The veterinary field has always held a certain appeal for me. For as long as I can remember, I wanted to become a veterinarian — to help animals and strengthen the human–animal bond. Though I ultimately chose not to pursue the long and arduous path to becoming a veterinarian, I found another way to serve: through the administrative side of veterinary medicine. I began as a client service representative and eventually grew into a practice manager role over the course of five years.
During this time, I’ve come to a sobering realization: the role of veterinarians is profoundly underutilized in matters of policy, public health, and large-scale animal welfare. As corporate ownership tightens its grip on veterinary practices — and as industrial animal agriculture continues to expand — the profession’s primary function has shifted from care to commerce.
In companion animal medicine, veterinarians are expected to see more patients than ever before. Appointment schedules are packed beyond capacity, support staff are minimized to reduce labor costs, and fees for care continue to climb. The result is a system that prioritizes throughput and revenue over the well-being of both animals and the professionals who care for them.
In animal agriculture, the picture is even more troubling. There, a veterinarian’s role often isn’t to alleviate suffering — but to manage it. Their work focuses on disease control through mass medication, euthanasia of the sick, or large-scale culling to prevent outbreaks. These measures, though sometimes necessary within the system, serve an industry designed to maximize production, not compassion.
Yet veterinarians are among the few professionals uniquely trained to understand animal physiology across species, zoonotic disease transmission, and the intersection between human and animal health. They are, arguably, some of the most qualified voices to inform policy on pandemic prevention, public health, and ethical reform in animal systems. Still, their expertise is routinely left out of the conversation — especially during crises like Avian Influenza outbreaks, where their insights could save both animal and human lives.
When we talk about “veterinary care,” we are really talking about a tiny fraction of the animal world — perhaps less than 1% of all animals on Earth. The only ones who reliably receive high-quality, compassionate care are those with human guardians who can afford it. While this article from Health for Animals cites the current lack of veterinarians for the demand of pets in need of care, I am unable to find any estimates on how many animals across all species have access to veterinary care.
With that said, what about the billions of land animals and trillions of aquatic animals who never see a veterinarian’s hand except at the point of slaughter or disease control? What about the deep ties between industrial agriculture, environmental degradation, and global health risks?
It’s time to ask: when will profit be removed from the equation so veterinarians can return to their true calling — caring for animals and protecting the systems that sustain us all?
I'm not sure how things can change, other than economic pressure by consumers or the government on welfare.
1. PE rollups of companion vet clinics are a contributing factor, as with human medical clinics. Consolidation combined with metrics-based optimization leads to harsh local incentives.
2. Vets in poultry and cattle operations don't necessarily care more about animal welfare than the owners or the consumers. Large animal / poultry vets have been desensitized to harm for many years, understand the economics, and understand their role in that system. I believe all of them care deeply about welfare, but the machine is optimizing for cost. There are selection effects in career choice too - if they share your ideals they probably won't end up in those roles. Companion vets have more room for empathy, even if they are still constrained by economics.
Vets are the HR of the production animal world - there to help unless your needs conflict with the org's.