They Care for Our Pets, But Who Cares for Them?

Announcement posted by Crighton Solutions 20 Apr 2026

A Melbourne Photographer Raises Awareness for Veterinary Mental Health

In moments of heartbreak, uncertainty, and goodbye, veterinary professionals are the steady hands guiding pet owners through some of the most emotional experiences of their lives.

They are there in the late-night emergencies, the difficult diagnoses, and the quiet, final moments when families say goodbye to a beloved pet. They hold space for grief, offer reassurance, and carry the emotional weight of others, day after day.

But behind the scenes, many veterinary professionals are struggling.

The veterinary industry is facing a growing mental health crisis. Rates of burnout, compassion fatigue, anxiety, and depression are significantly higher than in many other professions. Long hours, emotional strain, financial pressures, and the expectation to remain composed in deeply distressing situations all contribute to an ongoing and often invisible burden.

For those within the profession, it's not just a job, it's an emotional commitment that can be difficult to leave behind at the end of the day.

The Reality Behind the Profession

Melbourne-based veterinary nurse and photographer Bree Colenso has spent over a decade working in the industry, including in oncology, where she supported families through some of their most challenging moments.

"People often only see the clinical side of what we do," she says.

"But so much of it is emotional. You're sitting with families as they process a terminal diagnosis. You're there through treatment, through hope, and sometimes through loss."

But alongside those longer journeys are the sudden, traumatic cases that arrive without warning.

"Snake bites, dogs hit by cars, dog attacks, those cases come in fast, and they're intense," Bree explains. "You're working under pressure, trying to save a life, while also supporting owners who are often in shock or panic."

In those moments, veterinary teams are not only providing medical care, they are absorbing the fear, urgency, and heartbreak of the people standing in front of them.

"You can go from something routine to something life-or-death in minutes," she says. "And even when you do everything you can, the outcome isn't always what anyone hoped for."

Alongside emergency cases are the ones that stay with you, pets with lymphoma whose families pursued every possible treatment, pets undergoing radiation, and clients travelling interstate just for a chance at more time.

"You see how deeply people love their pets. They're family," Bree explains. "And when you're part of that journey, you feel it too."

Over time, that emotional load builds.

"You don't just walk away from those moments," she says.

"You carry them. And then you go onto the next patient, and the next. There's not always space to process it."

This cumulative grief, combined with the intensity of emergency care and the pressures of the job, is what makes mental health support within the veterinary industry so critical.

The Role of Not One More Vet

Organisations like Not One More Vet (NOMV) are working to change that reality.

Founded to support the mental health and wellbeing of veterinary professionals, NOMV provides resources specifically tailored to the unique challenges of the industry. From peer support groups and educational programs to crisis support and grants, the organisation offers a lifeline for those who may otherwise feel isolated in their experiences.

Unlike general mental health services, NOMV understands the specific pressures veterinary teams face, the emotional toll of euthanasia, the moral stress of financial limitations affecting care, and the constant exposure to grief.

At its core, NOMV exists to ensure that no one in the veterinary profession has to struggle alone.

As awareness grows, so too does the importance of conversations around mental health in the industry, conversations that organisations like NOMV are helping to lead.

Turning Experience Into Purpose

For Bree, the transition from veterinary nursing to photography wasn't about leaving the industry behind, it was about supporting it in a different way.

Through Bree Ruby Photography, she specialises in capturing senior and terminally ill pets, creating meaningful images that reflect the deep bond between pets and their people.

Her sessions are gentle, unhurried, and designed to feel emotionally safe, something she says is especially important for families navigating anticipatory grief.

"I see photography as a way of holding onto something that matters," she says. "Especially in those later stages, when time feels very real."

But her connection to the veterinary world remains central to her work.

"This industry shaped me," she says. "And I know how much it gives, and how much it takes."

Giving Back This April

In honour of World Veterinary Day this April, Bree has launched an initiative through her business to support veterinary professionals while also raising awareness for mental health in the industry.

Throughout the month, she is offering:

$100 off photography sessions for veterinary professionals
$50 donated from every booking to Not One More Vet

The initiative is designed to give veterinary staff the opportunity to create meaningful memories with their own pets, something they often encourage for others, but rarely prioritise for themselves.

At the same time, it contributes directly to the work being done by NOMV to support mental health within the profession.

"Vet professionals are so used to caring for everyone else," Bree says.

"This is a small way to give something back to them, and to support an organisation that's doing incredibly important work."

A Conversation That Needs to Continue

While awareness around mental health in the veterinary industry is growing, there is still more work to be done.

"There's this expectation to just keep going, to be strong for everyone else," Bree says. "But behind that, there are real people carrying a lot."

Organisations like Not One More Vet are helping to shift that narrative, encouraging open conversations, reducing stigma, and providing support where it's needed most.

And through initiatives like this, individuals and small businesses are finding ways to contribute to that change.

Supporting Those Who Care for Our Pets

For pet owners, supporting veterinary professionals can be as simple as showing kindness, patience, and understanding.

For those within the industry, it can mean reaching out, checking in, and knowing that support exists.

And for Bree, it's about using her work to give back to a profession that continues to shape her.

"These are people who dedicate their lives to caring for our pets," she says.

"They deserve care too."

END

Bree Colenso

Bree Ruby Photography

0409 555 368