B.C. funds veterinary school spots as demand for services skyrockets in some regions

In Victoria, seven-year-old mixed breed Maddie has had a few surgeries in recent years. She's now healthy and her owner knows the fast access to veterinary care isn't everyone's experience.

Megan Landells said that, aside from a wait for a specialist, Maddie has been seen quickly.

"We had no problem getting in we’ve been lucky but I’ve heard there’s been problems," she told CTV News.

It's a problem veterinarian Dr. Adrian Walton knows all too well. His family is on vacation for spring break. He couldn't join them because he doesn't have enough vets at his Metro Vancouver clinic. Yet, he knows the situation is even direr in other parts of the province.

"On Vancouver Island we, at one point, only had one functioning emergency clinic for veterinarians because of the short staff," Walton said Thursday.

• READ MORE: Vets say B.C. isn't doing enough to fix shortage

At a government news conference Walton said he'd seen a recent Facebook post about a shortage so severe in Haida Gwaii, that no vet will be available for the next two weeks. He said in many Northern or smaller communities, owners must drive hours to get care for animals.

Walton made the comments as Selina Robinson, the Minister of Advanced Education and Future Skills Training announced B.C. will permanently double the number of subsidized veterinary school spots from 20 to 40.

"We know that there’s going to be 80 interviews for those seats so we know that there’s demand," added Robinson.

Those spots are at a university in Saskatchewan that has an agreement to train B.C. students. Given the demand, reporters asked why the province didn't consider opening its own school here.

"That's a significant undertaking that would be years in the making, and this is too dire and too important for us. We need to do certain things in the short term and in the medium term," Robinson replied.

Landells told CTV the announcement was "good news," although she wondered how long it would take pet owners to see a difference.

The problem isn't a new one. For years the B.C. Liberals have been calling on the NDP government to expand the number of subsidized training spots on a permanent basis. The province initially doubled the spots, but on a temporary basis. Now almost $300 million will go towards the first three years of the program.

The province said it is working on a longer-term plan to recruit more vets to Northern B.C., and to work with larger animals. Both are areas where there is a dire need.

Walton acknowledged this was a step in the right direction.

"The simple fact is, we're okay with the fact that we're going to be working our arses off for the next two years, as long as there's light at the end of the tunnel," he added.

He added, the announcement means he may even get to vacation with his family in a couple of years.