RALEIGH, N.C. — Veterinarians are in short supply all across the country.
The mobile veterinarian service called The Vets says current projections say 15,000 vet openings will go unfilled by 2031. In response, The Vets launched a junior program that hopes to inspire the next generation.
Having a veterinarian that comes straight to your house just makes life easier. Dr. Victoria Hopson says she not only gets to help animals be less stressed, but she gets to show kids what the checkups are like, up close and personal. Hopson has loved animals since she was a kid, and now she’s been a vet for 17 years.
“It would have been good to have someone when I was younger to just kind of say, you know, just kind of show me and kind of cultivate that,” Hopson said. “But that desire was in me anyway. And even though I didn't really have that experience growing up, I still knew what I wanted to do. And I don't regret it for a single day. There is nothing that I would rather do.”
She’s hoping to pass along that passion to the next generation, especially now when there is a big shortage of veterinarians across the country. Hopson says it may have started during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s been going on ever since.
“Because of all of the changes, there's a lot of burnout in the profession,” Hopson said. “A lot of burnout. Burnout that we have never seen before.”
But a mobile vet clinic helps bridge the gap for full veterinarian clinics and emergency centers.
“My favorite part is just the appreciation,” Hopson said. “I don't do this for people to say thank you, but there's not a day that goes by that I don't hear someone say to me, ‘Thank you so much for doing this. This service is amazing.’ And it just touches me. It makes me feel like I'm making a difference.”
The Vets mobile clinic started in 2021. They are now visiting homes in 17 different states across the country, including many areas in North Carolina.
