THE CENTRE HOSPITALIER UNIVERSITAIRE VÉTÉRINAIRE RECEIVES A $35 000 GRANT FROM PETSMART CHARITIES® OF CANADA TO HELP PROVIDE VETERINARY CARE CLINICS TO PET PARENTS IN NEED WHILE TRAINING THE VETERINARIANS OF TOMORROW

The shelter of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vétérinaire of the Université de Montréal just received a financial boost thanks to one of Canada’s leading funders of animal welfare.  PetSmart Charities of Canada has provided a $35,000 grant to support the training and education of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) candidates while also offering a telemedicine service as well as low- to no-cost veterinary care to pets in indigenous communities of northern Quebec.

This initiative will allow hundreds of students to gain practical experience in veterinary medicine during the 2019-2020 school year, while also providing much needed veterinary care to the pets of people who may experience challenges accessing vet care or paying for the high costs associated with care delivered in a traditional setting. All pet care clinics are offered under the expert guidance of professional veterinarians and university professors.

Across the country, PetSmart Charities of Canada has provided nearly $150,000 in support to some of the nation’s foremost veterinary schools. The grants all support similar initiatives that enhance the practical experience of future veterinarians while also improving access to high-quality wellness services and medical care for pets. These low-cost pop-up clinics, placed in communities where they are needed most, can help reduce barriers pet parents may face due to language/translation challenges, socio-economic status or access to pet-friendly transportation.

“At PetSmart Charities of Canada, we believe that all pet parents want to provide the very best care to their pets, and we want to help them access that care,” says Dani LaGiglia, regional relationship manager at the national pet charity. “At the same time, we know that students pursue a career in veterinary medicine because they want to help all pets in need. Grants like this one enable us to bring those two principles together by funding community veterinary clinics that will help pets and pet parents to live their healthiest, happiest lives together.”