Help Wanted: Deerfield Animal Care Struggles To Fill Positions

DEERFIELD, IL — It seems like everyone is adopting a pet these days. During the coronavirus pandemic, many people have decided pet ownership is something they can pull off due to an increase in the amount of time being spent at home and a desire for the valuable companionship animals can provide, among other factors.

Kerry Ryan Morgan, marketing manager for The Pet Experts Veterinary Group, is looking for employees to meet the demand. The business runs the Deerfield Animal Care Center, along with other facilities, across Chicagoland.

"[A shortage of employees] definitely started during the pandemic. About a year ago, we were hiring and had all sorts of candidates," Morgan told Patch. "I'm not really sure what's happened, but I know it's universal. Everyone seems to be having the same problems. Now, we can't seem to find anybody."

Deerfield Animal Care Center is a full-service veterinary hospital for dogs and cats. The Pet Experts Veterinary Group has owned it for the past eight years, having acquired the property from a previous owner.

Last October, after a previous building on the site at 150 Waukegan Road was torn down, a new two-story building opened up. The Deerfield Animal Care Center features the latest in modern veterinary medicine, including advanced diagnostic equipment and a large indoor exercise and training area. Full-service care — which includes boarding, training, daycare and grooming — are all available.

"It was very exciting [to open the new building] especially considering most of the work wad done during COVID," Morgan said. "Nothing was easy, but it's beautiful."

In Deerfield, Dr. Kaitlyn Zebold has served as head doctor and partner since last year after six years as an associate at one of The Pet Experts Veterinary Group sister clinics, Elmhurst Animal Care Center. She is joined on the veterinary team by Dr. Sandra Faeh, Dr. Melissa Ford and Dr. James Harris.

Between the veterinarians, kennel staff, reception, trainers, technicians and a groomer, Morgan said the Deerfield Animal Care Center employs around 12 people, but more are desperately needed. She notes that though the employee shortage is definitely being felt across the pet industry, it's far from isolated to it.

"Anywhere you look now, I feel like that's all you see. Whether it's on Facebook or on store windows, everybody is hiring for all positions," Morgan said. "It's just crazy."

Morgan said a major reason businesses are struggling to find employees is that unemployed people often can make more money on government subsidies.

She said the company has worked on keeping the lines of communication more open between current staff, along with adding other incentives and perks, to ensure their well-being and overall happiness with the job. Morgan said this isn't the first time The Pet Experts Veterinary Group has experienced staffing needs, but it's never been to this extreme.

"We see a lot of people call up with interest in a position. They set up an interview and then never show up," Morgan said. "You never hear why. That's always a trick, and we never really understand that."

Morgan said that the company offers good health insurance benefits, a 401 (k) program, along with competitive pay, to full-time employees. She also said there has been a shortage of doctors in recent years.

In addition to financial challenges within the veterinary field, the demand for pet services is up. Inquires about pet adoptions increased 70 percent between March 2020 and March 2021, according to Petfinder.com, as reported last month by CNN. An American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals survey released in May showed that 90 percent of dogs and 85 percent of cats adopted during the pandemic were kept by their owners.

"No one is being nice. Everyone is demanding they be seen first. It's a lot for people to deal with," Morgan said. "It's not improving."

Morgan does admit things are better in Deerfield than at some other locations. She said clients there appreciate that the facility was built to avoid curbside only drop-offs, as is necessary at other locations, and COVID-19 protocols were put in place. Morgan said with a new building, it was essential to provide in-person care for clients that have never been inside or met with the veterinarians.

"Deerfield is kind of different from the rest of our clinics because it is newer and there are still people that don't know about them," Morgan said. "We can still accommodate more clients, but we definitely want to be able to keep [hiring] more staff, so we don't burn out the [current] staff."

The Deerfield Animal Care Center is hiring in all departments, including reception, kennel, veterinary assistants and groomers. For those interested, fill out a Contact Us form at deerfieldanimalcarecenter.com or send an email/resume to petcare@deerfieldanimalcarecenter.com.