Since 2007, Lynne Scott has run a feral cat management program and kitten rescue in Winnipeg. Craig Street Cats provided shelter services and spay and neuter programs, but after losing their primary veterinarian during COVID-19, those programs had to be phased out.
“Unfortunately, we have not been able to find a vet to replace him. This means that we have to go to various clinics all over the city, and there has been no clinic that can absorb our workflow, which means that our programs basically don’t exist. We’re doing minimal space and neuters every year because we don’t have a vet.”
The need for veterinary services at Craig Street Cats follows a growing demand for veterinarians and veterinary technicians in Manitoba, particularly in rural areas. This issue is not unique to Manitoba, with a worldwide shortage of veterinary professionals affecting North America, Europe, and Australia.
Corey Wilson, the Executive Director/Registrar of the Manitoba Veterinary Medical Association, says several factors contribute to this crisis. A significant portion of the veterinary workforce is retiring, and the number of new graduates is insufficient to replace them.
“We know that we have about a 20 per cent occupancy rate, which means that we need about 20 per cent more veterinarians and veterinary technologists to meet current demand. This has been going on. We believe the shortage itself has been really more acutely felt since about 2020. We heard some anecdotal evidence, but the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association also did a study indicating a shortage and relay a projection of a lot more shortages in the years to come.”
In the Canadian Occupational Projection System, Canada is expected to have a shortage of veterinarians between 2022 and 2031. About 5,000 vet jobs will open during this time, but only around 4,300 people will be available to fill them.
“We have well more than 20 qualified applicants per year applying to become a veterinarian. So, we don’t see the larger issue being of interest. It’s actually the funding to get that education. And we have folks from Manitoba that we know go down to the Caribbean, go to Australia, or go to other programs where if they don’t get into the program here, they’re more than qualified to be veterinarians.”
Currently, students from Manitoba must train at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatchewan. While Manitoba recently increased its training seats by five, expanding capacity further requires significant investment in new facilities and staff.
“We just don’t have that infrastructure capacity and funding to train those folks right now. So, in the long term, we’re hoping that there will be more funding in that area.
Wilson says Manitoba is exploring alternative solutions to address the shortage more quickly, recruiting internationally trained veterinarians.
“So one of the, one of the approaches that we’re taking is we’re looking at internationally educated veterinarians and finding ways to bring them into Manitoba to practice, you know, ensuring that their safety and ensuring that they’re oriented to practice in Canada.”
Part of the approach involves training those with licenses outside of Canada to become specialists in swine health through an accelerated program. Wilson says they will then be able to return to Manitoba, providing much-needed support for the province’s agricultural industry.
While efforts are being made, the effects of the demand are being felt. Having to seek out other practices, Scott says Craig Street Cats has been paying five times what we were pre-COVID for basic spay, neuter, and wellness exams. Due to the increased overhead and medical costs, Scott says they’ve had to make the difficult decision of closing their adoption centre but will continue education and training programs and maintain their database.
“We estimate that those programs will need to continue for ten years beyond the closure of the adoption centre, after which Craig Street cats will cease to exist.”
– Ryan Funk, U Multicultural
