Ep 656: Bridging the Gap in Access to Care with Claire Schuch, Associate Director of Research for University of Tennessee, Knoxville Center for Pet Family Well-Being

"We might think access to veterinary care is just an issue for low-income families—but the reality is, it affects people across income levels, for very different reasons."

This episode is sponsored-in-part by Maddie's Fund, OcuTrap, and the Feline Behavior Summit 2026.

Access to veterinary care is one of the most pressing—and complex—issues facing pet families today. In this episode of the Community Cats Podcast, host Stacy LeBaron sits down with researcher Claire Shuch, PhD, to unpack the latest findings from a groundbreaking national study on barriers to veterinary care.

Drawing from her work with the University of Tennessee Knoxville's Program for Pet Health Equity, Claire shares insights from the updated Access to Veterinary Care: Barriers and Insights from Pet Families report. This research builds on the foundational 2018 study and reveals how economic pressures, workforce shortages, and lingering pandemic effects continue to shape how—and whether—families can care for their pets.

Listeners will discover surprising truths about who struggles to access care (hint: it's not just low-income households), why many cats remain unspayed or unvaccinated, and how logistical challenges like scheduling and clinic availability play a major role. The conversation also explores the broader "One Health" framework, highlighting how human, animal, and environmental health are deeply interconnected.

For community cat advocates, this episode offers valuable context on intake trends, stray adoption patterns, and opportunities for intervention through education and accessible services. Claire also paints a compelling vision of a more integrated future—where human and animal healthcare services are co-located or mobile, reaching underserved communities more effectively.

Whether you're a rescuer, veterinarian, policymaker, or passionate cat lover, this episode provides both data-driven insights and hopeful possibilities for improving care access nationwide.

Press Play Now For:

• Key findings from the latest national veterinary care access study
• Why affordability is only part of the access problem
• Insights into cat ownership trends and stray intake patterns
• The real reasons cats aren't always spayed or neutered
• How COVID-19 reshaped pet ownership and care challenges
• The growing impact of veterinary workforce shortages
• A practical introduction to the "One Health" model
• Innovative ideas for co-located and mobile care services
• How community programs can better support both pets and people

Resources & Links

• Access to Veterinary Care: Barriers and Insights from Pet Families
• University of Tennessee Knoxville – Program for Pet Health Equity (PPHE)
• One Health Community Forum (Maddie's Fund)
• Original 2018 Access to Veterinary Care Study (AVCC)

Episode Update!

Since the recording of this episode, The Program for Pet Health Equity (PPHE) is now the Center for Pet Family Well-Being (CPFW). The links listed above and mentioned in the episode should forward you to the new, relevant information, but you can check out this article for all the details about the change.