Foreign veterinarians will be fast-tracked into Australia amid a shortage of vets that the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened. Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke confirmed on Saturday that vets would be added to the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List, which will allow them to enter Australia. At least 800 more veterinarians are needed nationwide to fill the gap caused by the puppy boom during the pandemic, according to Warwick Vale, the Australian Veterinary Association president. While Dr Vale welcomed the new policy change, he said there are deeper problems that had long been existing in the veterinary industry, such as low pay, overstress, and the depressing nature of the job itself. “When you couple that with a very acute shortage in the workforce, you end up with a huge problem,” Vale told The Sydney Morning Herald. “It’s been a long-standing problem in-country and regional areas, but since the COVID pressure, it …