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Sophie’s Legacy’s LOST campaign saw posters with the title “LOST” and a photo of Dr Sophie Putland – a veterinarian who took her life in 2021 - plastered on the back of buses, on billboards and handed out in busy public areas throughout metropolitan and regional Australia, in an effort to “help save the people who save our animals”.
The campaign asked everyday people to sign a petition to lobby for legislative changes to improve workplace health standards to protect veterinary professionals.
The charity needed 10,000 signatures to officially table the petition to the South Australian Parliament – and just eight weeks into the campaign, that target has been reached.
Vets and vet staff are four times more likely to die by suicide than people employed in other professions, Sophie’s Dad and co-founder of Sophie’s Legacy, Garry Putland said.
Sophie’s Legacy was founded by the family of Dr Sophie Putland, a young Melbourne based vet who died by suicide in 2021, shortly after she was verbally abused by an angry pet owner.
Garry and Kate Putland, and Sophie’s brothers Tom and Oliver, established the charity in 2022 after surveying vets, vet nurses and other veterinary staf to find out what needed to be done to address the mental health crisis within the profession.
“The results were so shocking – we heard from about 600 people working in the field and far too many reported being subjected to regular client abuse by pet owners,” Garry said.
“Vets like Sophie get into the profession because of their love for animals and their compassion for them and since Sophie’s death, we have been shocked by just how widespread the problem is and the horrific toll it is taking,” Mr Putland said.
The survey results prompted Sophie’s Legacy to develop the award winning “We’re Only Human” national awareness campaign in 2023 – which saw thousands of posters sent to every vet clinic in Australia.
Mr Putland said his family and the charity’s volunteers were grateful to the public for signing the petition and encouraged others to do so.
“We are so incredibly thankful to our supporters who are helping us shine a light on this issue. Sophie’s Legacy is quite literally saving the lives of the people who save our animals.”
Mr Putland said the LOST campaign is confronting, but necessary.
“It looks like a lost pet poster that you might see on a bus stop or at the shops, but tragically it’s a lost vets poster, with information about the suicide and mental health crisis within the profession,” Mr Putland said.
Mr Putland said though he and his family continue to endure immense grief, they are determined to lobby governments at all levels - and the industry itself - to enact life- saving changes.
“Pets are like family and when a family member is sick, emotions run high.
There is no Medicare for pets – like there is for us humans - and that often results in bill shock which can lead to client abuse.
The veterinary profession needs a major overhaul to address these stresses, as well as others that are brought on by unrealistic treatment time targets at some clinics and excessive hours.
We just know that we have to keep going for Sophie and for all of the current and future vets of Australia.
The veterinarian profession is truly wonderful and we want to make huge changes, so those who are already in the job stay well and stay in it.
“Sophie’s Legacy also wants to make sure young people who want to work in the veterinary profession actually pursue it, with the knowledge that they will be cared for just as much as we care for our animals,” Mr Putland said.
The charity needed 10,000 signatures to officially table the petition to the South Australian Parliament – and just eight weeks into the campaign, that target has been reached.
Vets and vet staff are four times more likely to die by suicide than people employed in other professions, Sophie’s Dad and co-founder of Sophie’s Legacy, Garry Putland said.
Sophie’s Legacy was founded by the family of Dr Sophie Putland, a young Melbourne based vet who died by suicide in 2021, shortly after she was verbally abused by an angry pet owner.
Garry and Kate Putland, and Sophie’s brothers Tom and Oliver, established the charity in 2022 after surveying vets, vet nurses and other veterinary staf to find out what needed to be done to address the mental health crisis within the profession.
“The results were so shocking – we heard from about 600 people working in the field and far too many reported being subjected to regular client abuse by pet owners,” Garry said.
“Vets like Sophie get into the profession because of their love for animals and their compassion for them and since Sophie’s death, we have been shocked by just how widespread the problem is and the horrific toll it is taking,” Mr Putland said.
Mr Putland said his family and the charity’s volunteers were grateful to the public for signing the petition and encouraged others to do so.
“We are so incredibly thankful to our supporters who are helping us shine a light on this issue. Sophie’s Legacy is quite literally saving the lives of the people who save our animals.”
Mr Putland said the LOST campaign is confronting, but necessary.
“It looks like a lost pet poster that you might see on a bus stop or at the shops, but tragically it’s a lost vets poster, with information about the suicide and mental health crisis within the profession,” Mr Putland said.
Mr Putland said though he and his family continue to endure immense grief, they are determined to lobby governments at all levels - and the industry itself - to enact life- saving changes.
“Veterinary professionals need greater support to deal with what is a highly emotional workplace.”
There is no Medicare for pets – like there is for us humans - and that often results in bill shock which can lead to client abuse.
The veterinary profession needs a major overhaul to address these stresses, as well as others that are brought on by unrealistic treatment time targets at some clinics and excessive hours.
We just know that we have to keep going for Sophie and for all of the current and future vets of Australia.
The veterinarian profession is truly wonderful and we want to make huge changes, so those who are already in the job stay well and stay in it.
“Sophie’s Legacy also wants to make sure young people who want to work in the veterinary profession actually pursue it, with the knowledge that they will be cared for just as much as we care for our animals,” Mr Putland said.
You can follow Sophie's Legacy on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SophiesLegacyAustralia and @sophies.legacy on Instagram.
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