Not One More Vet (NOMV) is a 501(c)(3) public charity and is the leader in veterinary mental health. We are proud to help support their mission to transform the status of mental wellness within the veterinary profession so professionals can survive and thrive through education, resources, and support.
According to the NOMV website, 1 in 6 veterinarians consider suicide at some point in their career. Veterinary professionals are at increased risk for death by suicide compared to the general public. Unfortunately, we are all too aware of this devastating fact. Like many of you, members of our team have lost friends and colleagues to suicide. And, have watched others struggle with their mental and emotional health throughout their careers in veterinary medicine.
In case you didn’t know, May is Mental Health Awareness Month. To mark this, we are raising awareness about Not One More Vet, veterinary mental wellness and suicide prevention. Below you’ll learn about some of the tools we offer that may help you or your team.
How we are trying to help Not One More Vet, and you.
One way we support Not One More Vet directly is through the sales of our Heart TouchStones.
Our Heart TouchStones are meant to be given as a gift to staff or purchased for yourself. They are tangible symbols of your commitment to mental and emotional wellness. The Rose Quartz symbolizes emotional healing, release of stress, and self-love. The Green Aventurine symbolizes calm, comfort, and protection of the heart. What’s more, a portion of the proceeds from the sales of our Heart TouchStones will be donated to Not One More Vet.
Another way we indirectly support NOMV’s mission is through ClayPaws Kits. In fact, your staff may benefit from making ClayPaws prints in hospital while also better supporting your clients. Consider the following thoughts from some of our customers:
From Kelley Jewell at Valley Veterinary Clinic:
“It doesn’t matter how many times we walk into that one room in the clinic and sit down with a client and their pet, it hurts every single time. The subtle devastation of severing the tangible bond of a pet and its owner is something we never get used to. When we started offering your pawprints to our clients, it not only warmed the hearts of grieving owners but we were surprised to find the positive impact on our staff. Creating beautiful pawprints and decorating them with care has become a therapeutic experience that all of our technician and assistants enjoy. It has been such a gift to be able to heal our staff while they help to heal our clients.”
From Dr. Sarah Lavelle at Ark Veterinary Practice, Customer for 20 years:
“I have used the soft white Clay Paws for over 20 years for our patients of all shapes and sizes, from tigers and great danes to gekkos, rats and birds. Every client is deeply touched by the care and detail that we put into the design of each gift…Our technicians find it a blessing to their mental health to be able to make something beautiful that helps to ease other’s pain in their time of loss.”
From Britney, a veterinary technician, at Kingdom Animal Hospital in Bryan TX, Customer for 14 years:
“As a Tech, most of the time we get so attached to the patients as well as the owners. It’s something I’ve used as a coping mechanism for myself as well because death is the saddest part of our job. So it brings me such joy to help enhance a piece of our owners’ pets for them and really make it a special memory.”
Putting a protocol into place.
Your staff can benefit directly from this process by knowing they are making a genuine difference for clients. All of the resources, tools and products we offer are intended to support veterinary teams as they support their clients. Tools like ClayPaws Kits, Euthabags, Fur Clipping Containers and Pet Sympathy Cards can give your staff members what they need to feel confident in their ability to support a grieving client. This may have a positive effect on their mental and emotional wellness as well as increase job satisfaction.
Please, reach out.
If you, or anyone you know, is struggling or considering suicide, please find support. The number for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is (800)273-8255. You can also visit Not One More Vet’s Get Help page.
We hope this information has been helpful to you. Though we are not a crisis center, please know we are here to support you in other ways and always welcome questions and feedback. For example, if there are other resources you’d like to see us create or find for you, don’t hesitate to let us know.
Until next time,
Bryn Frisina
Chief Growth Officer
World by the Tail, Inc.