Evansville veterinarian practice talks about animal care shortage in Tri-State

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT) — In Vanderburgh County, you will find that some people with animals — like Kim Gilkey — have little-to-no issues receiving help from veterinarians, but she believes it is harder than it used to be in the tri-state.

Gilkey owns Double M Stables which offers riding lessons and boards horses.

“I’ve ridden horses my entire life, and my entire life has been blessed that way to know those kind of people and to be able to call and say, ‘I need you. I don’t know what to do,'” Gilkey says. “They can just take care of it or take of it by telling us what to do.”

Some pet owners may have a harder time.

“Everyone that has an ad out for a veterinarian has waited months and months and months,” says Carol Gormley.

For the last 48 years, she’s been at Highland Veterinary Clinic in Evansville with her husband — Gregg.

They are thinking about retirement and say they would love to find a vet to take over.

“We would be willing to help them do that, but they’re just not available,” Gormley says. “So, what’s the answer? I don’t know how to change it, but it’s headed in a way that people are probably not going to be real happy with. And it’s going to be a lot more expensive.”

Gormley believes there are a few reasons why a vet likely will not pick up private practice. Eyewitness News is told the veterinary medicine model is changing, where the number of privately owned practices is dwindling.

“Larger corporate practices can help with student debt. It is 6 to 8 years to become a veterinarian. People don’t realize that. and the educational debt is just horrendous,” Gormley says.

Gormley also believes education for some students has changed too.

“We’ve had some students come out in the summer that have never done surgery before, and they’re going to be expected no matter where they go to practice to do the simplest of surgeries — neuters, spays,” Gormley says. “I’m not bashing the way it is. It’s just different. And the joy of private practice is something that people aren’t going to be able to experience.”

For the future, Gormley believes having clients come into the practice for decades is one experience that some future vets will miss out on. But some do not have that problem. For now, the Gilkeys are locked-in with a vet.

“If something happened to our vet, we would be in trouble,” Gilkey says. “We would have to see if we could get in with anybody else that’s available. And that right there will tell you something, because they may not be taking clients. They’re so busy.”

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