The Arctic Has a Vet Problem
Airlifting a pet south for surgery can cost thousands of dollars, money most Iqaluit residents simply don’t have. For years, that meant animals in Canada’s North went without the care they needed. But a team of volunteers from Almonte, Ontario has been helping change that, one trip at a time.
Two veterinarians and two veterinary technicians from Mississippi Mills Animal Hospital recently spent eight days in Iqaluit, treating approximately 60 patients, dogs, cats, and everything in between, from morning until evening, six days straight.
Spays, Neuters, and Emergency C-Sections
The Iqaluit Animal Hospital can handle the basics: vaccinations, minor wound care, routine checkups. But the moment a case requires surgery, residents are stuck. The visiting Almonte team filled that gap, performing spays, neuters, and more complex procedures. At one point, they were called in for an emergency cesarean section on a pregnant dog.
“We tried to do as many as possible with our time there,” said veterinary technician Keira Fuchs.
The logistics are no small feat. Nunavut Animal Rescue covers the cost of volunteer flights and helps house visiting teams. Local volunteers pitch in to clean equipment, feed animals post-surgery, and keep operations running smoothly.
A City-Sized Problem, A Small-Town Solution
Iqaluit is Nunavut’s capital and largest community, with a sizeable and beloved dog population. But despite that, the city has no permanent, full-time veterinarian. Teams like the one from Almonte visit roughly every one to two months, though gaps sometimes stretch longer when schedules don’t align.
The hospital has been actively trying to recruit a full-time vet to relocate north, but the remote posting has proven difficult to fill. Until that changes, visiting teams remain the backbone of animal healthcare in the territory.
Why It Matters
For many Northern families, pets aren’t just animals, they’re emotional lifelines and working companions. Sled dogs are part of the cultural fabric of Inuit life, and family pets provide the same comfort and companionship they do anywhere in Canada.
When those animals get sick and there’s no local option, owners face an impossible choice: spend money they don’t have, let the animal suffer, or give it up. The visiting vets from Almonte are quietly closing that gap, trip by trip.
Source: CBC News
