Veterinary care is unequally accessible due to cost, geography, and cultural barriers, leaving millions of companion animals without necessary health care.
Veterinary access equity is an animal welfare issue that operates through the human-animal bond. Companion animals whose owners cannot afford or access veterinary care live with preventable pain, untreated disease, and shortened lives. The cost structure of veterinary services in many countries has diverged from affordability for average owners, creating a system where only economically advantaged animals receive care. Low-cost clinic models, subsidized services for low-income owners, and telemedicine have expanded access but remain inadequate. Policy approaches that treat companion animal care as part of a broader animal welfare infrastructure could address this systematically.