25 Apr 2025
Boehringer Ingelheim survey – launched to coincide with World Veterinary Day (26 April) – shows that 92% of UK animals owners appreciate the veterinary profession and the level of care it provides.
James Westgate
Job Title
Image: © dusanpetkovic1 / Adobe Stock
Boehringer Ingelheim has released survey results that show the high level of appreciation pet owners have for the veterinary sector.
Launched ahead of World Veterinary Day tomorrow (26 April), the survey showed that 92% of UK animal owners appreciate the veterinary profession and the level of care it provides to their pets.
Part of Boehringer Ingelheim’s Going Beyond campaign, which seeks to put a spotlight on aspects of veterinary work that too often remain unseen and under-recognised, the global survey included more than 1,200 animals owners from the UK, US, Brazil, France, China and Germany.
Responses from the UK cohort also showed that 9 out of 10 pet owners recognised the essential role veterinary teams play in society.
Alessandro Torre, head of animal health UK and Ireland at Boehringer Ingelheim, said: “We are thrilled to join forces with our Going Beyond campaign partners to honour veterinary teams around the world.
“Their dedication – whether as animal health experts, researchers or public health experts – is truly invaluable.”
Of the 200 UK pet owners surveyed, just 48% said they believed vets had a good work-life balance while 69% of animal owners felt vets needed a high level of resilience to manage stress and emotional exhaustion.
This figure was significantly lower than when asked the same question about other essential professions, including doctors, police officers and firefighters.
BSAVA president Julian Hoad, said: “The Going Beyond survey has shown the very high regard that the public holds for veterinary professionals. That high regard has to be constantly earned, however, and we must not rest on our laurels. As ambassadors and custodians of animal and public health we must constantly strive to do our very best for the animals under our care.”
In addition to the survey data, Boehringer has also released a video asking genuine animal owners to guess what type of professional meets the description of a range of compelling job responsibilities and characteristics.
The video captures their reactions as they learn that the job in question is a veterinary professional.
The Going Beyond campaign has been developed by Boehringer Ingelheim in cooperation with the BSAVA, the World Association for Buiatrics, VetFamily, and other organisations.
