Barriers to Care in Veterinary Services: Lessons Learned From Low-Income Pet Guardians' Experiences at Private Clinics and Hospitals During COVID-19

Abstract

This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of low-income pet guardians in accessing veterinary care during COVID-19. Participants were recruited through a purposive sampling method: 12 individuals who applied to and met the low-income threshold to access support for veterinary fees from the Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) were invited for semi-structured in-depth telephone interviews. Participants indicated that they experienced pandemic-related barriers related to and compounded by their low-income status. Their experiences fit into three categories: the barriers to accessing veterinary care pre-and peri-COVID-19, the emotional impact of compounding barriers related to accessing veterinary care during COVID-19, and the human-animal bond and resilience in the context of COVID-19. Drawing on the One Health, One Welfare approach, we argue that veterinary and animal services should evaluate and improve their support services, particularly programs developed for low-income pet guardians. Based on the participants' recommendations, we propose that veterinary and animal services prepare for future disaster situations by increasing their financial capacity to support people needing assistance, undergoing training to better work with people experiencing financial and emotional stress, and providing easily accessible resources to better distribute knowledge about animal needs and available financial assistance programming. The suggestions are intended to benefit animals, their guardians, and both veterinary and animal service sector workers.

Impacts of COVID-19 on Owner's Veterinary Healthcare Seeking Behavior for Dogs With Chronic Conditions: An Exploratory Mixed-Methods Study With a Convenience Sample

“…Lack of accessible pet-friendly transport, in addition to financial constraints, is a barrier to veterinary healthcare seeking within underserved and marginalized communities which were under-represented in our convenience sample. This echoes the pattern identified in the USA that shows that owners from most underprivileged backgrounds were potentially most affected by changes in care provision for their pets during the pandemic (14,15).…”

“…This, combined with a need to rely on remote consultations, led some owners to perceive the quality of care to be lower than pre-pandemic, which in turn led to delays in seeking care (13). Studies based in the USA showed that dog owners with disabilities and from underprivileged communities additionally struggled accessing veterinary healthcare due to difficulties in arranging transport and accessing relevant financing options (14,15). Together, these challenges made work in the veterinary sector more stressful (16)(17)(18) and led to concerns regarding long-term public engagement with veterinary healthcare (6).…”

Pet Owners’ Perceptions of COVID-19, Zoonotic Disease, and Veterinary Medicine: The Impact of Demographic Characteristics

“…Demographic factors did not affect the likelihood of pet owners experiencing increased difficulty accessing veterinary care during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting that the aforementioned barriers related to veterinarian availability and the use of curbside care affected many pet owners, irrespective of socioeconomic factors. Other research has found the COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in the number of unemployed pet owners utilizing low- or no-cost veterinary services [ 61 ] and that barriers to veterinary care were compounded for low-income pet owners [ 62 ]. For example, pet owners that struggled with transport prior to the pandemic often faced increased difficulties during the pandemic due to the use of shared transport and the increased risk of COVID-19 infection [ 62 ].…”

“…Other research has found the COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in the number of unemployed pet owners utilizing low- or no-cost veterinary services [ 61 ] and that barriers to veterinary care were compounded for low-income pet owners [ 62 ]. For example, pet owners that struggled with transport prior to the pandemic often faced increased difficulties during the pandemic due to the use of shared transport and the increased risk of COVID-19 infection [ 62 ]. Similarly, pet owners with disabilities faced increased challenges accessing veterinary care due to exacerbated financial challenges, transportation difficulties and the use of curbside services [ 63 ].…”

Designing a rabies control mobile application for a community-based rabies surveillance system during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bali, Indonesia

“…In response to this situation, the RaCon application is also designed to provide remote veterinary services through the nearest vet and emergency call features. Because the demand for veterinary services was high during the pandemic, it was critical to provide both access and affordable veterinary services [ 23 ]. RaCon application allows users to locate the nearest vet clinics based on their requirements.…”