When Dr. Jenna Wallace blew the whistle on the abuse and neglect she witnessed at a marine mammal tourist attraction, she didn’t expect it to spark a movement. “I came out guns a-blazing about how bad this place was, and everybody thought I was crazy,” the veterinarian said. She was fired from her job at the Miami Seaquarium, but her persistence led to multiple investigations, a media firestorm, and the facility’s eventual eviction and bankruptcy.
At the center of the controversy was the killer whale Lolita, who was kept in a small tank from the time of her capture in 1970 until her sudden death in August 2023. Veterinarians and trainers had maintained Lolita’s physical and mental health until the park’s new ownership in 2021 changed many of the inhabitants’ diets, leading to Lolita’s rapid deterioration and death. Less than a year later, Seaquarium was evicted from its leased facility.
Today, animal trainers, zookeepers and veterinarians contact Dr. Wallace for advice on safely reporting wrongdoing and what to expect if they, too, blow the whistle on behalf of animals that cannot advocate for themselves.
In addition to practicing full time, Dr. Wallace is the chief veterinarian at Veterinarians International, an organization providing veterinary resources to underserved communities worldwide.
Most veterinary professionals will never be the center of a national controversy or pursue a leadership role in advocacy on top of a 40-hour workweek. However, Dr. Wallace serves as an example of how veterinary professionals are uniquely equipped to lead systemic change.
The Power of Veterinary Advocacy
Veterinary professionals devote their lives to advocating for animals in their care. Our education and backgrounds enable us to view problems from multiple perspectives — animal health, public health and environmental responsibility — which makes us well-suited to find solutions.
On a broader scale, advocacy is a natural extension of clinical work. When treating patients no longer satisfies our mission in life, we take action. For some of us, the issues are a lack of racial diversity, the need for more mental health resources or the yearning to promote sustainability in veterinary practices. For others, inhumane agricultural practices or global vaccine shortages spark a desire to create change.
Advocacy can take many forms, including speaking at conferences, publishing research, building support networks, serving on boards, lobbying for policy change or engaging in boots-on-the-ground work. Some advocate quietly, while others take bold steps. However big or small their involvement, veterinary professionals help solve larger problems.
There is strength in numbers, and we can make a greater impact together than we can alone. Starting a movement takes only an idea and a few like-minded individuals.
Here are six nonprofit groups displaying the diversity of opportunities available for veterinarians and other team members to become advocates for change.
1. Veterinary Sustainability Alliance (VSA)
Founded in 2022, the Veterinary Sustainability Alliance unites animal health professionals committed to advancing environmental stewardship within the veterinary field. The group drew inspiration from similar organizations, such as Veterinarians for Climate Action in Australia and Vet Sustain in the United Kingdom, and formed a North American organization to fill a void.
Dr. Colleen Duncan, a professor of microbiology, immunology and pathology at the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and one of VSA’s founders, recalled how her academic experience motivated her to get involved in nonprofit work.
“Students in my elective course had been increasingly selecting environmental topics, like heat waves, air pollution or the spread of parasites in warming climates, for their term projects. Recognizing their great concern motivated me to expand my efforts in this space, both within and beyond academia,” the veterinarian said.
- VSA takes a three-pronged approach:
- Help veterinary clinics become more sustainable in their work.
- Educate people about how environmental hazards affect animal health.
- Engage with policymakers on environmental threats.
The organization is developing a sustainability certification for veterinary clinics. The program is guided, in part, by successful efforts in other countries and is informed by professional organizations, including the American and Canadian veterinary medical associations.
VSA certification will recognize clinics for reducing their environmental footprints and encouraging pet owners to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, cut water consumption and develop animal-inclusive disaster plans.
The approach is about support, not guilt or pressure.
“It doesn’t have to be all or nothing,” Dr. Duncan said. “You can make several small changes that fit within, or even enhance, a clinic’s current workflow, and it still makes a difference. That’s what we want to show people.”
2. Veterinary Association for Farm Animal Welfare (VAFAW)
This young but influential group was founded by veterinarians who had been informally collaborating on animal welfare issues. In early 2024, they launched the Veterinary Association for Farm Animal Welfare to bring science-based animal welfare principles into food animal policy. Since then, the organization has gained more than 1,100 members from 34 countries.
“Several of us had been working on various issues, just loosely organized,” said Dr. Gwendolen Reyes-Illg, the group’s director of policy development. “But over time, it became clear to a lot of us that there were opportunities within the veterinary profession to lead when it came to farm animal welfare.”
Much of the motivation stemmed from watching welfare science struggle to gain traction with regulators.
“We were realizing that all this great farm animal welfare-related research wasn’t getting into policy,” Dr. Reyes-Illg said. “We thought if we had an organization that could focus on that, we could bridge that gap.”
