Serving animals and the humans who love them.

Our Mission

Veterinary social work is a unique field dedicated to honoring both animal and human needs. Pairing social work with veterinary medicine makes sense! This merging of two seemingly separate worlds helps foster a supportive and healthy environment for veterinary and animal care professionals and pet owners. Human care is an important part of veterinary medicine, which is why veterinary social work is such a unique profession. As a veterinary social worker, I took an oath to use evidence-based practice from a strengths-based perspective to tend to the needs that arise in the relationship between animals and humans.

This ever-evolving area of social work is a critical piece to the puzzle when it comes to improving the lives of veterinary and animal professionals, pet owners, and ultimately animals. Many outside of animal professions are surprised to hear that there is a mental health crisis within animal care professions. Even pet guardians are often surprised. While this crisis is gaining recognition, there is still so much work to do in order to help support animal professionals through the challenges of their career. Utilizing a mental health professional can be an incredible benefit to any practice or organization looking to address the current crisis, break the mental health stigma, create positive and long-lasting changes to the workplace, and bridge the gap between professionals and the general public.

Bay Area Veterinary Social Work acts as an advocate on micro, mezzo, and macro levels while providing essential support to professionals and pet owners. We cannot have healthy and happy animals if we do not have healthy and happy humans to care for them. A better world for pet guardians and animal care professionals is possible, and I believe we all can play a part together in creating change.