North American Veterinary Ethics Council

Ending the vet shortage — through fair, ethical, merit-based licensure.

The veterinary shortage is driven by a broken gatekeeping system. NAVEC works to open the profession's gates through ethical, merit-based reform and public oversight — following medicine and other professions in implementing solutions that expand access to care and serve the public good.

The Scale of the Crisis

A shortage that grows every year.

America isn't training enough veterinarians to care for the animals that depend on them — and the gap widens with every month that passes.

372 million
animals in America depend on veterinary care.
25% short
The profession has only three-quarters of the veterinarians it needs — and the gap widens every year.
NAVEC analysis of AVMA, USDA & Mars Veterinary Health data
250+ a month
veterinarians retire or leave the profession.
2,100 pets
lose access to care with every veterinarian who goes.
NAVEC analysis of AVMA, USDA & Mars Veterinary Health data
The Case for Reform

Restoring the veterinary common good.

Veterinary medicine works best when the systems that govern it are open, fair, and accountable to the public. We focus on three areas where that isn't true today.

01

Fair Governance

Private organizations currently control the gates of entry, with no public oversight. By opening these systems to transparency and accountability, we help ensure that licensure serves the community, not private interests.

02

Accessible Care

Artificial scarcity driven by restrictive accreditation keeps costs high and care out of reach. Opening the door to more qualified providers can bring affordable care back to every zip code.

03

Ethical Standards

When oversight is hidden behind private doors, integrity suffers. Opening these gates forces accountability, empowering veterinarians to practice without the fear of opaque, unaccountable regulation.

A Federal View

The concern is recognized at the highest level.

Professional accreditation societies, like the AVMA, "cannot erect anticompetitive hurdles" that restrict the number of veterinarians.
— U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, December 2025

Join the movement for veterinary reform.

NAVEC works to ensure veterinary medicine is governed by fairness, transparency, and merit. Add your voice.

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