Community impact

September 29, 2023

Samantha Froud, AVC 2024, travelled to Sheshatshiu as one of the student participants on the Chinook Project. As part of the experience, the students craft various pieces of writing.

The Chinook project is a community outreach program that supplies free veterinary care for northern communities in Nunavut and Labrador. This year we had the privilege to set up a temporary clinic in an old gym located in Sheshatshui, Labrador. Throughout the week our team worked hard along with members of the community to provide vaccines, microchipping, deworming as well as surgical procedures for both pets and community dogs.

Sam with a young patient

We treated over 140 animals in the 6 days our clinic was up and running, 42 of which were spay/neuter surgeries. This photo is one of the many young dogs we saw that week, this means a lot to me because this dog represents one of several animals we were able to help throughout our weeklong clinic. These pets were integral in our learning as fourth year veterinary students. Allowing us to refine our client communication skills, physical exams and various procedures while simultaneously aiding the animal welfare of a rural community. A highlight of the trip was seeing all these adorable faces everyday along with such grateful community members. Educating the members of the community, contributing to population control, and aiding in the prevention of disease outbreaks all circles back to the 'One Health' approach to veterinary medicine. 'One Health' encompasses advocating for the health of all animals, people, and the environment. This is a core reason I decided I wanted to become a veterinarian in the first place, to positively impact not only animals, but communities as a whole. I feel so fortunate to have been apart of such an impactful project with some amazing team members.