Organization adopts the preeminent fundraising tool to reduce euthanasia in its clinics to increase well-being for staff and pet owners
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., June 26, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Animal ER Care (AERC), Southern Colorado's only VECCS Level II certified emergency animal clinic, is working to encourage the veterinarian industry to band-together through client communication, fundraising and staff development to reduce mental health issues within the industry.
Workplace burnout costs the veterinary industry two billion dollars a year, according to research from the Cornell Center for Veterinary Business and Entrepreneurship. Additionally, the BBC reported female veterinarians are 3.5X and male veterinarians are 2.1x more likely to die by suicide compared to the general population in the United States. Along with veterinarians facing this issue, vet techs and additional staff do as well. In 2022 Vets are People Too shared that vet techs are 5x more likely to attempt suicide compared to the general population.
As part of this new initiative to increase mental health awareness, and take tangible measures to reduce compassion fatigue, AERC has partnered with the myBalto Foundation the only pet technology company designed to help reduce the financial stress of pet care for pet owners and veterinarians. myBalto Foundation works to reduce the estimated 500 million unnecessary euthanasia of animals annually in the United States through the fostering of fundraising in animal care facilities to help pay for services required to keep pets happy and healthy.
"myBalto Foundation has created the tools for us to work toward eliminating economic euthanasia and overcoming a glaring hole in our industry," said Gabrielle David, Registered Veterinarian Technician, Chief Executive Officer of AERC. "This is why we are enthusiastic about the work myBalto Foundation is doing and we are proud to be the first animal ER clinic to adopt this technology in Southern Colorado. We are hopeful to raise many thousands of dollars through this initiative to help reduce mental health stresses on our team and clients when it comes to life-saving decisions for our patients." For those interested in learning more about AERC's work with myBalto or to donate to its fund: https://animalercare.donation.mybaltofoundation.org/
AERC encourages leaders in the industry to work with staff on coping skills, workplace hardships and client relations to further help the industry find faster paths to mental health healing. "This is an important part of our staff onboarding process and it believes everyone has a voice and should be encouraged to share the highs and lows of operations in an animal ER practice. Clients are often unaware of the hardships our industry faces as they are focusses on healing their pet, but the weight of lack of funds, sadness over illness and general pain over sick animals weighs heavily on our staff and staffs across the nation; we must work together to create a dialogue of understanding on the challenges animal-care experts face", added David. In addition, AERC shares these resources to assist teams across the nation to be equipped to help teammates through challenging times:
- AVMA Suicide Prevention Training
- Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement
- Not One More Vet
- Shanti Project
- Veterinary Hope Foundation Support Groups
- Vets4Vets
Additionally, throughout 2024, AERC will conduct a regional and national media initiative to rally industry professionals and act as a foundational element to increase mental health awareness in veterinary clinics while sharing with pet owners ways they too can support the wellbeing of the people who care for beloved pets.
"We are encouraged by the enthusiasm and eagerness to raise funds to help clients and their pets in Southern Colorado and beyond," said Robert Parkins, myBalto CEO, DMV. We created myBalto to help reduce the financial stress of pet care for pet owners and veterinarians. That is why we launched our charitable software that enables self-fundraising for hospitals through a round-up charge at checkout. As a company founded by veterinarians, like me, our mission is to continually find ways to reduce costs of animal care so as to further support families with pets and reduce stresses endemically within the veterinary industry."
About AERC: Animal ER Care provides 24/7 emergency services. It has a team of emergency veterinarians, technicians, assistants, and highly trained client care professionals. It cares for over 15,000 emergent and urgent care cases annually. https://www.animalercare.com/
Media Contact
Joshua Steinfeld, Steinfeld Consulting, 1 339-225-1581, [email protected]
SOURCE Animal ER Care
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