The Dog is a 12-minute film that underscores the often-unspoken challenges and mental health struggles faced by those in the veterinary profession. It specifically highlights and portrays in one vet’s story the alarming global issue of high suicide rates within the field. Starring Kate Walsh, known for playing the recurring character Dr. Addison Montgomery on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, the film unfolds at a 24-hour vet clinic. Fatigued vet Claire grapples with the pressures of the shift. As her emotional state wanes, she is introduced to a dog with an unsettling request, pushing Claire to face both ethical dilemmas and her mental health struggle.

The intention of the film is to:

• Raise a widespread awareness for the issue of mental wellbeing in the veterinary profession through a strategic release targeting mainstream public audiences and private vet industry workplace and community screening events.
• Offer the vet industry an accessible film and educational resource to facilitate open discussions around mental wellbeing.
• Compliment current resources being delivered in this space through its accessibility and familiar storytelling format.
• Encourage the general population to have more empathy for their vets and to support those who may need help.

The discussion/Q&A will be led by:

1. Dave Shuey, LMSW, DMA, IndeVets’ Veterinary Social Worker and retired Registered Veterinary Technician
2. Danielle Baynes – The Dog writer, director, producer
3. Dr. Brian Bourquin, DVM, President, Not One More Vet, Practicing vet and clinic owner
4. Dr. Marisa Brunetti, VMD, Chief Veterinary Officer, IndeVets

Attendees can expect to take away:

• Appreciation of the link between euthanasia and veterinary suicide
• That suicidal thoughts are only dangerous when they are unmentionable
• That death is not the only answer to suffering
• That relationships make the difference

The Dog was written, directed, and produced by Danielle Baynes, an award-winning actor, writer, and director based in Sydney, Australia. No stranger to socially charged topics, Baynes previously released another short film, Comments, that won several awards including the Audience Award at Freshflix Film Festival 2022 and was launched as a social impact campaign in support of the National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence. It is now used in schools around the world as a visceral education tool on the impact of cyberbullying. Veterinary staffing company IndeVets is a sponsor of the film.