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One-Third of Americans Are Living in Vet Care Deserts, According to New Report From Veterinary Telemedicine Company Dutch

via Business Wire

Dutch’s Inaugural State of Online Veterinary Care Report Uncovers Hardships Today’s Pet Owners and Vets are Facing

Virtual veterinary care provider, Dutch, today unveiled its inaugural State of Online Veterinary Care Report. With the report finding that 129 million Americans—one-third of the country—live in vet care deserts, this report comes at a time when pet care is experiencing a multi-pronged crisis. Not only is access to veterinarians decreasing throughout the United States, this access issue is compounded by the fact that burnout amongst veterinarians is leading to high suicidality and abandonment of the profession.

Key findings within the report include:

  • The Top Five States with Vet Deserts: California, Illinois, Florida, Texas and New York are the states suffering most from lack of veterinary care access, therefore classifying them as veterinary care deserts.
    • In fact, 22 percent of counties have 0 veterinarians per 1,000 households.
  • In-Person Veterinary Care is No Longer Financially Accessible: The skyrocketing costs associated with in-person visits to the vet amount to roughly $1,450 a year. This is leading pet owners to skip vet visits.
  • Telemedicine is a Convenient, Lower Cost Option: On average, pet owners save $700 per year with veterinary telehealth, and 90 percent of vet care can be done online.
  • Legislatory Wins Are Growing: Despite anti-vet telehealth lobbying groups attempting to stifle care access, there have been recent legislative victories in Arizona, California, and Florida, allowing for the use of telehealth and helping pet owners receive the care they need.

Pet healthcare and prevention should not be only accessible to those living within the vicinity of a brick-and-mortar veterinary clinic. This cornerstone belief inspired Dutch to expand its offerings, launching a new longevity vertical that helps pet parents promote longer lifespans for their furry friends without the need for in-person visits. As longevity continues to become a mainstream health topic amongst humans, pet owners can now apply these learnings to their companions. The company’s longevity offering includes:

  • Anti-Aging Drug Rapamycin: Dutch now carries Rapamycin, a drug that is FDA-approved as safe for humans that has been found to help dogs age optimally and at a slower pace.
  • Prescriptions On-Demand: As the first and only virtual veterinary care provider to offer Rx prescriptions and refills shipped straight to your home, Dutch offers a suite of prescriptions and supplements to ensure each pet’s whole health is being maintained and chronic illnesses are addressed.
  • Regular Telemedicine Visits: One-on-one vet appointments where pet owners have direct access to a vet to create custom treatment plans to maintain the overall health of their pet.

“Given that over one-third of Americans live in veterinary deserts, and pets who get regular check-ups live longer, healthier lives, it is apparent that there are gaps in the field that must be filled to ensure no pet is left behind,” said Joe Spector, Founder and CEO of Dutch. “As U.S. veterinary telemedicine revenue is poised to exceed $10 billion by 2030, we’re proud to lead the industry, offering pet owners a full suite of products including non-emergency care, longevity drugs, and ancestry testing to significantly improve the lives of all the pets we serve.”

Launched in 2021 by Hims Co-Founder, Joe Spector, Dutch is the first and only veterinary telehealth company connecting licensed, independent veterinarians directly with pets and their parents nationwide. With appointments available 24/7, pets can be treated immediately instead of waiting weeks for in-person vet care. Dutch offers several preventative care offerings, including flea and tick medication, nutrition diets, allergy treatment, and anxiety treatment. In addition to telehealth and Rx access, the company also offers pet owners insurance plans.

Since launching, the company has raised $43 million in venture capital by prominent investors such as Forerunner Capital and Eclipse Ventures.

About Dutch

Launched in July 2021, Dutch is the first and only veterinary telehealth company connecting licensed, independent veterinarians directly with pets and their parents nationwide. At its inception, Dutch primarily addressed common chronic ailments, such as anxiety and allergies, but has grown to treat over 150 conditions and serve over 40,000 customers. In 2022, Dutch introduced Rx services, which allow the company’s affiliated licensed veterinarians to prescribe and ship OTC and prescription medications to patients in over 30 states. Dutch memberships, excluding insurance, begin at just $11/month, and include unlimited access to virtual veterinary care through video and chat models. In a country experiencing a critical vet shortage of just one veterinarian for every 6,000 pet households, Dutch is creating a more accessible means of dependable, quality vet care that can address the modern pet parents’ needs in a timely manner and at a fraction of the cost.

Methodology:

Dutch’s annual State of Online Veterinary Care Report contains research and data primarily from internal consumer surveys, consumer tracking, and industry data. These inputs are used by analysts to model and calculate market sizes and consumer data. Dutch’s report also leverages data from the following sources: Vetsource and VCAP (Veterinary Care Accessibility Project).

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