'Please be kind to us' amid staff shortage, Dubbo vet pleads

According to Dr Lydia Herbert from Orana Veterinary Services, there are 800 practices across the country trying to fill roles, including her own - and she has set a "low expectation" of being able to fill any roles soon.

She said every vet in Dubbo has been advertising for vets for the last few months.

"It's a complex, multifactorial issue that needs a complex, multifactorial solution," Dr Herbert said.

"But the short answer is, it comes down to attrition rate.

"The average vet will practise for five years before leaving and doing other things.

"It's the long hours, the pay rate - the average vet earns $72,000 per annum and a new graduate will earn $60,000 or sometimes less - and it is an emotionally-charged and high-stress industry."

The number of new animals adopted by people during the pandemic was also adding to the problem.

"The demand for vets has increased and the work hours to cope with that has gone up. Vet are working in excess of 60-70 hours per week," Dr Herbert said.

She encouraged pet-owners to "please be patient and understanding and know that we absolutely value your pets as much as you do".

Desexing appointments have an average wait time of 4-6 weeks in Dubbo, De Herbert said.

"If you have a puppy or a kitten I would recommend booking your desexing appointment at vaccination time and allow a two-week lead-time for vaccinations as well," she said.

Janet Rose, welfare officer at Animal Welfare League (AWL) NSW Dubbo Volunteer Branch, said vet shortages in Dubbo had affected the branch organising an adoption drive.

"There's more work in Dubbo than vets can cope with. It has pushed out our desexing of animals, and we do not let animals go until we have that in place, as well as microchipping, worm and flea treatments," Ms Rose said.