Pet Owners Are Diverse, but Veterinarians Are Overwhelmingly White. Black Veterinarians Want to Change That

Pet Owners Are Diverse, but Veterinarians Are Overwhelmingly White. Black Veterinarians Want to Change That

As a child, Tierra Price was mesmerized by Dr. Dolittle, portrayed by Eddie Murphy in the 1998 film“”not only because he could talk to dogs and sad circus tigers, but because he was a person of color who treated animals. "That resonated deeply with me,“ says Price, who wore an oversized white coat and carried around a stuffed Dalmatian for her first-grade career day. "I grew up thinking that I was going to be one of the first Black veterinarians because I had never seen any,“ says Price, now 26.



There were no Black doctors at vet clinics near her Louisville, Ky. home or at the local animal shelter where she volunteered. Price didn't see her first real Black veterinarian until she was 19 and participating in a