When people visit their local vet clinic or even a vet emergency hospital, most of them  don't realise what is actually going on ‘out the back’ and how their behavior is impacting on veterinary staff.
 
So with the ‘Love Your Pet Love Your Vet’ project we’re trying to make pet owners aware by saying, “hey… next time you're in there and you're ready to yell at them because their costs are expensive, maybe spare a thought for what they've just dealt with already. “

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For instance, they might have just had to euthanase five pets that morning, and that's obviously very distressing… not just for them but the nurses assisting them.

So we’re working on creating awareness so that people can start thinking about their own behavior and taking a moment to say ‘thank you’.
 
Sadly here in Australia, we continue to lose wonderful people due to what can only be described as ‘client abuse to staff’, so as well as providing resources for vets and vet nurses particularly with regard to compassion fatigue and the horrendous rates of suicide in the sector, we really want to try and get the message across to pet owners about the effect that any kind of abuse has on them.

Reception and nursing staff are usually the first in line of fire, and then it becomes the responsibility of the vet practice manager or practice owner to help resolve the issue.
 
So it's obviously an on-going thing. Of course, that’s just one focus of what we’re trying to do.
 
The other one, obviously, is about reducing the stigma for the vet staff to stand up and ask for help. There’s no shame in asking for help.
 
People think that it's a sign of weakness if you have to ask someone for help because you're not coping.
 
But in my view, I see it the opposite.
 
I see that it's a sense of strength that they care enough about themselves to do something about it and to take action to get themselves back to a state of well-being.
 
So we just want to encourage all pet owners to… “Love Your Pet, Love Your Vet!”

© Dr Nadine Hamilton from Positive Psych Solutions- loveyourpetloveyourvet.com.au

READ MORE: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-17/veterinary-industry-grapples-with-high-suicide-rate/100142650