Vet shortage hits emergency pet hospital
A veterinarian shortage is affecting Coachella Valley’s only 24/7 emergency pet hospital, which is being forced to close at certain times. At three o’clock one morning, Melissa Hull-White called the only local 24/7 pet emergency hospital, the VCA Valley Animal Medical Center in Indio, when her long-haired terrier Kobe was experiencing “really bad” stomach cramps. "They said we're sorry, we no longer have an overnight vet. That they would refer us to Redlands," said Hull-White. "We were about five minutes away from the exit to Redlands, and he died." The closest emergency options are more than an hour away in Ontario, Murrieta, and Redlands. "Your pets come and go, but when they die in your arms, and there's nothing you can do about it, you know, it puts a whole new swing on things," said Hull-White. Dr. Doug Kunz, medical director at the VCA Desert Animal Hospital in Palm Springs, who has been a vet in the valley for over 45 years, said the industry shortage was unlike anything he's ever seen. One national vet chain says the U.S. will need 41,000 more vets by 2030 to meet demand. "It's a national problem," said Kunz. "Emergency clinics have a hard time staying fully staffed. And so, actually, at present, there are days that there isn't a veterinarian there. And those emergencies are reflected back to us."
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