MADISON, Wis. — Hearts are heavy in the Dane County veterinary community after the death of one of their own.

What You Need To Know

  • A 2018 CDC Study found male veterinarians twice as likely as the general population to end their lives, female vets, three and a half times as likely

  • A GoFundMe established to help his fiancée pay for debt and other expenses associated with the death

UW Madison Vet Dr. Josh Smith took his life earlier this month. Sadly, close friends say they never saw it coming.  

VCA Veterinary Emergency Services of Middleton’s Dr. Kai-biu Shiu brought Dr. Smith to Madison after the top vet trained at Cornell.  He says this terrible outcome is becoming more and more of a problem for the profession.

"One in six veterinarians have considered suicide," Shiu said. "The research has been done in over the last 10 or 20 years and I think every veterinarian who's been out in practice for five or 10 years is probably knows of a handful of people that have lost their lives in this way.

A 2018 CDC study confirms Dr. Shiu's account. It found male veterinarians twice as likely as the general population to end their lives.  And female vets, three and a half times as likely.

With the family's blessing, the national non-profit Not One More Vet’s Vice President Carrie Jurney highlighting Dr. Smith’s story.

“You know, I'm grateful to his family for, for being brave. You know I think there's still a lot of stigma around talking about suicide,’ Dr. Jung said.

She hopes the awareness helps the online vet community understand the triggers — while offering support through safe channels.  

She says rapid access to drugs, bullying and a litany of other issues can impact veterinarian's lives.

In Dr. Smith’s case, Dr. Shiu wonders if the stress of his upcoming nuptials and debt from years of specialty training played roles in his untimely death.

"He did about five years of training, where his income was was less than $40,000 and saddled that was with six figure debt. It's really hard to dig out from," Dr. Shiu said.

It's, in part, the reason a new GoFundMe page now set up for his fiance, as she takes on the burden of paying down the home mortgage.

"We all just need to take care of each other," Dr. Shiu said about the unfortunate situation.

Meanwhile, Dr. Shiu's practice providing a quiet place for honoring  Dr. Smith’s memory. The meditation room also offering additional pamphlets on suicide prevention.

If you or a loved one need help, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention line — that number 1-800- 273-TALK.

You can learn more about how to support Dr. Smith’s fiancé here.

Those struggling with their mental health can text HOPELINE to 741-741. Those in Spanish-speaking communities can contact Nacional de Prevención del Suicidio at 1-888-628-9454.