While he may not have always dreamed of becoming a veterinarian, Dr. Doug Veldhuisen has always had a passion for the people and animals of Fort Frances. Those two things have combined to set Veldhuisen on a career path that has been far more exciting and rewarding than he could have ever anticipated.
“It is, in some ways, a lifestyle,” said Veldhuisen, known throughout the region as Dr. Doug. “Every day is different. It’s never boring.”
Now a valued member of the team at Nor-West Animal Clinic, Veldhuisen’s interest in animals was sparked during his childhood in Fort Frances, though becoming a vet seemed a pretty big challenge – maybe one that was out of reach.
“I wasn’t growing up always thinking I was going to be a vet,” Veldhuisen said. “Growing up on the farm, I always thought, ‘Hey! That would be super cool.’ But it seemed really daunting to do that much university.”
Fortunately, for Veldhuisen, he had some pretty strong support close to home.
“I think it started with my dad [Gerald Veldhuisen] encouraging me to be a vet,” Veldhuisen said. “It’s something he had himself considered. He was really good with horses and really good with animals in general. I think he wasn’t passionate about the school side of things, and maybe he saw something in me that I could go the distance, or at least encouraged me to check it out. I guess growing up on a farm, too, there was plenty of exposure to animals.”
Inspired by his father’s encouragement, as a teenager he began to shadow local veterinarians on farm calls, gaining mentors as he went. “In high school, I actually had the opportunity to shadow Dr. Dan [Pierroz] in the clinic, and then I went out on a couple of farm calls with Dr. Blair Simonson,” Veldhuisen said.
There were moments that brought to mind James Herriott’s British veterinarian story All Creatures Great and Small (so beloved it has twice been turned in a TV series) which helped him find the romance of the occupation, Veldhuisen said.
“There was a cool moment when we went out to see [the late local vet] Lloyd Wieringa when I was in high school,” Veldhuisen said. “He practised years ago in this area, and he told some neat stories about some of the farm calls he had. It sounded very James Herriot-esque, something that was pretty appealing to me at that time.”
While Veldhuisen still wasn’t confident that the life of a rural vet was for him – or that he had what it took to get there – eventually it became an inevitability.
“There wasn’t one day where it’s like, ‘I’ve got to be a vet!’” Veldhuisen said. “But as time went on, I didn’t honestly have a Plan B. I guess I’m a pretty determined guy. I didn’t have a plan, so it felt good to just have something to pursue. It wasn’t until I was in university with an open mind, trying some biology courses. Doing fairly well, I could see myself getting a biology degree. Once I started, it was like, ‘Hey, I actually did pretty well on that course!'”
Realizing his aspirations weren’t as unattainable as he once thought, Veldhuisen went all-in on becoming a veterinarian.
“I don’t think I ever wanted to be a medical doctor. I actually had some friends in university, and a lot of my study buddies were doing biology in pursuit of a medical degree or to become a physician assistant,” Veldhuisen said. “Once I had to pick an application for my degree, I was like, ‘Let’s do that. [Let’s do vet medicine.]'”
And he did, graduating with a degree in veterinary medicine in May of 2020. While Veldhuisen had plenty of support from local veterinarians in his youth, one of his teachers, Dr. Fritz Schumann, stuck out during his training because he added some amusement to the grind of being a veterinarian.
“I got a kick out of doing field service with him,” Veldhuisen said. “I call probably just about every month, just to see how he’s doing.”
With his training complete, Veldhuisen’s next big decision was where to apply his newly attained skills and love for animals. It was a no-brainer, said Veldhuisen – he came home.
“I always had a mind to move back to this area, and so I was exploring different options with a biology degree,” he said. “I think it was kind of perfect. Being a vet was a good combination of my interest in science, my familiarity and interest in animals, and the ability to use that all in a rural area. It’s a need-based career. We need vets here.”
Since joining Nor-west Animal Clinic in Fort Frances, he has been motivated by a job well done and his clients’ gratitude.
“I grew up here, and I’m passionate about the people and the animals around here,” said Veldhuisen, who is now raising his own family in the place he loves – when he’s not treating sick animals, he enjoys playing sports or getting out on Rainy Lake with his son.
“My son really likes sports, and I grew up liking sports, so we like to play soccer and a little bit of hockey together,” he said. “We like to get out on the lake. It’s one of our favourite things to do.”
Eager to pass on his skills and knowledge to the next generation, Veldhuisen encourages others to take up the call and invites aspiring young vets to discover what it’s all about.
“Join us at the clinic. We do get co-op students here, and I think it’s a pretty eye-opening experience most of the time,” Veldhuisen said. “There’s a lot more than just cuddling puppies and kittens; there’s intense situations, there are calls that need to be made, there’s sad situations, and there’s a whole bunch of emotion that goes into it.”
“When you have a problem, and then you can, together, reach a solution with the client and make a sick animal well, it’s rewarding. I don’t know what I would do if I weren’t a vet.”
Moreover, Veldhuisen has a prescription for all the would-be veterinarians out there on how to explore their potential future career – get your feet wet by shadowing a mentor, just as he did.
“Everybody who comes to us is often amazed at what goes on behind the scenes,” he said. “I would say, if you plan to be a vet, it’s a lot of schooling, and it’s a big commitment. So, I think it’s really good if you can shadow a vet or volunteer or get your feet in the door, so to speak. Because some people might realize it’s not for them.”
