Arnprior, Ont. animal hospital loses veterinarian
An Arnprior veterinary clinic is unable to care for pets for the next month after losing its veterinarian.
On July 20, Gillies Grove Animal Hospital posted on social media that they could no longer provide medical examinations beginning Aug. 1. The statement reads in full:
"Due to staff shortages and decreased veterinarian availability, we will no longer be booking any examinations starting August 1. We are working on finding a solution and will communicate any further availability once known. We will continue to be open for all food and prescription orders, including any refills for tick and flea preventatives. For medication refills, please give our team 48-72 hours notice. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your ongoing support."
McNab/Braeside resident Kieran Green has three pets - a dog and two cats - registered at Gillies Grove Animal Hospital, and has been attending the clinic for 10 years.
Green says he learned of the news when he visited his vet in July.
"In the course of the conversation she says, 'Oh, by the way, at the end of next week I'm leaving," recalls Green.
"And this was a shock; nobody had told us. We had received no information that we were basically losing the vet."
With only one other veterinarian practice in Arnprior, Green is worried about potentially securing a spot at a new clinic for his pets and the distance he may have to travel to do it.
"If something goes wrong, we don't know who we're going to have to turn to."
In a statement to CTV News, VetStrategy, the company that owns Gillies Grove Animal Hospital, said a part-time veterinarian would be available to help support the location starting in September.
The impact of just one veterinarian leaving the community highlights the shortage of vets across the province.
"The challenges that we're seeing and hearing about in human medicine are certainly mirrored in veterinary medicine," said Dr. Albert Wimmer, past president of the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association.
"We've got increased workload, more patients than ever," Wimmer says. "The last two and a half years have not been kind to veterinary medicine as a whole."
The impact of having a veterinarian leave a community could result in upwards of 2,000 pets left without care, according to Wimmer.
His advice is not to wait until a situation becomes bad before seeking out a new vet.
"Just start calling around, talk to friends, see if you can develop a relationship with another clinic."
Green is unsure whether he should look for a new clinic for his pets or take the risk of waiting and having other spots fill up.
"Should we be going and looking for a new vet right now or should we be hanging on? We just don't know."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
New Norad commander calls Canada's defence policy update 'very encouraging'
American troops will be spending more time training in the Far North, the new commander of Norad says, a strategy that fits 'hand-in-glove' with Canada's renewed focus on Arctic defence.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.