The short film highlights mental health struggles in veterinary medicine

An overworked veterinarian is having a particularly difficult and emotional night in the new live-action short film The dog. Played by actress Kate Walsh, best known for her role as a human medicine provider on the long-running series. Grey’s Anatomy and its derivation the practicevet Claire struggles with a power outage, personal demons and an ethical dilemma as she cares for a sick dog who arrives at the 24-hour clinic.^1.2

The dog is written, directed and produced by Australian filmmaker Danielle Baynes, who said in a prepared statement that she set out to develop a story about loss, facing death and how humans deal with these emotional events.¹ The 12-minute film aims to provide an insight into the practical demands and mental health challenges, including the emotional cost of responsibilities, that many veterinary professionals face.²

While developing the script, I asked a vet friend about the experience of shepherding so many people through this deeply emotional time. “I was introduced to amazing statistics that changed my entire perspective on the story I wanted to tell within this veterinary clinic,” Baynes said in the statement.¹

The results of an Australian study published in 2022 indicate that almost 70% of veterinarians have lost a colleague or professional colleague to suicide, and approximately 60% have sought professional health for mental health problems.³ Also, in a CDC study, researchers found that veterinarians have a higher risk of suicide than the general population. According to the study results, suicide was found to be 2.4 times more likely for female vets and 1.6 times more likely for male vets than the general population.⁴

Through conversations with more vets and people in the industry, I learned about the many factors that play into the profession’s mental health crisis. Although it is impossible to represent all facets in a short film set over 1 night, through the character of Claire, I wanted to explore the experience of being an anchor in other people’s storms while enduring a private struggle, continued Baynes .¹

Major film backers include Veterinary Angel Network, VetCart and IndeVets. Improving the mental health of vets has always been our No. 1 goal, Michael Raphael, founder and CEO of IndeVets, said in a press release.² We are proud to put our name behind a film like The dog as it helps bring to the fore the issue of burnout in the profession.

The new film is scheduled to premiere at the Bentonville Film Festival in June 2024 and will subsequently screen at film festivals around the world. It will also be made available in June to veterinary community organizations for private testing, for which a guide will be provided to help facilitate conversations. These screenings aim to generate awareness and conversation about mental health in the veterinary profession.²

Additionally, a private screening of the film is scheduled for September 26, 2024 at the Southern Veterinary Conference in Fort Worth, Texas. Open to all conference attendees, the event will be hosted by IndeVets and offers free entry with a post-screening panel discussion. Panel speakers will include Baynes, Brian Bourquin, DVM, president of the Not One More Vet organization; Marisa Brunetti, VMD, Veterinary Director of IndeVets; and Dave Shuey, LMSW, DMA, veterinary social worker at IndeVets.²

Previous work by Baynes comments was launched as a social impact campaign addressing the impact of cyberbullying. The awardee comments It is now used in schools around the world as an educational tool, according to IndeVets. The dog Similarly, it can be used as a resource in the veterinary industry to facilitate discussions about mental well-being and encourage the general public to have more empathy and support for people who need help, the company said in its statement .²

While the film explores the specific struggles of a vet on the job, I hope it offers a message of hope to anyone struggling with their own dog, Baynes said.¹ We are not alone in our struggles. Through empathy, understanding and shared resilience, we can support each other through life’s darkest moments.

References

1. Directors’ statement. The dog press kit Accessed May 6, 2024.
2. The dog starring Kate Walsh. new version IndeVets. May 6, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
3. Nearly 70% of vets have lost a colleague or colleague to suicide, the study found. the guardian. 11 June 2022. Accessed 6 May 2024. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jun/11/nearly-70-of-veterinarians-have-lost-a-colleague-or- peer-to -Study-suicide-discoveries
4. Nett RJ, Witte T, Spitzer EG, Edwards N, Fowler KA. Risk of suicide for veterinarians and veterinary technicians. CDC. September 4, 2019. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2019/09/04/veterinary-suicide/