Mapping veterinary care in Canada: An index of care accessibility.

BACKGROUND: Access to veterinary care has been identified as the largest animal welfare issue in contemporary society. Access to veterinary care is complicated by several factors, including the cost of care, potential language differences between providers and clients, the number of care providers, and distance to a care provider. Each of these factors alone can impact an individual's ability to seek adequate veterinary medical care for their companion animal, with an additional burden when multiple factors are present.

PROCEDURE: A veterinary care accessibility score (VCAS) was created, consisting of key variables for Canada, that measured these factors and scored them in relation to the rest of the country at the census division level.

RESULTS: In this study, nearly 2 million households in Quebec and 700 000 in Ontario were in the lowest VCAS ranking. Further, nearly 75% of households in New Brunswick were in low-access census divisions. The ratios of care providers to the estimated numbers of pet-owning households and households were also derived. An estimated veterinary clinic employee shortage was calculated at a minimum of 6803 to simply bring every census division up to a weighted mean, although the actual shortage is likely higher.

CONCLUSION: This research could be used by policymakers, funders, and the animal welfare community to prioritize investment and design targeted solutions.