<p>Probably for the same reason why there aren’t enough doctors to go around.</p>
<p>(It’s way more complicated than simply increasing the number of slots. Federal budgeteering and federal educational reimbursement levels, state autonomy, state funding support levels–and the case of doctors the shortage of available residency slots even if the number of med school grads increases.)</p>
<p>There’s also a whole lots of vets who can’t find jobs in urban/suburban areas but who don’t have large animal expertise so they would be able to work in underserved areas. I personally know of 3 or 4 new vet grads who can’t find full-time permanent employment in the small animal care.</p>