Veterinary and Community Care
Supporting social hearted veterinary practice for animal custodians experiencing vulnerabilities, to improve the health and wellbeing of animals and all who care for them.
This is achieved through providing veterinary and allied human health support services to people experiencing disadvantage and supporting a sustainable veterinary profession where healthy veterinary teams can thrive in a financially viable business.
Our Purpose
Veterinary and Community Care’s purpose is to support the most vulnerable members of society in areas related to their responsibilities as companion animal custodians. This support will be provided financially and also through a variety of other veterinary and collaborative interventions, including the engagement of Veterinary Social Workers (VSWs).
It is also to improve veterinary mental health parameters. This will be achieved through the provision of community focused and socially centered veterinary services for clients who are experiencing disadvantage. Veterinary teams participating in the Veterinary and Community Care network will be able to utilise the resources of Veterinary Social Workers and Social Hearted veterinary practice models, allowing them to offer this cohort of clients accessible and supported veterinary services for their animals.
This model provides scope for veterinary teams to participate in purposeful community centered work, whilst maintaining the value and integrity of veterinary services that are provided to clients who have the capacity to meet mainstream veterinary services.
Our Research
It is well recognised that the Human - Animal Bond (HAB) is growing in strength and importance. The role that animals play in contributing to the positive physical and mental health and wellbeing of their human custodian is undisputed. As the HAB strength increases, so does the expectations of many veterinary clients relating to the services that are provided to them by the veterinary profession. Often the barrier to the optimal veterinary care of a patient is their custodian, who may be experiencing disadvantage. The treatment requirements or expectations for a patient may not align with the client’s capacity or capability to provide that care.
This may be due to clients who are experiencing vulnerabilities such as: homelessness (or at risk of), family and domestic violence, financial disadvantage, physical or psychosocial disability, mental health distress or barriers due to age, geography, cultural/language, etc. When encountering clients in these circumstances, the veterinary team often face challenging and sometimes overwhelming pressures to provide the optimal outcome for both their client and their patient.
How do we help?
Veterinary and Community Care Ltd (VaCC) has been created through a meeting of minds of a group of colleagues with a shared vision. Veterinary and Community Care’s founders engaged support from within and outside the veterinary profession. This network of passionate people worked cooperatively to create the fundamental cornerstones of the organisation, resulting in Veterinary and Community Care being officially formed as a social enterprise company with charity and Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status in 2022.
The goal of Veterinary and Community Care is to provide community centered veterinary care that is accessible to the ever-increasing cohort of people experiencing disadvantage, and who benefit from the bond they have with the animals in their care.
The mental health of those working in the veterinary profession is closely linked to the challenges of managing the complexities that this cohort of clients can present. Veterinary teams may not be trained, experienced or supported to provide optimal care and service for these clients and their animals – which may result in poor wellbeing outcomes for all concerned.
Through community centered veterinary services, including the integral services provided by Veterinary Social Workers, wellbeing benefits will flow not only to these clients and the animals in their care, but also to the veterinary teams themselves, improving the mental health of the profession.
Our Supporters
Together we support the human-animal bond by providing resources and programs to keep people and animals together and well.
Please support our cause ~
In partnership with
Demèter Legacy Fund—a sub-fund of Australian Communities Foundation.
