Amid national shortage, veterinarians flock to Florida

New veterinary clinics are popping up in Florida amid an ongoing national vet shortage.

The big picture: The pandemic pet adoption boom aggravated the shortage, which has contributed to provider burnout.

By the numbers: The number of vet establishments across the country has gone up 8.4% since 2012, according to 2021 Census Bureau data, the most recent available.

Zoom out: Many more vets are probably still needed to meet demand.

• As of 2022, there were about 86 million dogs and 66 million cats in the U.S., an annual increase of about 2% a year since 2016, according to a spokesperson for the American Veterinary Medical Association, Mark Rosati.
• In 2023, the AVMA noticed demand for companion animal veterinary services starting to return to pre-pandemic levels, a trend expected to continue this year, Rosati told Axios.

Now two in three households own a pet, per American Pet Products Association data.

What we're watching: Veterinary schools are increasing class capacity and new vet schools are in development, Rosati said.

Of note: 64% of vets are women, per AVMA numbers.