Pets Without Care: Understanding Our Region’s Access to Veterinary Care Gap

There is a growing national gap in access to veterinary care, with an estimated 40% of pets currently going without needed care. This challenge affects communities everywhere. This project seeks to understand how this gap manifests in our region and what it means for local families, animals, and our communities. We are particularly interested in what this issue looks like in rural areas, since families and service providers in these communities often face unique challenges that can widen the gaps in care.

We’re in the initial phase of this project and focused on identifying the unique factors that contribute to the access to care gap in our region and how it affects pet owners and service providers. We’re currently conducting interviews and holding focus groups with veterinary and human service providers and pet owners across Chemung, Cortland, Schuyler, and Tompkins counties.

Project Team

Veterinarians
Jessica Reed, DVM, DACVPM, CAWA 
Alison Lindsay, DVM

Social Worker
Sarah Post, LCSW

Researchers
Josephine Martell, Ph.D.
Jackie Bubnell, Ph.D.
 

Questions about the project? Contact us:
accesstovetcareproject@cornell.edu