Recent statistics from the Voice of the Veterinary Profession Survey show that online abuse of veterinary professionals is as common as in-person abuse. Fifty seven percent of veterinarians in clinical practice reported they felt intimidated by clients’ language or behavior during the past year. This is an increase of 10 percent since the question was last asked in 2019.
The British Veterinary Association has created a new campaign, “Respect your vet team – end abuse, to encourage animal owners to consider the negative effects that harassment, trolling and unfair reviews have on veterinary staff.
Source: British Veterinary Association, April 30, 2022. Link. The most common type of online abuse reported by vets was unfair reviews (90%). Almost half of those who experienced online abuse had experienced abusive language (46%), while one in three (33%) experienced trolling. A further three in ten (31%) experienced online harassment.