Pet Trust - Medical & Surgical Learning Centre

Imagine coming home to find your beloved pet in dire need of medical help. That’s what happened to Carina Mewasingh when she discovered that her three-year-old Dutch Shepherd, Perseus, had ingested a potentially fatal amount of over-the-counter medication while she was out of the house.

Perseus was referred to the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) by his primary care veterinarian, who knew that Perseus’ accidental overdose could result in kidney failure, neurological and gastrointestinal complications, or even death.

Thankfully, with around-the-clock care from the dedicated veterinary team, Perseus’ condition stabilized. His seizures subsided and his vision returned. In the weeks that followed, he received physiotherapy to help him regain his strength and normal neurological function.

OVC, with the invaluable help of OVC Pet Trust, cares for hundreds of animals with complex medical needs like Perseus every year. We provide hope and expertise when pet owners need it most. This is our privilege and our calling. Still, there are always more animals who need our help, and this means we must train more veterinarians to keep up with the increased demands on the profession.

Your support will bring this new innovative program to life by helping us build a new multi-story Medical and Surgical Learning Centre in which students will hone their skills and build their confidence as they prepare for life as practicing veterinarians. The Medical and Surgical Learning Centre will provide:

• Optimized teaching and learning space including modernized, dedicated areas for students to practice their foundational pre-surgical, surgical, post-surgical and medical skills.
• An increase in hands-on learning experiences for all students in phases 3 and 4 through the development of two new, updated and expanded surgery suites: a surgical lab and a foundation surgical suite for training on models.
• Dedicated patient preparation, treatment, and recovery rooms.
• A designated room for dentistry training.
• State-of-the-art facilities for teaching and learning clinical skills that are foundational to companion animal, equine, farm animal and wildlife practice .
• Additional support to the community through access to care programs such as the Kim and Stu Lang Community Healthcare Partnership Program (CHPP).