7 Apr 2025
The idea is set to be explored within the college’s new strategic plan, despite suggestions that broader failings are being overlooked.
Allister Webb
Job Title
Image: © New Africa / Adobe Stock
Bereavement counselling could be offered to some pet owners as a potential way of addressing concerns about veterinary care, it has emerged.
The idea is one of several that are set to be examined as part of a new strategic plan for the work of the RCVS over the next five years.
Some animal welfare campaigners have dismissed the move as a distraction, while most veterinary voices remained tight lipped over the issue.
The final strategic plan, which will cover the period up to 2029, has yet to be officially published, although college leaders indicated they expected it to be released in the coming weeks during a presentation at the recent BSAVA Congress and Expo in Manchester.
However, a draft version was approved by the college’s council during its latest meeting in London last month. That document, which was published in papers released ahead of the 13 March session, set out four primary strategic ambitions including one to be “stronger together with animal owners and keepers”.
Under that theme, the paper included a specific aim to consider “ways in which those accessing veterinary care could be better supported, by better understanding the human-animal bond and the role of animals in society”.
Stated examples of how that could be done included “exploring the role of pet bereavement counselling as part of our complaint resolution process, or the veterinary social work concept”.
A college spokesperson later added: “We are considering the circumstances under which we receive complaints from members of the public and the extent to which support may be appropriate other than, or alongside, signposting to our complaints process.
“Pet bereavement counselling will be one of the areas that we explore.”
Several veterinary groups declined to comment on the proposal when approached by Vet Times.
The idea has been broadly welcomed by the Association of Pet Bereavement Counsellors, however, which argued such professionals were “ideally placed” to be part of the resolution process.
However, the association suggested that only members who are formally accredited by itself, rather than being simply registered, should be asked to participate because of their greater knowledge and experience in the area.
Other stated aims within the owner-focused theme included legislative change, building trust between the college, professionals and clients, increasing public transparency and choice, and improving communications, with regular public feedback.
Although the college’s public advisory group is set to continue permanently following a separate vote at the March council meeting, other ways to expand that input have also been proposed.
