WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – If you drive down Carolina Beach Road, you’ll see three tombstones. You might think they’re just Halloween decorations, but their meaning goes deeper than that.
Dr. Cassie Mitlitsky, a local veterinarian, put the signs up to bring awareness to a mental health crisis in the veterinarian industry.
“The reason we put up the signs is we wanted to draw attention to some of the things we think are really important in veterinary medicine,” she said.
The signs say “rest in peace underappreciated hospital staff” and “rest in peace rushed vet appointments.”
“One in six veterinarians contemplate suicide at some point so, with the number of vets I’ve come across and the number of roles I’ve been in, yeah, I’ve seen a lot of people struggling,” she explained.
The CDC National Center for Health Statistics released a study that states men veterinarians are twice as likely to die by suicide, and women are four times as likely.
Mitlitsky says most veterinarians and vet techs struggle when they can’t save a pet and have to euthanize them. Doctors will develop a relationship with the animal and their owners and can struggle immensely when that relationship is gone. It’s called compassion fatigue.
There are other issues, too.
“Being blamed when [veterinarians] can’t help those pets. The owner may not be able to financially afford it, and then that blame is put back on the staff, saying things like ‘if you really cared about them you would help them.’”
But now, after years of facing issues at other animal hospitals, Mitlitsky is starting her own. It’s called Sandy Paws Veterinary Hospital– set right behind where the signs are on Carolina Beach Road.
She said she’s worked for years to get to this point, and now, she gets to build what she calls her dream hospital.
“I want to be able to take care of the pets in Wilmington. I want to be able to take care of my staff. And, I want to create a really positive culture where people can thrive and have a long-term career that they love,” she said.
The ultimate goal: to get the mental health conversation going, so that awareness signs like the ones on Carolina Beach Road can be laid to rest.
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