It’s been more than a year since the city of Rochester started seeking a permanent veterinarian for its animal shelter. They have not found a single candidate.
The city began its search for a new vet in Spring 2024, casting a nationwide net for qualified applicants. The previous vet, Kristen Braitkrus, left the organization in May of that year, after just nine months on the job. And the city has failed to get any viable candidates since. The sole applicant — a veterinarian from the South — withdrew.
Now, the city is looking to significantly increase the per diem rate for a part-time veterinarian as officials assess how to address the situation in the long-term.
“You see cases that are much more acute than you would in private practice, because everything that comes through our doors is coming through our doors because it's got no other choice,” said Staci Papadoplos, the shelter’s executive director.
“Just the sheer volume of animals and the acute medical needs of these animals, and the stress of being the sole doctor, there's all of these things that come into play in shelter medicine that we don't necessarily see in private practice,” she said.
The city has been relying on per diem vet services from local veterinarians, including Lollypop Farm doctor Nancy Filiaci. This month, the Rochester City Council will vote on upping the funding for Filiaci’s per diem contract by $120,500, to $140,000 annually. Of that funding, $100,000 will be sourced from the city’s Animal Services Gift Fund.
Filiaci has provided veterinarian services to Rochester Animal Services for about nine years.
“The additional funds will allow needed veterinary services to be provided via per diem veterinarian contract,” the legislation reads. “These services include surgeries, vaccine administration, and general wellness checks and diagnostics for our sick and injured animals.”
According to Rochester Animal Service’s annual report for the 2025 fiscal year, ending June 30, the shelter took in a total of 3,278 animals, including 1,217 cats and 2,061 dogs. Of those, 1,543 were adopted, and 544 were euthanized, including 114 healthy animals. A portion of those euthanizations were requested by the owner.
Papadoplos described the environment for a shelter vet as uniquely stressful, prompting most veterinarians to seek employment in private practice.
It’s also a matter of money.
“When you go and just do a quick search on open positions in private practice, they're paying way more money, and they're offering $50,000 sign-on bonuses,” she said. “That's just not something that any shelter, whether you're municipal or nonprofit, is going to be able to do.”
The city is offering between $114,002 and $121,517 annually for its shelter veterinarian. The federal Bureau of Labor statistics says the median salary for a veterinarian is $125,510 per year.
The disparate employment scenarios are evident in studies assessing the job outlook. An October 2024 study commissioned by the American Veterinary Medical Association found that U.S. veterinary colleges were meeting demand for private veterinary practices based on economic trends.
Another study, published in the same month, focused on municipal and nonprofit animal shelters. It found nearly three-quarters of the 179 surveyed were understaffed for both veterinarians and veterinary support staff. The study was published in the Journal of Shelter Medicine and Community Animal Health.
“This study highlights the critical impact of severe veterinary workforce shortages on nonprofit organizations responsible for medical care for the most vulnerable cats and dogs,” the study’s conclusion reads. “These shortages pose substantial risks to animal welfare, the human-animal bond, and public health.”
The extended per diem contract with Filiaci would allow for four years of optional renewals while the city continues to search for a veterinarian.
Papadoplos took over shelter leadership in September 2024, following the resignation of longtime director Chris Fitzgerald. She formerly served as director of operations for the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, overseeing shelters in Philadelphia, Danville, Lancaster, and Phoenixville.
Papadoplos acknowledged the many hurdles of the job of a shelter vet: it’s stressful, emotionally taxing, and doesn’t pay as well as the private practice.
She also said for the right person, nothing can replace it.
“I’d have it no other way,” she said. “I've done this for 25 years. I can't imagine doing anything else.”
