Relief is on the way for pet owners, ranchers, private veterinary practices and animal shelters/rescues in the state as the Arizona Humane Society and Humane Society of Southern Arizona spearheaded a bill intended to solve the state’s animal healthcare deficit.
Sponsored by Senator T.J. Shope, according to a press release, the bill was recently signed into law as part of next year’s state budget, with an incentive for veterinarians to stay and work in Arizona to help alleviate a “severe shortage” of veterinarians, which also negatively impacted the economy by “suppressing the animal care sector, inflating costs for veterinary services, and increasing healthcare brain drain,” cited the AHS website.
A new Arizona Veterinary Loan Assistance Program within the Arizona Department of Agriculture will provide student loan reimbursement up to $100,000 for new veterinarians who obtain a veterinary degree after Jan. 1, 2023, and work in Arizona for at least four years.
