Veterinary Industry Demand & Shortage - US households own more pets than ever, leading to a vet shortage [1] - The number of vets needs to increase by nearly 40% in 5 years to meet demand [1] AI-Powered Solutions & Innovation - Rue, an AI-powered marketplace, connects animal hospitals with freelance vet workers, departing from the traditional staffing model [2] - Rue's AI sets prices to maximize veterinarian earnings and shift coverage [2] - Covet, another AI tool, automates admin work, improving efficiency [3] - AI-powered stethoscopes improve the accuracy of readings [3] - Rapid Read uses AI to improve imaging, enabling X-rays and ultrasounds to be read in minutes instead of hours or days [4] Impact & Concerns of AI Adoption - AI software helps veterinarians avoid staying late at the clinic, saving approximately 1 to 15 hours [4] - Concerns exist about AI potentially leading to practices seeing an extreme volume of patients with minimal individual attention, which could be detrimental to the industry [5]