- VAFAW focuses on three central tenets:
- Preventing and mitigating pain in farm animals.
- Providing living environments that meet the animals’ physical and psychological needs.
- Ensuring humane end-of-life practices for farmed animals.
The group conducts outreach to gain industry support and then engages with policymakers to petition for change. The organization recently helped collect nearly 900 signatures, including over 500 from American Veterinary Medical Association members, in a petition asking the AVMA to revise its draft guidelines on depopulation. (Depopulation is the act of eliminating entire populations of farm animals due to disease threats, market disruptions or feed contamination.)
“In the three years since bird flu hit the U.S., over 162 million chickens, turkeys and ducks have been depopulated. Most of those have been through heat stroke-based depopulation methods, such as ventilation shutdown plus,” Dr. Reyes-Illg said.
The group and signees want to move “ventilation shutdown plus,” which kills animals by stopping airflow and increasing heat inside a building, from Tier 2, which describes methods that “demonstrate rapid loss of consciousness,” to Tier 3, meaning methods “contrary to good animal welfare.” Tier 2 methods are widely used due to their perceived veterinary approval, while Tier 3 methods are discouraged.
As of June 2025, the AVMA had not taken action to revise the guidelines.
VAFAW’s influence in policymaking comes partly through the leadership of Cameron Krier Massey, a lawyer turned welfare advocate.
“I worked in Congress for a senator from Texas, and I became passionate about farm animal welfare after living on a working farm in Pennsylvania and having a menagerie of livestock myself,” she said of her career path.
While completing a master’s degree in animal welfare and behavior through the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, she joined VAFAW as the director of external affairs and advocacy.
“It’s been such a blessing,” Krier Massey said. “I can apply my expertise in messaging, framing and advocacy communications to an issue I feel passionate about.”
3. Not One More Vet (NOMV)
Many veterinary professionals have heard of Not One More Vet, but most are unfamiliar with the breadth of the organization’s services. What began as a private Facebook support group for veterinarians has evolved into a global nonprofit addressing mental health and wellness. NOMV serves veterinarians, veterinary technicians, students and support staff worldwide.
“NOMV was created, unfortunately, because a well-known vet, Sophia Yin, died by suicide in 2014,” said executive director Gigi Tsontos, a licensed clinical social worker. “During that time, some of her colleagues and friends — specifically Dr. Nicole MacArthur — came together and said, ‘I want a place where we can chat about this because we need to make some changes in the industry.’”
The group operates in three programmatic areas: resources, support and education. The resources program awards small grants to help individuals facing urgent challenges, such as housing insecurity, transportation breakdowns or access to therapy, and larger emergency grants to clinics affected by natural disasters or other crises.
“We’re making an actual impact in the moment for grant recipients,” Tsontos said. “In 2024, we provided over $101,000 in support grants to 307 people and $65,000 in emergency grants to 17 clinics.”
NOMV’s support program is rooted in peer-to-peer connection. Trained volunteers moderate long-running Facebook forums. The Lifeboat program offers anonymous, asynchronous support from volunteers with similar backgrounds, such as veterinary technicians supporting other veterinary technicians. Licensed mental health professionals oversee the program. NOMV also offers free individual and group sessions to help veterinary professionals develop skills in resilience, communication and emotional regulation.
The education program focuses on disseminating practical, evidence-based information, including short-format guides and webinars, on topics such as compassion fatigue and mental health. NOMV also operates the Clear Blueprint program, a workplace certification model for practices dedicated to promoting mental health and well-being.
“We try to make digestible, easy information that can be used when someone’s struggling,” Tsontos said.
NOMV’s staff is small, but a vast network of volunteers stands ready.
“I think of us as small but mighty,” Tsontos said.
Dr. Jenna Wallace provided free, 24-hour veterinary services to the community of Lahaina after the 2023 Maui wildfires.
4. Multicultural Veterinary Medical Association (MCVMA)
The Multicultural Veterinary Medical Association was established to confront a reality that many in the profession have long acknowledged but few have openly addressed: Veterinary medicine lacks diversity. MCVMA began in 2014 as a Facebook group created by two veterinarians of color, and it formally became a nonprofit in 2020. Since then, it has evolved into an organization dedicated to building equity and representation throughout veterinary medicine.
“Vet med is still one of the whitest professions in the country,” said certified veterinary technician and MCVMA executive director Melody Martinez. “Depending on the stats, 90% to 97% of veterinarians are white, and support staff isn’t far behind. We exist to change that.”
Celebrating the idea that all voices matter, members include veterinarians, veterinary technicians, assistants, educators and other animal professionals.
“I was the first technician on the board,” Martinez said. “I became president, and now there’s another technician on the executive team. That matters. We’re not just talking about inclusion; we’re living it.”
