VetEM: Building Adaptive, Resilient Veterinary Teams
What if the lessons from animal emergency management could help solve the challenges facing the veterinary profession today?
Why VetEM Matters
Emergencies don’t just disrupt our lives - they can shut down veterinary services, isolate teams, and profoundly affect well-being.
According to the Veterinary Information Network (VIN) survey, only 30-34% of veterinary practices have an emergency plan, and most focus solely on structural fires and how to evacuate people.
But real disruption comes from:
Wildfires
Floods and Earthquakes
Volcanic eruptions
Armed offender incidents
Power and communication outages
When these occur, many clinics find themselves underprepared - unsure where to start, disconnected from community response, and struggling with the psychological toll of crisis.
Veterinary Professionals: The Community’s First Point of Trust
In times of crisis, communities often turn to veterinary professionals before any officials, for reassurance, guidance, and care.
Veterinary teams are trusted, visible, and embedded in their communities. This places them in a unique position to act as a conduit between the community and official response agencies, helping translate information, identify needs, and strengthen collective action.
VetEM builds on this natural leadership role , equipping veterinary professionals with the skills, systems, and confidence to bridge that gap effectively and safely.
What Makes VetEM Different
VetEM: Veterinary Emergency Management is a practical, evidence-based course built from lived experience, national coordination, and doctoral research.
It helps veterinary professionals not only survive emergencies, but also adapt and thrive in uncertainty.
Through VetEM, participants will:
✅ Develop adaptable emergency systems to maintain operations under pressure.
✅ Strengthen leadership to respond confidently to disruption.
✅ Build collaboration across clinics, sectors, and communities.
✅ Support wellbeing through proactive systems and shared responsibility.
VetEM isn’t just about internal preparedness — it’s about connection.
It helps teams become part of the wider resilience network, working alongside emergency managers and local communities.
“Every $1 invested in preparedness returns an average of $15 in avoided recovery costs.”
— UNDRR, Global Assessment Report 2025
That’s a 1:15 return on investment, and in veterinary practice, it means fewer disruptions, greater confidence in the chaos, faster recovery, safer teams, and stronger community trust.
Real Lessons, Real Impact
VetEM was created after years of supporting veterinary teams through floods, earthquakes, wildfires, and other emergencies.
From these experiences, one message was clear:
“We weren’t ready. It wasn’t due to a lack of care; we didn’t know where to start.”
And another, even more personal reflection:
“If I’d known what was going on in the background, I wouldn’t have felt so alone.”
These words capture both the practical and emotional realities of working in crisis. The uncertainty, isolation, and invisible effort that so often sits beneath the surface.
VetEM changes that.
It gives teams the knowledge, systems, and confidence to act, and the connections to ensure they never face that chaos alone again.
Join the VetEM Network
Be part of the next generation of veterinary professionals who are rethinking preparedness, well-being, and leadership.
Expressions of Interest are now open for the 2026 VetEM Course.
Together, we can build a more connected, resilient, and adaptive veterinary profession.
