Fourth-grade veterinary student Alexandra Ponkey inserted camera and surgical tools into the belly of a 2-year-old German shepherd.
On his final day as a student, Ponkey plays the role of an elementary surgeon as part of a laparoscopic program course to make the dogs radiate and remove ovaries. But before she could cross her graduation phase as a licensed veterinarian, she had to return to the operating room – this time as another student’s assistant working as an elementary surgeon.
Ponkey, 34, left her first career in teaching and training horse riding and caring to achieve her childhood dream of becoming a veterinarian. The hands-on course at the School of Veterinary Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona is the first step toward achieving this dream.
Today, her new skills are in high demand. As she entered the field, California and the rest of the country were experiencing a shortage of veterinary professionals, rising student debt and a surge in pet ownership stimulated by the pandemic, according to John Tegzes, dean of the Western University School of Veterinary Medicine.
Fourth-year student Alexandra Ponkey, second from left, second from right, second from right, second from right, second from right, during a laparoscopic surgery to spay dogs on May 9, 2025.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Recent Investigations Association for the prevention of cruelty to animals More than 344,000 sheltered animals in California were found to have insufficient access to veterinary care workers. According to the SPCA, around 60% of shelters statewide say they have unfilled veterinary positions and about 54% have unfilled veterinary technician positions.
The survey shows that lack of animal health care leads to overcrowding, an increase in pet disease and an increasing rate of adoptable animals euthanized. The survey shows that the shortage of veterinary doctors has also led to a lack of medical care for pet owners, which has led to more animals surrendering to shelters.
“The pandemic has indeed added to a crisis, which may have been brewing in the background for the past 20 to 40 years, but it has really accelerated when many newcomers adopt pets,” Tegzes said. “In Southern California, demand for veterinary services is starting to increase rapidly.”
Western University College of Veterinary Medicine is one of only two veterinary schools in California. There are 33 veterinary medical schools in the United States, and each school has a cap on admissions. For Western universities, the number of students who accept the four-year program is limited to 120, Tegzes said. Its 2025 graduating class will have 104 students entering the industry.
Tuition for Western college veterinary students costs about $67,000 per year, meaning most students who are about to graduate leave school with a lot of student debt. Another problem is that veterinarians have a high suicide rate.
The Center Dr Ohad Levi advises Western University veterinary students Anastassiya Kanterova and Alexandra Ponkey, PhD, who performed laparoscopic surgery on dogs in sterilization at the Veterinary School of Pomona on May 9, 2025.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
A 2019 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that suicide death is four times more likely than the general population. In an interview National Public Broadcastpsychologist Kerry Carafa attributes the high suicide rate in pet care to the balance of care they have to shoulder. The veterinarian needs not only care for the pet, but also the owner and himself.
“While social media can be a platform for education, community support and sharing positive stories, it’s also darker on one side,” Dr. Karen Lee, medical director of Inland Valley Humane Society said in an email. “In some cases, unsatisfied customers use these platforms to publicly attack veterinarians, sometimes triggering a virus rebound without being known.”
Amber Elalem, a 30-year-old second-year veterinary student, is well aware of the stresses that a job brings, which often leads to a pet’s life or death decision.
“You have to understand that you’re going to be in a late night industry and you’re going to work longer,” Elalam said. “You’re going to do these things that will tax you, but at the same time, you also need to make sure you take a little time for yourself, too.
As pet ownership increases, owners are willing to spend on pet care. This makes investments in veterinary medicine very popular, according to a report from the Atlantic. The company-owned clinics view pet care as a viable source of income, resulting in higher access prices. Mars Inc., the manufacturer of Skittles and Snickers Candies, is the largest owner of independent veterinary clinics in the country, operating over 2,000 facilities according to the Atlantic Report.
When her 5-year-old Chihuahua Shrek fell ill, Alejandra Cervantes, an operations assistant at Western University, said it was difficult to find affordable care and meet her standards.
“Trying to navigate the search [an affordable veterinarian] It took a while. Cervantes said, holding Shrek in a coffee shop in Pomona.
As a student, Ponkey hasn't felt that she said she might face too much pressure when she becomes a professional veterinarian. For now, even if she relaxes outside of class, she loves being around animals. She also made sure to surround her with a group of mentors who could help her manipulate through many obstacles to veterinary medicine and human interaction.
“I think the students who struggle when they get into practice will live some life beforehand,” Ponkey said. “I find that people are not necessarily the scientific and knowledge bases people struggle with.”
Western third-grade veterinary student Seza Boyajian checked Olivia's breathing on May 9, 2025 as she prepared her laparoscopic spacing for her fourth-grade students.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Pangki plans to specialize in surgery after completing her veterinary school, which will require her to work in the hospital. The hospital interns pay a far lower salary than a fledgling veterinarian, but she noted that she had paid off her undergraduate fees with her professional equestrian athlete.
“I think when your funds are used to your education, I think you might be more willing to have a view on how happy I am in this profession.”
