Push on to recruit large-animal vet here

 The agricultural community in Rainy River District is in need of a large-animal veterinarian and a campaign recently was initiated to recruit one.
    Rural Agriculture co-ordinator Jeannette Cawston, with support from the local Vet Service Committee, developed a brochure and a recruitment package to showcase the district and lure the attention of any interested candidates.
    The packages and brochures provide information about the agriculture community and the district, as well as contact numbers and an idea of the potential of their service.
    There currently are 230 livestock farms operating in the area, with more than 25,000 cattle and 1,200 horses.
    The brochures have been distributed Canada-wide to four veterinary colleges, producers, and agriculture magazines.
    “It’s a crisis—it really is,” stressed Cawston, who is sitting on a recruitment committee with Angela Halvorsen and Jo Woolsey.
    “Getting a veterinarian was a need that was identified as soon as I started [in April],” she added.
    Cawston noted it’s been about six months since the area has had a large-animal veterinarian, and that local farmers have had to become skilled and innovative in dealing with their sick animals in this absence.
    “[The farmers] somewhat have been coasting along and it’s because we’ve trained ourselves since we’ve had no choice,” said Kim Jo Bliss, a producer and member of the Vet Service Committee.
    She indicated the committee has been doing what it can with the resources it has.
    Veterinarian Dr. Stacey Angus, a former district resident, has been coming to the area once a month to provide services while Dr. Dan Pierroz in Fort Frances has had his locum visit four times a year to lend assistance.
    In addition, a veterinarian from Dryden also has offered help over the phone and whenever possible.
    “But emergency services is where we’re doing without,” Cawston remarked.
    “We just need someone here pretty much 365 days a year—we’re just not there yet,” said Bliss, stressing a large-animal veterinarian is needed especially during calving season for beef farmers.
    As well, she said people with horses require a veterinarian often as the animals are almost like pets to the owners.
    Meanwhile, she said local dairy farmers have been going without herd health checks because of the absence of the service.
    Cawston noted the issue of seeking a veterinarian is not unique to Rainy River District.
    “They are having problems throughout Canada,” she said, having made the discovery from her research. “Many communities are looking for vet services. We just can’t seem to get enough veterinarians. . . .
    “The community is going to have to get really creative and innovative in order to bring them to the district,” Cawston added.
    She said recruiting a veterinarian to this area is all about finding the right person. For example, someone who likes to spend time outdoors in their spare time might really enjoy living in Rainy River District.
    “It’s about the quality of life. A lot of people don’t want to work 12 hours every day,” Cawston remarked, noting that is where there could be an opportunity for partnership, perhaps with two veterinarians coming into the area and sharing the workload.
    “If we find someone who wants to come and probably not work real steady during these months and go camping or fishing, this is a great place to be,” echoed Bliss.
    “They just might have to hit it a bit harder at other times of the year.”
    Cawston also suggested looking for a retired veterinarian who would want to come to the district and offer some services, as well as be a mentor to a more inexperienced one.
    “We’re doing everything we possibly can—starting with aggressively sending out the brochure,” she stressed.
    Cawston has been asking anyone who has additional ideas on how to recruit veterinarians to the area to contact her at 482-3983, as well as anyone who may have relatives interested in veterinarian practices.
    “I believe it’s going to work out,” Bliss said. “There’s somebody out there who wants to be here—we just haven’t connected yet.”
(Fort Frances Times)