By Dr. Whitney Miller, DVM, MBA, DACVPM, Chief Veterinarian, Petco

3 min read

Veterinary medicine is a profoundly rewarding pursuit. We are called upon to ensure pets have a voice and an advocate who prioritizes their health and happiness, but we can’t deny this calling can come with its own set of demands.

Nearly every veterinarian I know has grappled with exhaustion, stress, or near-burnout at some point in their career. Healthy pets need healthy advocates. Resilient veterinarians can push through the daily demands of work, emergencies, and self- and family care, but resiliency isn’t sacrificing oneself for the profession. It means identifying opportunities for improving the profession so we can all thrive and provide amazing veterinary medical care, while also caring for ourselves.

As a veterinarian who hires, advocates for and mentors other vets, I advise doctors to learn how a potential employer supports their overall well-being, not just their career ambitions. I’m proud that Petco and Vetco Total Care are helping strengthen veterinary resilience by caring for the whole veterinarian in the following seven important ways:

1. SUPPORTING TOTAL WELLNESS

Petco’s Total Rewards include financial, medical, dental, vision, mental health, adoption, and fertility benefits. These benefits help ensure veterinarians are better able to care for their whole selves, their families, and their futures. For example, we just introduced annual equity stock grants for all hospital veterinarians as part of their total compensation packages, as well as new fertility, adoption, and mental health coverage. Petco Total Rewards are designed to provide peace of mind, security, and support career longevity.

2. FREEDOM FROM NONCOMPETES, NEGATIVE ACCRUALS AND ON-CALL SHIFTS

By removing key sources of stress for vets, doctors are better able to focus on delivering the very best care to pets and enjoy their careers longer. That’s why we don’t have hiring contracts with noncompetes, negative accruals, emergency on-call shifts or sales quotas on wellness plans.

3. AUTONOMOUS MEDICINE

No one likes cookbook medicine — doctors or patients. By empowering veterinarians to practice autonomous medicine, we help Vetco Total Care doctors gain knowledge, confidence and leadership skills. When free from restrictive protocols, veterinarians can be more collaborative, do what is right for the individual patient, and teach their teams new ways to solve problems. It also keeps doctors curious and motivated, knowing they’re able to apply new knowledge and techniques in day-to-day practice.

4. PEER-TO-PEER NETWORK

Our veterinarians are never alone. Vetco Total Care full-service hospitals form a connected, nationwide network of hospital veterinarians, area and regional medical directors representing a broad range of backgrounds, specialties, and experience. This network enables doctors to connect instantly with their peers for quick questions, deeper consultation, and professional support.

5. LIFE-STAGE FLEXIBILITY

Life changes fast. Vetco Total Care and Vetco clinic veterinarians have the freedom to build a career that flexes to fit their changing life stages and lifestyles. With flexible full-time, part-time, and relief options, doctors have multiple ways to adapt their careers to fit their life and stay in medicine in a way that works for them.

6. DIVERSITY, INCLUSION + BELONGING

We build and support practices and teams where all are welcome and encouraged to bring their whole selves to work in a safe, supportive and inclusive environment. To help cultivate strong connections, Petco's employee resource groups, or partner resource groups, provide a place for team members to connect, learn from and support one another.

7. PASSION WITH A PURPOSE

Every day we’re improving pets' lives and giving pet parents more ways to care for their furry family members by making pet health and wellness accessible through expert information, high-quality products, and neighborhood Vetco Total Care hospitals and Vetco clinics. Petco is the only total pet health ecosystem and the first retailer to be awarded the American Humane Certified seal of approval, affirming pets at Petco pet care centers and supplier facilities enjoy excellent attention at every step of their journey to their new families.

This World Veterinary Day, I looked back on how far we have come as a profession to strengthen veterinary resilience. We’re removing stigmas and having candid conversations around mental health and career burnout; we’re supporting more flexible career paths, and we’re helping veterinarians receive the resources and support they need — but there’s still more progress to make. I feel fortunate to be part of an organization that deeply values veterinarians and where I’m empowered, along with my colleagues, to drive positive change.

Thank you to my mentors, colleagues, and veterinarians everywhere for your enduring compassion, uncompromising standards of pet care, and for being a community that continually advocates for each other and our patients.

About Dr. Whitney Miller

Fueled by her passion for making a positive impact in pets’ lives, Dr. Whitney Miller (she/her/hers) serves as Petco’s Chief Veterinarian. In that role, she is the lead veterinary subject matter expert advising Petco as a health & wellness company and overseeing the company’s standards of excellence in animal care and welfare; provides strategic direction and medical management for Petco’s growth in veterinary services; and provides cross-functional support across the company to marketing, communications, legal, merchandising, pet services and more. Dr. Miller leads the Petco medical team, which supports over 200 full-service hospitals and mobile vaccination clinics operating in over 1,000 Petco Pet Care Centers nationwide. In addition, Dr. Miller is a member of the Petco Pet Wellness Council (PPWC), an independent coalition of leading experts in veterinary science and animal care that serve as an external source of unbiased advice and counsel to Petco on a range of topics across the pet care industry. The PPWC also guides the development and aggregation of credible pet care science to educate professionals and all who care about pets.

Over the course of her veterinary career, Dr. Miller has spent time in emergency and general companion animal veterinary practice, worked in pharmacovigilance reporting for Zoetis and spent time in federal government relations for the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), advocating on animal welfare issues. Dr. Miller received her DVM and MBA degrees from Colorado State University and has been board certified in preventive medicine since 2018. Dr. Miller continues to practice companion animal medicine every chance she gets.