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FUR BALL MOONLIGHT GALA
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Save the Date: Fur Ball October 15, 2022
The Fur Ball Moonlight Gala is Pawmetto Lifeline’s largest fundraiser of the year. This red carpet event features live music, silent and live auctions, food and drinks, and much more. Fur Ball 2021 was held on October 16th and was a huge success! Thank you to all of our sponsors for their unwavering support in helping SC’s homeless pets during such uncertain times! 9
VETERINARIAN SHORTAGE
By: Denise Wilkinson, CEO
Access-to-care is now a problem due to a state and national veterinarian shortage. South Carolina’s pets are having to go without basic medical care and vaccinations.
We were shocked in 2021 when the state and national veterinarian shortage hit Pawmetto Lifeline, private clinics, and the ERs so hard in SC. We worry that the veterinarian shortage means thousands of pets will go without the very basic preventatives likes vaccinations, and sick animals will not see a veterinarian in time to treat their medical issues before they are in crisis.
As one of the leaders of this organization, myself and the other dedicated board members are working diligently every day to create short-term solutions to address access to care issues that exist due to the veterinarian shortage. We need to replicate the human medical model. We need our veterinary community to put the needs of animals first and advocate for technicians to be trained to give vaccinations without a veterinarian/pet relationship. We all know how important it is for our dogs and cats to be vaccinated. We also know that technicians now give people their Covid vaccines without a doctor’s presence and we also know, as do the veterinarians, that kennel workers and animal control officers are allowed to euthanize dogs and cats without a veterinarian present.
Dr. Robert Hall, DVM, gives a vaccine to a young puppy at the Sumter, South Carolina Care-a-Van route.
During times of crisis, we must be willing to create changes that are for the betterment of our community and our companion pets. These changes can have a huge impact on care for animals in South Carolina. We need veterinarians to be allowed to do telemedicine appointments that are recognized as the veterinarian/client/patient relationship so that medications and diagnostics may be prescribed. This will allow veterinarians in other counties to work with a clinic to diagnose, prognose and define a care plan for sick pets. Leverage both licensed techs and unlicensed vet assistants/aides to do more services under the direct and indirect supervision of a vet.
These three simple changes will have a huge impact on access to care for companion pets in South Carolina. By expanding the role of technicians and telemedicine, our state will leverage the number of pets that will have access to care. These simple changes will allow the veterinarians working in shelters and private clinics to provide care for sick animals and provide spay/ neuter surgeries. This is critical in addressing the overpopulation issue of companion pets.
Our shelters in South Carolina are overwhelmed with animals. At this writing, 52 out of 75 shelters have no veterinarian which means the animals are not getting care they need. Companion pets are not being vaccinated for rabies and many are not being altered prior to being adopted. These two issues alone will only create more challenges in the future, including public safety issues with rabies exposure for humans.
We are in unchartered territory with the veterinarian shortage, and it is the biggest crisis we are facing. Prices are going up and many people are already having to opt for euthanasia due to their personal financial constraints when it comes to medical services. 11
