Animal advocacy groups seek to address vet shortage

Despite an increase in new veterinary clinics in California, there's still an ongoing statewide vet shortage that animal advocacy organizations say must be addressed.

Why it matters: The national and statewide vet shortage, as well as pet-friendly housing restrictions and other factors, have all contributed to shelter overcrowding , according to the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SF SPCA).

State of play: The SF SPCA, along with other animal welfare organizations, announced last week a free statewide pet adoption day on June 1 as part of the first California Adopt-a-Pet Day.

• A 2023 SF SPCA survey found that vet shortages resulted in one-third of shelters reporting an increase in the euthanasia of healthy and treatable animals.

What they're saying: "So right now shelters are in a bit of a crisis and pet owners are also in a bit of a crisis," SF SPCA CEO Jennifer Scarlett recently told the San Francisco Examiner .

The big picture: The number of vet establishments across the country has gone up 8.4% since 2012, according to 2021 Census Bureau data, the most recent available. In California, that number has gone up 11%.

Yes, but: The number of households with animals has also increased. As of 2022, there were about 86 million dogs and 66 million cats in the U.S., an annual increase of about 2% a year since 2016, according to a spokesperson for the American Veterinary Medical Association, Mark Rosati.

• In 2023, the AVMA noticed demand for pet veterinary services started to return to pre-pandemic levels, a trend expected to continue this year, Rosati told Axios.

What to watch: There are a handful of bills in the state Legislature focused on animal welfare, some of which have the potential to address vet shortages.

• Assembly Bill 2216 would limit a landlord's ability to charge tenants monthly pet fees — a practice that advocates argue can result in tenants either not having pets or surrendering their pets.
• Senate Bill 1233 , meanwhile, seeks to require the University of California and the Western University of Health Sciences to develop high-volume spay and neuter certification programs.
• Meanwhile, veterinary schools are increasing class capacity and a number of new vet schools are in development, Rosati says.

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