MCVMA’s flagship initiative is RISE, a RACE-approved CE conference showcasing the expertise and perspectives of Black, Indigenous and people of color veterinary professionals.
Anyone can join, including white allies who understand that veterinary medicine cannot provide comprehensive care to all communities without representation in the clinic.
“We want people to know there’s space for them here,” Martinez said. “Whether you’re a student, a kennel assistant, a DVM or a shelter worker, it doesn’t matter. Your voice matters.”
The group’s past, current and upcoming initiatives are extensive. They include:
- The First but Not the Last: This website-based program showcases the first Black veterinary graduate from each U.S. veterinary school.
- Wake Up Vet Med: Launched shortly after George Floyd died in 2020, this campaign gathered support from diversity-focused organizations and led the AVMA to form a DEI working group to address racism and discrimination in the profession.
- Community Connections: Free monthly virtual gatherings enable veterinary professionals to connect, build community and support one another.
- Education grants: A recent Maddie’s Fund donation to MCVMA unlocked access to DEI academic content written by veterinary professionals.
“We’re not just trying to get more people into the field,” Martinez said. “We’re trying to change the culture so that when people get here, they stay and thrive.”
5. Veterinarians International (VI)
Veterinarians International is a global nonprofit with projects ranging from caring for orphaned elephants in Sri Lanka to funding rabies vaccination campaigns in Kenya to addressing poor living conditions in marine parks and zoos. Chief veterinarian Dr. Jenna Wallace didn’t set out to create an international advocacy organization, but her work in the captivity industry made her a natural fit.
Dr. Wallace’s advocacy extends well beyond getting the Miami Seaquarium evicted. She also became a point of contact for other animal caregivers to report abuse or substandard care. That effort evolved into Care for Captivity, a program that serves as a confidential resource for zookeepers, marine mammal trainers and veterinarians.
While Care for Captivity is one of VI’s more visible projects, the organization’s impact reaches well beyond U.S. borders. In Sri Lanka, VI assists Elephant Transit Home, a rehabilitation program for orphaned calves, with medical supplies and donated equipment, such as X-ray machines.
In Kenya, VI supports mobile veterinary care. “We’ve donated motorbikes that allow the veterinarians there to become more mobile,” Dr. Wallace said. “They visited 60 different communities last year and were able to provide treatment or vaccinations to about 46,000 animals.”
Dr. Wallace has collaborated with high-profile figures in global conservation, including Paul Watson of Sea Shepherd France, orca researcher Ingrid Visser, wildlife conservationist Jane Goodall and oceanographer Jean-Michel Cousteau.
In addition to spending time on VI’s international efforts, Dr. Wallace owns a Hawaii veterinary practice. She provided free, around-the-clock veterinary care over the first few days following the 2023 Maui wildfires.
While VI began with a clinical mission, it has expanded to support ethical reform and advocacy. Although thrust into the position of whistleblower, Dr. Wallace doesn’t take an extremist stance against animals in captivity. Instead, she said, she only wants to ensure adequate facilities and care.
6. Humane Veterinary Medical Alliance (HumaneVMA)
The Humane Veterinary Medical Alliance was founded in 2008 as the veterinary division of the Humane Society of the United States (now Humane World for Animals). Since then, HumaneVMA has grown into a community of 8,500 members, including veterinarians, veterinary technicians and students passionate about animal welfare.
Program director Dr. Barbara Hodges has been with the organization since the beginning. Her journey began in veterinary school at UC Davis, where she and about a dozen classmates opposed conducting terminal surgeries on healthy animals during surgery training.
“I didn’t want to intentionally kill an animal for my training,” she said.
The students proposed performing surgical techniques on animals euthanized for legitimate medical reasons. Their persistence helped spark a movement. The next year, incoming students petitioned and ultimately persuaded UC Davis to eliminate terminal surgeries from the core curriculum.
That early experience shaped Dr. Hodges’ lifelong commitment to animal welfare. When the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights merged with the Humane Society of the United States in 2008, she joined the newly formed veterinary division and eventually became an employee.
HumaneVMA’s mission centers on advocacy, education and service.
“We’re not a trade association,” Dr. Hodges said. “We prioritize the animals. We’re a home for colleagues who care deeply about them.”
The efforts have led to legislative victories, including California’s Farm Animal Confinement Initiative. The measure, passed by voters in 2018, established minimum space requirements for egg-laying hens, pregnant pigs and calves raised for veal, effectively banning restrictive cages and crates.
“The success has positively impacted the health and welfare of millions of animals raised to become food products,” Dr. Hodges said. “Proposition 12 provides a legislative template for similar animal welfare efforts and advances in other states.”
