Potential loss of veterinary clinic in Thompson 'would be devastating to the north,' says pet owner

Pet owners in northern Manitoba face a dire reality: the only veterinary clinic in the city of Thompson may close, forcing them to make a long trip for animal care.

"We need services in the north," said Ainslee McLaughlin, a concerned pet owner in Thompson.

"It would be devastating to the north, travelling down a highway that is pretty long to get to any services."

Keri Hudson Reykdal, Thompson's only veterinarian, told city council in a Jan. 15 letter that she needs more staff to keep operating the North of 55 Veterinary Clinic. If she doesn't get help, services will be reduced and she could close the clinic in June, she told council.

Hudson Reykdal, who owns the clinic, came to the city in 2021. She initially worked alongside another veterinarian, but that vet left less than a year into the position.

As other staff, like registered veterinary technicians, left the clinic, Hudson Reykdal picked up the slack, but she says she's now been pushed to the limit.

She's from Ashern, Man. — over 500 kilometres south of Thompson — and her husband still lives there. She'd originally intended to stay in Thompson while the clinic got up and running, then leave it for her partner so she could return home.

But the departure of the other veterinarian has left her having to spend more time in Thompson than she'd expected.

Working on her own, "I'm doing what I can but, you know, it's not enough," said Hudson Reykdal.

That leaves people looking outside the city for vet care, sometimes at "other clinics that are already overworked and understaffed," she said.

"So it's just creating a trickle-down effect to the clinics in other parts of the province that are trying to pick up the slack."

X-ray and blood work services at the Thompson clinic will stop on Jan. 31.

Those are both services that McLaughlin says she used several times in the past few months.

She had to travel to Winnipeg over the holidays for emergency euthanasia for her cat, Ernie.

"It was on the 30th of December," she said. "Despite our best efforts and Dr. Keri's efforts, we had to take that trip."

McLaughlin said if the worst comes to pass and the Thompson clinic does close, she'd have to find a veterinarian to care for her remaining pets in Winnipeg — more than 650 kilometres to the south, as the crow flies.

She and others in Thompson have come together in the hopes of finding other options, like bringing in locums — medical specialists who fill a role temporarily — to provide the much-needed service.

"At the end of the day, we need services to help support our animals," she said. "It's not something we can do without."

'I'm giving everything I have'

The lack of support staff at the veterinary clinic has led Hudson Reykdal to refer multiple patients to Winnipeg.

"I would say we refer one to two patients a day down to Winnipeg for emergency services," she said.

Hudson Reykdal said she is committed to the northern community, but she needs assistance sooner rather than later.

"I'm frustrated," she said. "I'm giving everything I have, but it's never enough. It gets really disheartening because you're trying, but it's like a drop in the bucket compared to what's needed."

Thompson has "some really amazing pet owners," she said. 

"And I certainly don't want to leave them without veterinary care, but I need the support staff to be able to do that."

The City of Thompson has been in contact with Hudson Reykdal about the situtation dating back as far as last August.

Thompson city manager Anthony McInnis and Mayor Colleen Smook met with Hudson Reykdal, who hoped to bring in two veterinarians from Mexico to work in the city.

Those veterinarians had previously worked and studied in Canada, McInnis said in an email, and "they were qualified to work under her supervision until they obtained their Canadian accreditation."

McInnis said that he has been in contact with the office of provincial Immigration Minister Jon Reyes to discuss how to fast track getting the veterinarians to Thompson.

"They indicated that they were able to assist with all of the paperwork/processes, but needed names and particulars submitted to them" before they could start, McInnis said.

Hudson Reykdal said the two vets did end up coming to Manitoba, but did not have any of their paperwork in order, so they weren't able to work here. 

"There was nothing that could be done," she said.

Some southern Manitoba communities have also been exploring the option of bringing in qualified veterinarians displaced by the war in Ukraine, which is "another potential option for immigration to the north," said McInnis.

But at this point, he is not "anticipating any foreign veterinarian workers coming to Thompson" in the near future.

"The city can continue to advocate and facilitate," he said, "but we do not have the … expertise on vetting what staff are needed or which qualifications are appropriate for a veterinarian clinic."