Petition calls for reinstatement of 24/7 animal care in Chatham-Kent

Chatham-Kent, Ont. -

A petition calling on veterinarians in Chatham-Kent to reinstate emergency animal care to their clinics is circulating.

It says the nearest 24/7 facilities are an hour away in Windsor or London, and that depending on the nature of the problem, not all pets may survive the drive.

“There are 11 clinics in the Chatham-Kent area. If they were to rotate emergency services, they would only have to work 4.7 weeks out of the year,” Lynn Leveille says.

She intends to keep the petition where she works at PetFood Warehouse out for two months, hoping enough signatures can be achieved before winter weather arrives.

“I can’t say how many emergencies happen after hours, I honestly can’t. But, there has to be a better answer than having us drive that distance to take care of our pets,” Leveille says.

Wait times in Windsor are reaching 48 hours according to one of the 24/7 animal hospitals in the city.

Management at The Walker Road Animal Hospital issued a statement to CTV News on Monday saying it has been flooded with cases from Windsor-Essex and beyond, noting animals are coming in from as far away as London and Sarnia.

“The Walker Road Animal Hospital is designed to handle veterinary emergencies for the population of Windsor-Essex County,” the statement reads. “The Walker Road Animal Hospital cannot handle the entire flow of emergencies from Southwestern Ontario.”

It goes on to say that the hospital is not equipped or staffed for such an “overwhelming” amount of emergency cases.

“We regret making policy decisions that impact clinics in distant cities outside Essex County but we have to remain a viable emergency medicine option for the people of Windsor-Essex County.”

The statement also reads that staff do not turn away sick animals regardless of where they come from, but stress the Walker Road location cannot act as the emergency hospital for clinics in Kent, Lambton, Elgin or Middlesex counties.

“It’s still a business at the end of the day and they still have to take care of their clients and customers, so I understand,” says Pet and Wildlife Rescue Chatham-Kent Operations Manager Myriam Armstrong.

She says it’s understandable if bigger city services have to limit out-of-town cases, explaining there’s an overwhelming shortage of veterinary services across the province.

“It’s estimated that we are approximately short 300 vets just in Ontario,” Armstrong says. “I know for a fact that local vet’s clinics have a hard time finding vet techs, vet assistants. So, it’s a shortage all across the board.”

Armstrong believes the global pandemic is part of the blame, saying it could take years to resolve.

“Obviously COVID didn’t help,” she says. “A lot of people with veterinary diplomas cannot come into the country, not only to open a clinic, but just even to pass their exams to become a vet in Canada. So, it’s a huge issue.”