Supporting the vet staff through Covid – IndeVets fundraiser update
Many of our animal hospitals clients are busier than ever today, but when COVID first hit in March many veterinary staff were furloughed or even terminated as hospitals struggled to cover expenses.
This is what led IndeVets to spearhead a fundraiser to help soften that blow to veterinary support staff members across the country.
All in, we raised $16,000 from more than 30 donors and sent money to more than 70 nominees in May and June in the form of electronic Amazon gift cards. These nominees were technicians, practice managers, receptionists, and kennel staff/assistants that were financially impacted by the virus. Some suffered from the virus directly.
In early August, a survey was sent out to the recipients which revealed some interesting data.
- 10% of respondents were originally furloughed (of those who completed the survey) and all have returned to work
- 13% missed work due to their own personal illness.
- 25% report continued reduction in hours, as opposed to 71% during the early stages of the pandemic.
- 81% say they now have more work to do for the same pay.
- 94% feel that their jobs are just as secure or more secure than prior to COVID.
We are also pleased to note that the funds were mainly spent on essentials such as household (65%) or food (57%) items.
I want to thank everyone who contributed to the fundraiser, as well as our larger sponsors listed below. We also wish to thank the veterinary support staff for everything they do on a daily basis to make our jobs easier.
Sponsors:
To learn more about the fundraiser, click here.
Andrew Heller, DVM is Chief Growth Officer of IndeVets.
More from IndeVets:
4 key trends for animal hospitals in 2021
Building a thriving veterinary team through fiscal security