HumaneVMA also supports access-to-care initiatives, including veterinarian and technician student loan forgiveness, license reciprocity across states, an expanded scope of practice for technicians, responsible use of telemedicine, and the adoption of a spectrum of care approach in practice.
The organization’s education program offers more than 40 archived webinars covering welfare topics such as declawing, brachycephalic breed concerns and other issues not always addressed in veterinary school or continuing education.
Through its speakers bureau, HumaneVMA provides guest lectures at veterinary schools.
“We can influence the future of the profession,” Dr. Hodges said about the organization’s education efforts. “These future veterinarians are going to be our colleagues in a few short years.”
Through its parent organization, Humane World for Animals, HumaneVMA connects veterinary professionals with programs that bring veterinary care to underserved communities. For example, Rural Area Veterinary Services provides free basic care to pets on Native American land.
“It’s a win-win,” Dr. Hodges said. “Veterinary professionals learn how to practice medicine in a completely scaled-down but high-quality way, and communities get access to care that’s desperately needed.”
She invites veterinary professionals to join HumaneVMA.
“Veterinarians and veterinary technicians have such a powerful voice when it comes to advocating for animals, and we need to use that voice,” she said.
FIND YOUR CALLING
Mental Health and Well-Being
- Not One More Vet: nomv.org
- Veterinary Hope Foundation: veterinaryhope.org
- Mind Matters Initiative: vetmindmatters.org
Sustainability and One Health
- Veterinary Sustainability Alliance: veterinarysustainabilityalliance.org
- Vet Sustain: vetsustain.org
- Vets for Climate Action: vfca.org.au
- One Health Commission: onehealthcommission.org
Farm Animal Welfare and Agriculture Policy
- Veterinary Association for Farm Animal Welfare: vafaw.org
- Animal Welfare Institute Farmed Animals Program: bit.ly/3ZhuYIz
- American Association of Bovine Practitioners Animal Welfare Committee: bit.ly/43wXkB5
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
- Multicultural Veterinary Medical Association: mcvma.org
- Pride Veterinary Medical Community: pridevmc.org
- Women’s Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative: wvldi.org
Global Health, Wildlife and Captive Animal Welfare
- Veterinarians International: vetsinternational.org
- Veterinarians Without Borders: vwb.org
- World Small Animal Veterinary Association: wsava.org
Public Policy and Legislation
- NAVC Embrace: navc.com/advocacy
- AVMA Fellowship Program: bit.ly/4jyKAyn
- Humane Veterinary Medical Alliance: humanevma.org
HOW TO BECOME AN ADVOCATE
Advocacy is a path to agency, something many veterinary professionals think they lack. But you don’t have to wait for change to happen. You can do something about what you find unjust, unethical or worrisome. Veterinary advocacy has countless entry points.
Here are a few ways to get started:
- Follow or join advocacy groups: Become a member, subscribe to newsletters, attend webinars or follow organizations on social media to see what they’re up to and how you can jump in to help.
- Give your time, money or skills: Donate to campaigns that matter to you.
- Use your voice: Ask questions, start conversations or write to your local lawmakers.
Once you find an organization that aligns with your passions, start small and work up to larger contributions. Remember that small actions add up, and your involvement can make a difference and benefit future generations.
Important, historic change is possible, but it doesn’t happen when people stay quiet. Speak up and advocate for yourself, your colleagues, the planet and its animals. Starting a movement takes only one person.
WHAT THE USDA DISCOVERED
The U.S. Department of Agriculture inspected the Miami Seaquarium in 2023. The following findings, all from the USDA report, contributed to the shutdown of the South Florida tourist attraction.
- “The facility failed to [ensure] the attending veterinarian had appropriate authority. Records indicate that on numerous occasions, the attending veterinarian made the determination that certain actions needed to be taken; however, the facility did not follow through with these actions.”
- “The attending veterinarian has been unable to perform a full annual physical exam, which includes weights, on the three adult manatees held at the facility in more than five years because the facility has not provided scales that can be used in these enclosures.”
- “At the time of inspection at the facility’s vet clinic, there was a large number of ants present on and inside the cabinet housing vitamins and supplements that can be used for the marine mammals.”
- “In the indoor enclosure housing nine penguins, there is an excessive accumulation of moisture condensation on the ceiling. This has led to numerous spots of black growth as well as areas of bubbling and peeling paint that is starting to droop down into the enclosure.”
- “The medical records for multiple animals state that the veterinarian is unable to perform necessary diagnostics, as the facility no longer has access to an ultrasound, radiography or endoscopy. It is also noted that there is no access to a functioning anesthesia machine for emergencies.”
- “The facility has not established a complete environment enhancement plan to promote the psychological well-being of the birds. There is an enrichment schedule and outline for the parrots housed in Tropical Wings; however, there is no plan in place for the penguins and flamingos at the facility.”