If you’re a pet owner on Martha’s Vineyard and you have a veterinarian, you’re one of the lucky ones. But if you are looking for a vet, your only likely choice at the moment is to find a clinic on the mainland.
Vineyard Haven veterinarian Kirsten Sauter’s recent announcement that she will retire this spring and close her practice has put a spotlight on the critical shortage of veterinary care on Martha’s Vineyard — both routine and emergency care — for domestic animals large and small.
Working in concert, Island vets who have seen this problem brewing for years have made admirable efforts to help address the impact on pet owners. In November 2021, for example, they linked up with a telemedicine service that provides triage for after-hours emergencies. The service is available for a modest fee to all pet owners at urgentvetcaremv.com.
A new practice, VistaVets, opened in Falmouth and is accepting new clients and offering a service to deliver prescription medicines on the ferry Patriot. The Agricultural Society is engaged in helping facilitate emergency vet services for horses and other large animals.
More ideas are needed, and the burden of seeking solutions should not the fall solely on the vets themselves. There are some excellent veterinary hospitals already known to Islanders — one in Bourne, another in South Weymouth, another at Tufts University’s Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in Grafton. Perhaps some enterprising pet owners could help arrange a visiting vet clinic staffed by veterinary students or licensed veterinary technicians.
A nationwide issue, the shortage of veterinarians accelerated dramatically both here and elsewhere during the pandemic. Many people adopted dogs and cats during lockdown, and the demand for veterinary care skyrocketed.
Consider that there are only about 62,000 pet doctors now in practice and just 32 accredited schools across the United States that offer degrees in veterinary medicine. Set that against a nationwide population of more than 135 million dogs and cats, and it is clear that the situation is not going to improve anytime soon.
On the Island, the veterinary service system was maxed out even before the pandemic. Most vets were not taking new patients and had long wait lists. Emergency care was available, but for a stiff fee.
In an unusual joint open letter last week, Island veterinarians outlined the situation in stark terms. Longstanding attempts to attract more vets to the Vineyard have been unsuccessful, the vets said, set against the backdrop of a severe housing shortage here.
The Island’s six veterinary practices have excellent reputations with skills that include proficiency in surgery, acupuncture and treating tick-borne illnesses.
We’re lucky to have them. But it’s clear from the letter last week that they are overwhelmed, dispirited and deeply concerned about the future for veterinary care on the Island. Some are nearing retirement age themselves.
In the short term they will continue to work long hours to service the needs here, and for that the Island owes them a debt of thanks.
For the longer term, creative solutions — perhaps involving collaborative efforts by pet owners themselves — will be needed to help ensure that Island is able to provide medical care for animals, a service that like medical care for humans, is essential to the wellbeing of our community.
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