Forgotten on the Front Lines: Veterinary Clinics Fight- and Win- to Be Considered an Essential Service

Forgotten on the front lines: Veterinary clinics fight- and win- to be considered an essential service

Social media has been flooded with inspiring community support during the COVID-19 pandemic. Citizens are showing love to the many essential services that have been on the front lines of the pandemic to better serve the community. Listed in the posts and on the memes are the amazing health care workers and first responders, who of course are on the front line of all of this. Posts are also thanking the incredible grocery store workers, transportation sector, truck drivers, senior services, social workers, military, animal shelters, journalists, factory workers, mail carriers, bank workers and food service workers. All of these amazing people are supporting the country and putting themselves at risk to do so. One service that seems to have been forgotten among all of this: veterinary clinics.

Veterinary clinics have been fighting to earn their place on the list as an essential service. This was critical yesterday when Doug Ford announced that Ontario was ordering mandatory closure of all non-essential services in the province. The College of Veterinarians of Ontario (OVMA) has been emphasizing to the province that veterinary care is an essential service. Today the list of essential services in Ontario that are allowed to stay open was released, and veterinary clinics were deemed essential!

Many veterinary clinics have remained open during the COVID-19 pandemic. While they are restricting how they operate and putting safety protocols in place, veterinary teams of all levels are dedicated to the care of the nation's pets. Ontario and many other provinces have fought hard to be considered essential because they care deeply about the health and welfare of animals. Many clinics have been able to ensure that their veterinarians have minimal contact with the public. It is the veterinary receptionists, veterinary assistants and veterinary technicians who are at the most risk in most of the clinics. 

It is very hard to find an animal hospital in Ontario that has closed its doors. It's time to give some love to the veterinary teams who seem forgotten in the posts and on memes. They fought to stay open. They continue to show up to work for your furry family members. They deserve to be acknowledged. 

Will you share this post and send some love to your veterinary team?