The Veterinary Assistance Program helps maintain a viable livestock industry by supporting large animal veterinary services in designated underserviced areas of Ontario. Eligible program areas include areas in Ontario north of and including the County of Renfrew, the County of Haliburton, the Township of Addington Highlands, the Township of Carlow Mayo, the Township of Limerick, the Township of Wollaston, the Township of Georgian Bluffs, the Town of South Bruce Peninsula, and the District Municipality of Muskoka.
Eligible livestock include at least one of the following large animals that are owned or cared for by large animal owners – horses, cattle, sheep, goats, swine, rabbits, flock of poultry, bison, deer, and other animals kept in captivity for producing fur, velvet or meat.
The local Veterinary Service Committees (VSC), who are the committees of the large animal owners of a county or district in the program area, they recommend to their central committee Northern Producer Animal Health Network (NPAHN) the contract veterinarians that they want to service their large animals in their designated area for each year. NPAHN then recommends these named veterinarians to the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines (MNDM). Once a veterinarian is recommended, they sign a contract with MNDM to provide the health care service to the named designated area in the defined program area.
The program provides financial assistance to designate area large animal veterinarians for travel to the large animal and to return to their clinic base plus continuing education costs and locum assistance. To locate a contract Veterinarian with the program in your area, please select your county or district below. –