Establishing a working definition for veterinary care desert.

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Animal Welfare Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Limited access to veterinary care presents a significant challenge for animal welfare.
• Existing definitions of resource deserts lack specific application to veterinary services.
• Identifying underserved areas is crucial for effective resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a formal definition of veterinary care deserts.
• To provide guidance for identifying areas with limited veterinary care access.
• To facilitate targeted program and service implementation.

Main Methods:

• A scoping literature review was conducted.
• Sources on veterinary care barriers and human resource desert definitions were analyzed.
• Themes and parameters were extracted from 37 veterinary and 42 human resource sources.

Main Results:

• Three key themes emerged: accessibility (transportation, distance), affordability (owner income, cost of care), and availability (professional density).
• A working definition of veterinary care deserts was formulated as geographic areas with limited accessible, affordable, and available veterinary care.
• The definition is parameterized at the census tract level.

Conclusions:

• Veterinary care providers can utilize census tract data to identify areas with reduced veterinary care access.
• The definition enables targeted interventions to address disparities in veterinary service availability.
• This framework supports efforts to improve animal welfare in underserved regions.