Before they become veterinarians, they become loyal

Every successful brand understands something fundamental: the strongest customer relationships are not built only on products, pricing, or promotions. They are built on emotion. Trust. Shared purpose. Loyalty. The feeling that a company understands what matters most to you and your family.

Vet Set Go is large community dedicated to aspiring veterinarians. Through our educational resources and the Vet Volunteer app, we help students gain hands-on experience, track volunteer and shadowing hours, and prepare for future veterinary school applications. Today, more than 18,000 students have used the app to log nearly 700,000 hours of animal-care experience at over 8,000 clinics, shelters, farms, and other animal-care locations across North America.

Our recent national market research with more than 1000 US pet-owning families uncovered something far more powerful than we expected. The most important finding was not simply how many children want to become veterinarians. It was the emotional response families have toward companies that support those future veterinarians.

The data around emotional connection was one of the strongest findings in the study. Ninety-one percent of parents agreed with the statement: “If a company supports my future veterinarian with shadowing, mentoring, or educational programs, I feel a stronger emotional connection and loyalty to them.”

That emotional connection changes behavior in ways that directly impact business today. Parents report that pet care brands, veterinary hospitals, and companies supporting aspiring veterinarians are viewed as more trustworthy, more credible, more committed to animal health, and more community-focused. Eighty-eight percent of parents said they are likely to purchase from a company their child has shown interest in, while 64% said they have already chosen a brand, product, or veterinary hospital specifically because it supported their child’s veterinary interests.

This is the key takeaway from the research: supporting future veterinarians not only strengthens the future of the profession, it creates a deep emotional connection to your business that can last a lifetime. When you support students during the moments when they are nervous, inexperienced, and simply hoping someone gives them a chance, you become part of their story forever.

And this audience is substantial. In the United States alone, there are approximately 24.8 million children between the ages of 9 and 14,¹ and about two-thirds of households have at least one pet.² That translates to roughly 16.4 million pet-owning households with children in this age group. Within that population, 1 in 5 children (20%) have already expressed an interest in becoming a veterinarian.

What makes this group especially powerful is the intensity of their passion. In our research, 70% of parents reported that their child’s interest in becoming a veterinarian has grown even stronger over time. These are not passive interests. These students are actively pursuing their goals and families are deeply emotionally invested in helping them succeed.

Parents see this every day. These students spend time caring for pets, reading about animals, volunteering, shadowing veterinarians, and actively searching for ways to gain experience. In fact, 78% of aspiring veterinarians frequently participate in animal-related activities, while many families report struggling to find opportunities because of age restrictions or simply not knowing where to start.

What makes this especially meaningful is the emotional role parents play in supporting those dreams. Parents drive to volunteer sites. They help search for shadowing opportunities. They pay for camps, educational experiences, books, and programs. They celebrate milestones and achievements along the way. The dream of becoming a veterinarian often becomes something the entire family shares emotionally.

And when a company helps their child during that journey, families remember it.

This is not traditional advertising influence. This is emotional trust transferred through a child’s passion and a parent’s desire to support it.

That emotional connection creates measurable business outcomes. Parents report trying new brands, staying loyal longer, paying more for higher-quality products, and even switching veterinary hospitals because of their child’s connection to companies supporting future veterinarians.

Perhaps most importantly, these relationships do not disappear over time. Parents overwhelmingly believe their children will continue influencing pet-care decisions into adulthood and will remember the companies that supported them early in their journey.

Every future veterinarian starts somewhere. Usually quietly. Early mornings. After school. Weekends. Cleaning cages. Watching surgeries. Nervously walking into a clinic for the first time hoping someone gives them a chance.

When a company chooses to support them during those moments, it does something much bigger than create awareness.

It creates trust. Loyalty. Emotional connection. And business impact that begins today and can last for decades.

References

1. US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Annual Estimates of the Resident Population by Single Year of Age and Sex for the United States: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2024 (NC-EST2024-AGESEX-RES).
2. American Pet Products Association (APPA). 2025 National Pet Owners Survey (reported in the 2026 State of the Industry Report). APPA reports that approximately 95 million U.S. households own a pet, representing about 66% of households.