Australia is running short on veterinarians, and rural areas are feeling it the most. With fewer vets around, it’s getting harder to make sure animals get the care they need — whether it’s a beloved pet or important livestock. This could mean real problems for animal health, welfare, and even the agricultural industry.
Australia has more and more “vet access deserts,” especially in rural and remote areas. New research shows more than 250,000 people around Australia do not have ready access to veterinary services.
These deserts mostly happen because there aren’t enough vets to go around. Many prefer city jobs where the pay is better, the lifestyle is easier, and there’s more support. On the other hand, rural roles often mean long hours, being on-call, less pay, and working alone. On top of that, new grads are often buried in student debt and don’t get much, if any, experience in rural training. This steers them away from regional jobs, even though that’s where they’re often needed most. The effects are real and widespread: pet owners might have to wait forever or drive hours just for basic care, farmers can have a hard time getting help for their livestock, and animals suffer when treatments are delayed or missed. Sometimes, things get so bad clinics have to shut down completely. This leaves entire towns without a local vet, and the ones left have to cover massive areas, which just adds to their stress.
However, the vet shortage isn’t just an Australia thing. Across Europe, vet clinics are under pressure due to a massive spike in pet ownership and high levels of burnout, especially in rural areas. Canada is in the same boat, with clinic owners really struggling to find and keep staff without letting the quality-of-care slip.
The United States is also dealing with a big shortage of vets for livestock and rural areas. The National Conference of State Legislatures says the number of vets working with farm animals has dropped by 90% since World War II. This has made it hard for farmers to get the care their animals need. Experts say the decline is due to expensive education, low pay in large animal care, burnout, and more pet ownership, leading to shortages in rural areas.
Veterinary groups in Australia and Canada are calling for more vet school openings and better rural training. In the U.S., successful programs like the USDA Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program help pay off student loans for vets who work in underserved areas. Canada is working to make it easier for internationally trained vets to get licensed by streamlining accreditation and creating a national testing center to speed up the process. Offering better pay, reducing on-call hours, and using tools like tele-triage and digital records can help lower the workload and prevent burnout, particularly in rural clinics.
Vet associations in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom are pushing for better mental health support, flexible hours, and a more positive work culture. Things like housing assistance, relocation bonuses, and mentorship programs could help keep staff around in rural areas. While these changes won’t fix every problem instantly, they are an important first step in making veterinary careers more attractive again.
