Picture a vet.
Maybe your mind conjured up a white man in a field, tending to some cows or sheep, driving around from visit to visit, stopping for some lovely grub cooked by a smiling farmer’s wife. In essence, your mind sees ‘James Herriot’, the alter ego of 1930s Yorkshire vet Alf Wight, whose books have been enjoyed by millions and inspired two separate versions of the TV programme ‘All Creatures Great and Small’.
Or maybe you saw that white man in a white coat or coloured scrubs, explaining to Rolf Harris or Paul O’Grady the sad story behind the little dog on the consulting room table. This image comes from watching programmes such as ‘Animal Hospital’ or ‘For the Love of Dogs’, enduringly popular midweek television.
Maybe you pictured your own vet at your own practice. Most likely this is a woman under the age of forty, but she’s probably still white.
Now consider all members of the practice team, not just vets but veterinary nurses and receptionists. Would you presume the support staff are all female? Are any of them people of colour? Have you considered whether any member of the practice team might identify as part of other communities, such as LGBT+? Might they be neurodivergent? Do they have a disability?
The world of James Herriot is nearly a century away from us today, and even the ‘Vets in Practice’ graduates are all now in their fifties. The veterinary world in reality looks very different from what common perceptions would have it be, and it continues to change at pace. In some areas, such as gender balance and neurodiversity, it is closer to representing the general UK population, but in others, such as ethnic and sexuality diversity, it lags woefully behind. This article is designed to be a brief introduction to some of these considerations, a little food for thought to start your own explorations of this subject.
Disclaimer
Your author is a white, heterosexual, able bodied, British woman. I do not and cannot speak for all communities, and would urge you to listen to and believe the lived experience of those that belong to communities with which I do not identify.
How practice has changed in general
For the majority of the 20th century, veterinary practices were privately owned as single enterprises or group partnerships. These practice owners were all (mostly male) vets who then employed assistants as they qualified from vet school, with a view to them buying into the partnership one day. These practices were usually ‘mixed’, meaning that they treated pets, horses and farm animals.
With increasing knowledge and technology, practices have mostly now split into catering for one of the above groups of animals, as the daily routine in each is very different. More and more women have entered the profession, and the veterinary nursing has become a vitally important profession in its own right. The model of practice ownership has also changed greatly, with most now being part of larger groups (both corporate and independent). Practice ownership is not restricted to veterinary surgeons, and is not the presumed eventual career path.
Gender balance
The first woman to be admitted to membership of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons was Aileen Cust in 1922. She had in fact been a practising veterinary surgeon for 22 years at this point, but was refused admission by the college until they were forced to recognise her by law (and even then she was made to sit additional exams).
Contrast this to today, where female vets make up more than two thirds of all those registered, with an even greater proportion in younger age groups. An equal number of male and female vets does not appear until the 51-55 years age group, and men only outnumber women when over 56 years old (RCVS Facts 2024).
Despite this, speak to any female vet and she will be able to describe many incidents of gender discrimination in the workplace, both from clients and fellow staff members. From personal experience, I can immediately recall many examples of everyday sexism (male clients referring to me as ‘darling’ during a professional consultation, questioning my ability to carry a large dog) to those that caused real hurt (such as the farmer that informed me I would make a good vet until I ‘went off and had babies’, or the client who persistently spoke to the male vet student seeing practice with me despite correction).
The balance is reversed in veterinary nursing so far as to be almost non-existent; in 2024, there were over 22,000 female registered veterinary nurses but only 664 male. Male nurses experience an odd form of sexism in practice where they are often presumed to be vets, perpetuating the myth that to be a veterinary nurse is somehow lesser than being a veterinary surgeon, rather than being a valued distinct profession in its own right.
Race
In 2019, only 3.5% of vets and 1.9% of nurses registered with the RCVS identified as being of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) heritage, in contrast to 14.4% of the general UK population. This is a far greater lack of diversity than in professions such as medicine and law, and creates a unique set of circumstances for those members. A survey by the British Veterinary Association shows that greater than 25% of BAME veterinary staff and students had experienced racism within the last year, and the fear is this value is actually higher due to under-reporting.
The first study with detailed statistical analysis into racism in the veterinary profession in the UK was published in May 2025. Its damning results showed an overarching theme of identity conflict for these individuals, with alienation, insecurity, homogenisation, inferiorisation, disappointment and futility coming up factors within this. BAME vets, nurses and students reported constantly having to prove their worth (to other staff members and members of the public), with the extra effort and stress then reducing their performance. Constant microaggressions (such as being confused with other BAME staff or having their name changed to something more readily pronounceable for a white person) cause a persistent level of background stress, and was found to be worse in rural areas where little contact with BAME people exacerbates prejudice.
Given that the risk of death by suicide is 3-4x higher in vets than the national average (and twice that of doctors and nurses), the additional pressures on BAME members of the profession caused by racism are not to be under-estimated and need to be urgently addressed.
Sexuality
89.4% of vets identify as being heterosexual or straight, which is consistent with the UK as a whole (as per Ordinance for National Statistics data). This value has been falling in the general population over recent years, and it is reasonable to assume that more members of the veterinary profession will identify as members of the LGBT+ community.
What is less certain is whether those members feel comfortable to be ‘out’ at work. Whilst a person’s private life has a right to remain so, someone who acknowledges their sexuality at work may find themselves at risk of discrimination, especially in a public facing role. A BVA survey in 2019 reported that 5-6% of respondents (of all sexualities) had witnessed homophobic discrimination whilst at work. From personal experience, I often have heard homophobic slurs used by clients to describe their pets who appear to have a low pain threshold.
Disability and Chronic Illness
In 2024, the RCVS published the results of its Disability and Chronic Illness in Veterinary Work and Education survey, which was completed by around 7.5% of registered college members. 10% of those reported a physical disability or medical condition, but 34.7% of respondents felt they were treated differently because of this, with most believing this is because they had disclosed their condition. Those that chose not to disclose their disability or condition to their workplace did so because of the associated stigma and the lack of any meaningful support available. Lack of knowledge in management and peers and slow action to implement reasonable adjustments meant nearly half of respondents faced barriers to accessing support.
Neurodivergence
It is estimated that 1 in 7 people in the UK are neurodivergent, and 13% of vets and nearly 20% of veterinary nurses have disclosed this at work. Anecdotally, all veterinary team members will be able to recognise neurodivergent traits in themselves or colleagues!
Different ways of thinking can be invaluable within a veterinary setting, but different communication styles can cause clashes if they are not acknowledged and worked with in a positive manner. Over recent years great strides have been made in addressing this, with national charity VetLife producing resources for practices and staff members, and coaching businesses such as The Vet Project providing in-house training to help create safe and mutually beneficial work environments. The success of this education however depends on willingness to learn and uptake of these opportunities, at which some practices are better than others.
Summary
The veterinary world of 2025 looks very different to how it did a century ago, and yet old-fashioned attitudes as to what a vet looks like persist both in the public and the profession. Great progress has been made in some areas to have the profession more accurately reflect the general population, but there is still a long way to go. Given the current recruitment issues in the profession (exacerbated by stress, burnout and the impacts of Brexit), it would seem sensible (as well as compassionate) to create a profession where all members feel valued enough to want to stay working in it.
References
RCVS Facts 2024 – Professionals
BVA Report on Discrimination in the Veterinary Profession
Neurodiversity in the veterinary industry – Veterinary Practice
Disability and Chronic Illness Survey full report – Professionals
Discussion