Veterinary professionals in Prince Edward Island are raising serious concerns about New Brunswick’s plan to end government‑operated veterinary services over the next three years and transition care to private providers.

The decision, outlined in the province’s latest budget, includes closing the Aquaculture and Fisheries Veterinary Laboratory in Fredericton—the region’s primary facility for diagnosing diseases such as avian influenza, swine fever, and foot‑and‑mouth disease.

Per CBC, P.E.I. veterinarians and livestock stakeholders warn that without the Fredericton lab, animal health samples may need to be shipped to Quebec or Ontario for testing, potentially slowing disease detection at a time when rapid response can be critical for animal and public health.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has stated that samples can be transported safely with proper packaging. However, there are still concerns about keeping surveillance and diagnostic standards during and after the transition.

New Brunswick’s agriculture minister affirms that the shift to private-sector services will be gradual and include stakeholder engagement, but critics—including veterinarians and rural livestock owners—are calling for clearer plans to safeguard disease monitoring, laboratory accreditation, and animal welfare throughout the change.