Northern Manitoba vet shortage leaves animals out in the cold

Northern Manitoba's biggest city will be ringing in the new year with the closure of its only veterinary clinic.

Keri Hudson Reykdal will be closing the doors of her North of 55 Veterinary Services in Thompson, Man., on Dec. 31. Hudson Reykdal, the city's only veterinarian, says she has been planning to leave the city for the last two years so she can move home to Ashern.

Since she made the announcement, recruitment efforts have failed to secure a new vet to take her place.

Hudson Reykdal currently has more than 5,300 patients and sees around 400 animals a month. She says the community will be scrambling for care once her doors close.

"There will be a crisis," she said. "I'm hoping at that point it's going to create more spur to either get a vet that's like, 'OK, I gotta go help,' or the city to say this is now our problem … or the community to come together and find a solution."

Hudson Reykdal is working with Northern Pet Care — a non-profit group trying to recruit veterinarians to work in Thompson. She says they need at least two vets in the community.

Thompson resident Erica Massart doesn't want to think about what might happen if her dog Petra needs vet care in the future.

"It's just terrifying to think that part of your family may not have health care," she says. "That's an unfortunate and very sad thing."

Northern Pet Care chair Sarah Driediger says her dog Hero has multiple health issues and needs consistent vet care. She says Hudson Reykdal was a lifesaver when she came to the community four years ago because she offered stability.

Northern Pet Care formed two years ago to help with vet recruitment. Driediger said they want to find a long-term solution to ensure animals in the north get the care they need.

"We're all fighting ... we all have pets, we're all terrified of what it could be without having regular vet care," Driediger said.

Northern Pet Care needs a head vet to purchase and run any clinic that opens with the option of bringing in locums to fill any service gaps. The group wants to run as much of the business as they legally can by helping with recruitment and operations so vets can focus on animal care.

They also need to fundraise to the tune of at least $1.5 million, Driediger said. One of their goals is to buy the building and the equipment at North of 55 to make it easier to recruit.

Another long-term plan is to create a fund offering scholarships and grants for veterinary programming to help train people from the community to work for the community.