By Victoria Schade

I’ve always considered my career as a dog trainer to be parallel to the veterinary profession since our goals are aligned: happy, healthy dogs and well-informed pet parents. I thought that I understood the big picture challenges of their job, like difficult diagnoses and heartbreaking goodbyes, but as I dug into my research for Dog Friendly I realized that I had no clue what our friends across the exam table face every day.

I started my research with every writer’s favorite tool: stalking. I found a few web sites for vets that provided first-person accounts of what makes the job so tough and wasn’t surprised to discover that the human end of the leash was at the core of much of it. Sure, the animals can scratch and bite but it turns out that people can do even more damage. I learned about clients who make unreasonable demands, or ignore treatment plans, or berate the front desk staff and techs, or accuse veterinarians of only being in the business for the money. Couple those challenges with crippling student loans and a healthy dose of all too common imposter syndrome and you have a profession in crisis.

But my research wasn’t all gloom and doom. I was lucky enough to connect with two seasoned vets who provided me with stories of resilience and hope. They spoke about the passion that all vets share, and the drive they feel to help the animals in their care reach the best possible outcomes. It’s a job that requires selflessness and a huge heart, and both of my sources agreed that their tenure has toughened them up to some of the challenges that younger vets, like my main character Dr. Morgan Pearce, might find overwhelming.

Another bright spot in my research was learning more about the organization Not One More Vet, whose mission is to “transform the status of mental wellness within the veterinary profession so professionals can survive and thrive through education, resources, and support.” They’re working hard to ensure that “not one more vet” has to face compassion fatigue on their own.

Now that I’ve learned so much about vet life it's embarrassing to admit that I’ve been “that person” in the exam room. While I’ve never been rude I’ve definitely been impatient. And yes, back in the day I might have considered Dr. Google’s advice over the advice from my vet. (Oof, it hurts to admit it!) It wasn’t easy to look inward to realize that I might have caused a headache or two throughout my years as a pet parent. But now I understand how to be a better partner in my dogs’ health, and it’s my hope that readers of Dog Friendly will pick up a few similar tips in between all of the sunshine and swooning on the pages.  

Victoria Schade is a dog trainer and speaker who serves as a dog resource for the media, and has worked both in front of and behind the camera on Animal Planet, as a co-host on the program Faithful Friends and as a trainer and wrangler on the channel’s popular Puppy Bowl specials. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, her dogs Millie and Olive, and the occasional foster pup.