Toronto couple’s dog with cancer may be denied life-saving care due to vet shortage
Global News
Fen Hsu and Eric Correia were told a province-wide vet shortage was leading to massive backlogs and months-long wait times for specialists — time their dog, Nugget, doesn't have.
“I adopted her five years ago, and for me, she is the centre of our life,” Fen Hsu told Global News.
She is talking about her dog, Nugget, who she says quickly became an irreplaceable part of her and her partner, Eric Correia’s, life. But time with their beloved pup could soon run out.
“We were working from home in Montreal, and Fen was touching Nugget’s neck and she felt some lumps,” said Correia, reflecting on when the couple knew something was wrong.
A trip to the vet confirmed the worst: lymphoma. Nugget was given only one month to live without chemotherapy.
“Right away, we started calling around to oncologists,” said Correia. “Our vet sent us a list of the six different oncologists in the GTA. We called every single one.”
But no luck.
Hsu and Correia were told a province-wide vet shortage was leading to massive backlogs and months-long wait times for specialists — time Nugget doesn’t have.
“It was really devastating because, you know, her tumours are growing in her throat and we can clearly see her suffocating, but we cannot really do too much about it,” said Hsu.