian in the US was slightly over $109,000 in 2022. However, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the typical amount owed by newly licensed veterinarians who took out loans to fund their schooling is $179,505.

One vet stated that his individual student loan balance was approximately $289,000. He graduated in 2012 and even though payments have been made for ten years, the sum has grown due to interest and is at $460,000.

Remember that, as he said, those student loans are accruing interest as the new vets struggle to pay them off. In addition to sitting for the licensing exam, they have to set up a practice that requires quite a bit of equipment, square footage, and vet assistants who get paid salaries. On top of that, they may be part of a young married couple and plan on having a family. Houses don’t grow on trees.

Help Is on the Way

Veterinary medicine schools are now awakening to the growing problem of student loan debt and its contribution to the financial difficulties of new veterinarians and their suicide rates. To counteract the suicide rates, new programs are being put into place to help with the mental health issues involved.

Many veterinarians work in rural areas where they come into contact with another group that has increasing suicide rates – farmers. Together, these two groups are receiving help online.

Designed for agribusiness professionals, veterinary students, and veterinarians, Rural Minds and Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine offer this free online course in collaboration with NY FarmNet. Participants will gain a greater understanding of the scope of mental health issues, including suicide, in rural America and leave the course with tools to effectively support those in need.

Not One More Vet (NOMV) has been at the forefront of veterinary peer assistance and mentoring on Facebook since 2014. Dr. Nicole McArthur developed it following the suicide of Dr. Sophia Yin, a veterinarian.

To register for an upcoming support group and/or for more information about individual sessions for veterinarians, email VMHS@nomv.org

Their program, Lifeboat, takes the concept of helping to the next level by pairing users with a group of veterinary experts who have received peer support training; these individuals will then be able to remain anonymous while they receive emotional and practical help during times of crisis.

This is not a synchronous chat service; rather, the software takes a different approach to the traditional “warm line” model, in which users can anticipate receiving at least one asynchronous daily response from their peers.

The University of Tennessee’s Veterinary Social Work school and Auburn University’s Department of Psychological Sciences have partnered to help the Lifeboat volunteers.

Loving our pets means ensuring that those who care for them with us receive the help needed whenever mental health issues arise in their practice of veterinary medicine. To do less is unacceptable, and more information needs to be disseminated regarding the disturbing escalation in suicide, not only by veterinarians but by our farmers, as well.