British Columbia to permanently double the number of subsidized seats at Vet College in Saskatchewan

Mar 28, 2023

The number of B.C. seats at Saskatchewan’s veterinary college will increase to 40 thanks to a significant financial contribution.

A dramatic uptick in pet ownership during the COVID-19 pandemic and demand for a large animal specialists has led to an urgent shortage of veterinary professionals not only in Western Canada, but across North America.

The B.C. government is doubling the number of subsidized seats for B.C. veterinary students at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask).

B.C. Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills Selina Robinson said there was a need to increase support to WCVM.

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Video: ASF Control Lessons - Dr. Mary-Louise Penrith

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Mary-Louise Penrith, Extraordinary Professor at the University of Pretoria, shares what decades of work have revealed about ASF control. She explains why vaccine development remains difficult, how human activity and food waste drive disease spread, why resistant pig populations are an important research area, and how strict biosecurity with the right disinfectants can help to stop transmission. Listen now on all major platforms!

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Meet the guest: Dr. Mary-Louise Penrith / mary-louise-penrith-2b12bb42 is an Extraordinary Professor in the Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. A veterinarian and internationally recognized researcher, she has dedicated decades to African swine fever epidemiology, control, and pig health, supporting FAO and WOAH initiatives while advancing research and education. Listen to Dr. Mary-Louise Penrith on the Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast, available on all major platforms.