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‘Nobody is applying’ veterinarian shortage impacting local animal shelters, clinics

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A desire for companionship to help battle loneliness and isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in pet adoption.

Last year, the Ontario SPCA said nearly three in 10 Canadians adopted a pet during the pandemic.

With that increase in ownership, comes a higher demand for veterinary services.

Some local clinics say burnout from long hours is causing staff shortages and putting immense pressure on the industry.

Kevin Strooband, Executive Director at the Lincoln County Humane Society, says there has been a lack of qualified candidates to help fill positions.

“We operate a full-service vet clinic here at the humane society, one of two in the province of Ontario. We are looking for veterinarians to hire. We have two on staff and I’d like to hire two more,” said Strooband. “Nobody is applying.”

Another local clinic said they had a position posted that paid $130,000 per year with no evening or weekend work but no one applied.

Aleasha Nimec is a registered vet tech at Hamilton Region Emergency Veterinary Clinic. She says there just aren’t enough veterinarians or techs to go around.

“There’s such a shortage of vets that, even here, if we don’t have a vet on, we have to give other recommendations to other places for people to go. Sending them to the other side of Toronto sometimes, or even past London,” Nimec said,

Staff at the clinic say stress in their profession is so high that thoughts of suicide, and suicide rates are going up.

“It’s not all about playing with puppies and kittens all day,” said Nimec. “It’s just so stressful.”

Strooband says when schools shut down during the pandemic last year it also impacted the number of vets graduating that would be able to fill the void.