1) Interest in the well-being of people.

 Ultimately, all of what veterinarians do is to help people

 Interest in seeing clients healthy & happy

 People's well-being is often related to pet's well-being

 Can see it as protecting market, client is sick or dies, no more patient

2) Medical training gives veterinarians a responsibility to the people veterinarians serve.

 Medicine can be applied to human and non-human animals

 Veterinarians are providing medical services to the family

 Veterinarians can impact the well-being of individuals, families, communities and society with medical knowledge

 For example: a pathologically obese client comes in to veterinarians all winded and sweating…a walking heart attack waiting to happen...is there a responsibility?

 Are veterinarians responsible for potential problems they recognize but remain silent about?

3) Society is demanding we change our view of the bond

 Bond relationship is changing from ownership to guardianship

 Pets are no longer valued only for the utilitarian purposes they may have served

 Pet is more human than ever before

 Pets are being seen as family members, close companions, children or even soul-mates

 This raises mental health issues: the emotional life of clients may depend heavily on the well-being of their pet

 The lines between the two are beginning to blur; both may become depressed or anxious over an illness in one or both.

 Therefore VETERINARIANS have an important role in the mental health of your clients

 Whether veterinarians acknowledge this or not or accept it or not...this is where society is moving

 The profession doesn't have a choice…we have to pay attention and meet the needs of the clients

 The biggest issue is the psychological or emotional needs of the clients.

 This is happening already…we are being presented with people who are fragile.

 Many veterinarians don't even know who to call

 At a MINIMUM, we need to be able to identify a potential problem and facilitate them getting help.

 We need the skills in our toolbox to help serve the people we see

 Can't just pattern ourselves after the role models we've known

 Legal community is beginning to change: some jurisdictions have already changed the concept of “owner” to “guardian.”

 Society is moving toward changing pet's status from property to beings with legal rights.

 Such a change can dramatically increase lawsuits involving veterinarians, especially for pain & suffering caused by veterinarians' treatment of their pet.

 Physicians are also accepting the importance of pets; allowing pets in hospitals and writing “pet” on prescription pads.

 The “Bus” is rolling in this direction. The legal community and physicians have already accepted it. We have to get on the bus, or be left behind.

 What we've done in the past won't work in the future