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Comment by barkerja | Hacker News Reader

> The cost of labor is ridiculously cheap (people become Vet Tech's for love, not money), and buildings need not be in commercial centers, so capital costs are minimal.

This is absolutely not true and it's a big issue in the field currently (my wife is a Veterinarian). This kind of thinking is also what is causing a lot of mental health issues in the field.

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I'll echo that. Also being married to a vet it's insane how little very qualified and experienced techs are being paid.

how is that in disagreement? Cost of labor is indeed cheap

It's often referred to as compassion fatigue. Just because you have a love for something doesn't mean you should do it for free or cheap. The job also isn't all love and cuddles; there's a lot of having to turn away care or euthanizing because owners can't afford the needed care.

That is a problem that needs solving!

That is what burns the labour out

You are saying two different things here. Are you agreeing with the poster's position that veterinary professionals aren't getting paid what they're worth (aka. cheap labor), or are you refuting it?

I don't believe they are saying two different things, given the indication of mental health considerations- I would imagine that it is not true that people become vet tech's only for love and don't actually want to make more money. You can't pay bills with your pride. This is an issue with nurses, among other professions. Yes they love what they do, yes they also want to be paid worth their societal value. It's diminishing to think otherwise.

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