A program at U of G’s Ontario Veterinary College that sends veterinarians and vet students to northern and Indigenous communities was the subject of a feature article in the Toronto Star.

The article noted that since 2011, members of an OVC student club have run pop-up clinics several times a year in Indigenous communities lacking animal care services

The article also noted that U of G and OVC recently received an $11-million donation from long-time benefactors Kim and Stu Lang — the largest single gift received by the college.

The gift will create the Kim and Stu Lang Community Healthcare Partnership Program, which will expand OVC’s community outreach and spay/neuter programs in underserved and remote communities.

OVC’s Shane Bateman told the Star that the grant is important because Indigenous communities “have been left behind in Canada for such a long time.”

The grant will also create Remy’s Fund to subsidize medical care for animals in need to ensure that pet owners in lower-income neighbourhoods can obtain vaccinations and checkups for their animals.