Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC), located in Charlottetown, P.E.I., has recently terminated its longstanding agreement with the New Brunswick government to ensure specialized care for the province’s equine population. Under the program, visiting AVC veterinarians provided essential veterinary services to horses. Now, without the support of out-of-province veterinarians, the veterinary shortage is all the more apparent to New Brunswick horse owners.

As per CBC News, New Brunswick Equestrian Association Deanna Phelan, says the province has been without an equestrian specialist since 2016, when the provincial government “decided to go with this Band-Aid approach of having P.E.I. vets come once a month, which has been great.” She says, “We’ve enjoyed that service for almost 10 years and now that’s gone.”

AVC spokesperson Apryl Munro, in an email to CBC News, said, “The circumstances have changed since 2016, and while the agreement was a success, the resources at the AVC have been significantly stretched, which has prompted this temporary pause.” However, the college has yet to specify when, or if, the program will resume.

In lieu of the service, the college has committed to collaborating with New Brunswick veterinarians to mitigate the impact. AVC has also offered the option for clients to bring their horses to the teaching hospital in Charlottetown for treatment.