Staff shortage made Atlantic Vet College overnight emergency service impossible

Officials at the Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown say the discontinuation of after-hours emergency pet care is crippling but unavoidable due to severe staffing shortages in the industry.

The college announced Monday that it would no longer be providing primary care emergency service between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. AT.

Dr. Heather Gunn McQuillan, who oversees the teaching hospital, said the college will still offer emergency after-hours care for specialty referrals — like small animal surgeries and cardiology. She explained that the service no longer being offered is similar to seeing a family doctor or going to a hospital emergency room, whereas specialist referrals will continue.

She said the move was necessary due to increased demand and staff shortages.

"This is an industry challenge that we're seeing right now," she said.

"The vet college does not want to ever restrict or change service. We know it's hugely impactful and any time service is altered or changed or interrupted, that… has major impacts for animals, for their owners, and just for the broader community. So we don't take any changes lightly."

Gunn McQuinn said it's become impossible to maintain emergency service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and the AVC no longer has the capacity to take on emergency calls for every single clinic on P.E.I. 

That means local veterinary clinics will now have to find a way to handle their own overnight calls, as they did before the vet college stepped in with its emergency service back in 2019.

"I'm sure it's very disappointing for them," Gunn McQuinn said.

"I've personally been on the phone with [every clinic] individually numerous times throughout the year whenever we've had interruptions in service — and have had, frankly, some of the most heartbreaking conversations I've had in my entire career."

Gunn McQuillan advises pet owners to plan ahead. 

If you have a regular vet, call your clinic and follow its instructions. Some offices are sharing the load of overnight coverage, she said, so you may be directed to another clinic depending on the night.

If the clinic decides it's a referral-level emergency, they may call in a specialist and direct you to the veterinary college.

Gunn McQuillan said anyone who doesn't have a regular veterinarian should call the clinic closest to their home.