The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) recently visited Parliament Hill to promote Animal Health Week, a national campaign aimed at highlighting the crucial role animal health plays in society and honouring those dedicated to animal welfare.

Animal Health Week highlights the essential bond between humans and animals. The CVMA emphasizes animal health as a societal priority, one that impacts public health, mental well-being, safety, and food security. Improving the health and well-being of both pets and livestock—through veterinary care, proper nutrition, and early disease detection—is a crucial tenet of our society.

. Veterinarians are four times more likely to die by suicide than the general population, a statistic which emphasizes the urgent need for mental health support within the profession.

“Currently, there is a dangerous cycle where many veterinarians are extremely overworked, affecting their mental health and ability to work, thus exacerbating an already acute shortage of labour projected to be 1,000 veterinarians in 2025,’’ Jordyn Hewer, the Quebec representative for the CVMA, explained.

The CVMA calls for the need to build a robust workforce to alleviate the negative effects of the veterinarian shortage. That can be achieved by increasing student placements in Canadian veterinary colleges and streamlining the process for internationally trained veterinarians to join the Canadian workforce via a national testing center.

CVMA president Tim Arthur, DVM, said, “I invite everybody, and especially this government, to take the opportunity that Animal Health Week presents to recognize the positive effects animals have on our families, local communities, and overall mental health. Let’s support veterinarians by giving them access to essential veterinary drugs, and by building a strong workforce to ensure they can continue to take care of our animals here in Canada.”