Not One More Vet (now The Cost of Caring)

Welcome to the GoFundMe page for our documentary Not One More Vet (now The Cost of Caring). We are extremely blessed to be a part of a movement to stop the suicide in the veterinary community and we thank you for taking the time to view our trailer and pledge your support. Without your help, we can not raise awareness about this crisis by finishing the film and getting it out to the general public who often know very little about the tragedy that is happening in this industry.

Not One More Vet (now The Cost of Caring) is a documentary about the high incidence of veterinarian suicide rates in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Veterinary Medical Association published a joint study in the Jan. 1, 2019 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association indicating that veterinarians were more likely to die by suicide compared to the general U.S. population. Men were 2.1 times more likely and for women, it was worse at 3.5 times. The researchers cited multiple stressors that may play a role: the daily demands at work which include euthanizing pets, burnout, compassion fatigue, poor work-life balance, and being cyber bullied and vilified by pet owners for not meeting their expectations. 

This documentary will shed light on the issue by telling a story around several dramatic arcs: the mental health researchers and professionals aiming to help stop this crisis, the Not One More Vet organization, the family of a veterinarian who took their own life, a veterinarian who considered suicide, veterinary students who struggle with the stresses of graduation and placement specialization, and veterinarians and vet techs who are currently working in the field. This documentary hopes to inform and educate the public about suicide rates among veterinarians today and be a call to action to help prevent further loss of life in this profession.

To date, we have raised 20k in grants and personal funds to create a trailer that showcases our goal of making a completed feature length documentary. WE NEED YOUR HELP TO FINISH THE FILM! We have an excellent team in place that is driven to complete the film and bring this topic to the general population. We aim to get this film in major top-tier festivals and on streaming services in hopes to create effective change within our society for those who help us everyday with our beloved pets and to help fulfill Dr. Nicole McArthur's pie in the sky dream of losing NOT ONE MORE VET to suicide.

It is our goal as filmmakers to create a project that will help drive donations to the Not One More Vet Organization so they may continue to raise awareness, provide education and research on mental health and self-care in the veterinary industry, and supply grants and support for veterinarians in need. 

Please check out the trailer and donate today to help us finish the film. We are driven and dedicated to preventing more loss of life and to making the public aware of this devastating epidemic. With your support, we can help save lives and change the statistics in the veterinary industry.

Creative Team:

Marie Barnas - Executive Producer and Director

Marie has earned two M.F.A. degrees, first in Film Production from Ohio University and then in Creative Writing from Georgia College and State University. She teaches courses in scriptwriting and film and video production at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). Her professional interests include online education, study abroad, and documentary production. Her short films have won numerous domestic and international awards including Telly, Cindy, and Worldfest Houston among others. In 2014-15 she was awarded fellowships by The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, The International Radio and Television Society, and The National Association of Television Producers and Executives. She was awarded a second IRTS fellowship in 2018. Her last project, The Old Wood of Aviemore, won a prestigious Silver Telly award in June 2020.

Frank Barnas - Co-Executive Producer

Frank Barnas earned a Master of Fine Arts in Radio-TV-Film from the University of Texas, following graduate level productions in Antarctica, Central America, and across the United States. He teaches courses in scriptwriting and film and video production at MTSU. He is a three-time Fulbright Award recipient, has won multiple awards as a documentary film producer including Emmy, Cindy, Telly, and Worldfest Houston, and has authored seven textbooks.

Cacey Frazier - Associate Producer

After spending 6 years in restaurant management and then starting a family, Cacey found her home in veterinary management. For the last 8 years, she has managed Brogli, Lane, Weaver, and Alexander Animal Hospital mastering a whole new skill set in the veterinary industry while sharpening her leadership role. She is a voice and advocate for animal welfare in Middle Tennessee and her expertise in the day-to-day operations of the veterinary industry is essential to this production.

How can you help us make this film?

There are a few ways your donation will help us finish this project. Most of the funds will go toward further filming as we need to conduct more interviews and get footage inside other veterinary clinics. We aim to interview more veterinary support and office staff, front office workers, vet techs, vet assistants, and other veterinary professionals from diverse backgrounds. We also aim to interview other researchers, authors, advocates, and educators. Funds will cover the cost of filming plus travel for our team by paying crew, securing rights and clearances, paying for production and post-production facilities, obtaining archival footage and music, obtaining insurances, and other costs of production and post-production. We are doing everything we can to cut corners without losing production value, so your money is guaranteed to make an impact in getting this story told. First and foremost, THIS IS A PASSION PROJECT for our team, so we are not frivolously spending money on production costs that aren't necessary. Lastly, we are hoping to secure some initial funds for film finishing, marketing, and distribution. Though the majority of funds in this campaign will cover the cost of production, any funds that exceed our goal of 65k in this campaign will go towards post-production costs, film coloring, sound editing and mixing. 

Thank you for pledging your support for helping us finish this important and meaningful project and for donating today!