Statement
The Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) has reversed its decision and will resume normal intake of wildlife patients and clinical services at the Veterinary Medical Centre (VMC) on Tuesday, Aug. 18.
As announced earlier this month, the veterinary teaching hospital is temporarily pausing its zoo, exotics and wildlife service from July 22 to Aug. 17 (inclusive). However, all regular activities of the clinical service — including those for wildlife patients — will resume once the service’s clinical specialists return to work on Aug. 18.
Important dates
- July 22–Aug. 17 (inclusive): during this period, the VMC will not be able to offer referral services, regular appointments, triage or emergency services for any exotic pets or wildlife. The hospital’s wildlife intake will also be temporarily paused.
- Aug. 18: once the service’s clinical specialists return to work, the service will resume regular clinical activities for zoo animals and exotic pets.
- Aug. 18: the VMC will resume intake of wildlife and provide regular clinical services for wildlife patients.
Why this temporary pause of clinical services is happening
The VMC made the difficult decision to temporarily close the zoo, exotics and wildlife service due to a lack of specialized coverage for this clinical service during the three-week period. As well, the hospital has limited resources to concurrently maintain its 24-hour small animal emergency service that serves western Canadian animal owners and referring veterinary clinics.
Wildlife services resume during review
In order to continue providing an environment of high-quality care that ensures both the quality of training experience and the sustainability of the working environment, the VMC has been carefully reviewing each of its clinical services over the past year. The VMC’s review of wildlife services offered in the veterinary teaching hospital is not directly linked to the need to temporarily pause the zoo, exotics and wildlife service from July 22–Aug. 18.
The hospital’s review of its wildlife service continues as planned with the goal of completion by November 1, 2026. Consultation with key stakeholders is a normal step in the hospital’s clinical service review process, and any changes stemming from the clinical service reviews will be communicated to hospital clients and the public in a timely manner.
No impact on veterinary education
The temporary, three-week pause of the hospital’s zoo, exotics and wildlife service does not have an impact on veterinary students’ clinical rotations and will not affect the college’s Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) curriculum.
What’s been done in advance
In preparation for this temporary pause of the zoo, exotic and wildlife service, the VMC distributed an email message on July 3 to all current clients of the zoo, exotics and wildlife service as well as referring veterinary clinics. The message included a list of veterinary clinics in the Saskatoon area that have confirmed acceptance of exotic pets, along with contact information for two Saskatchewan wildlife rescue organizations that can potentially provide alternative care to injured or ill wildlife.
The VMC has informed the Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Association (SVMA) about the service’s temporary pause, and the hospital is following all SVMA’s requirements.
Information about the zoo, exotics and wildlife service’s temporary pause is posted on the VMC site: https://vmc.usask.ca/services/zoo-exotics-wildlife.php. An additional notice is posted on the hospital’s page for referring veterinarians: https://vmc.usask.ca/referring-veterinarians/submit-referral.php
Alternative care
If you require veterinary care for your exotic pet from July 22 to Aug. 17, please contact a veterinary clinic in your community. To assist you in your search, here is a partial list of clinics that have confirmed acceptance of avian and/or exotic pets.
- Corman Park Vet Services, Highway 14 West, Saskatoon, Sask. 306-384-7676.
All exotic pets accepted. Open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., M to F, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sat. - Erindale Animal Hospital, 410 Ludlow St, Saskatoon, Sask. 306-384-2287
Taking most exotic pets. Available after hours. - Evergreen Veterinary Clinic, 1260 Baltzan Road #85, Saskatoon, Sask. 306-664-5353.
All exotic pets accepted. - Orchard Veterinary Clinic, 493 2 Ave. North, Saskatoon, Sask. 306-668-7297
M/W/F during regular business hours. No avian patients accepted. - Warman Small Animal Hospital, 205 Central St. East, Warman, Sask. 306-384-9724.
All exotic pets accepted, regular business hours only, open until 8 p.m on T/W/Th. - Harvest Pointe Animal Hospital, 5255 Ellerslie Road SW, Edmonton, Alta. 587-735-6677 (please call first). Taking all exotic pets, offering after-hours care.
- Boreal Veterinary Centre, 164 Street NW, Edmonton, Alta. 780-306-4400 (must call in advance). Accepting all types of exotic pets but only true emergencies.
- Paramount 24 Hour Animal Hospital, 5111 Northland Dr. NW, Calgary Alta. 403-300-9111.
Will take all exotic pets, 24-hour service.
For alternative care options, contact:
- Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation (306-281-0554 or LSWR@sasktel.net)
- Wildlife Rescue Society of Saskatchewan (306-242-7177 or info@wrsos.org)
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Why is the zoo, exotics and wildlife (ZEW) service temporarily closing?
The WCVM Veterinary Medical Centre is temporarily closing this service from July 22 to Aug. 17 because no veterinarian specializing in zoo, exotics and wildlife medicine and surgery is available to provide coverage during this period.
Is this temporary pause on clinical services linked to the shortage of veterinarians in Western Canada?
The veterinary teaching hospital made this difficult decision due to a lack of specialized coverage for this clinical service. As well, the VMC has limited resources to concurrently maintain its 24-hour small animal emergency service that serves western Canadian animal owners and referring veterinary clinics.
While all veterinarians are trained to care for a variety of animal species, only some clinicians have a special interest or specialized education for diagnosing and treating exotic pets or wildlife. Fortunately, there are excellent veterinary clinics in the Saskatoon area that regularly offer clinical services for exotic pets. A list of alternative veterinary clinics is listed above.
Will this affect veterinary students' education?
This temporary pause of the hospital’s zoo, exotics and wildlife service does not have an impact on veterinary students’ clinical rotations and will not affect the college’s Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) curriculum.
Where are people supposed to take their exotic pets for care?
Fortunately, several Saskatoon-area veterinary clinics regularly offer clinical services for exotic pets. A list of alternative veterinary clinics is posted above.
Who can I contact if I find injured or ill wildlife during the temporary pause?
Contact Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation or the Wildlife Rescue Society of Saskatchewan. The organizations’ contact information is posted above.
The VMC will resume its intake of wildlife and provide regular clinical services for any wildlife patients on Aug. 18.
How will this temporary service pause affect wild animals at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm?
The VMC has made alternative arrangements for a local veterinary clinic to provide clinical coverage for smaller zoo animals at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm. WCVM veterinarians will continue to care for large zoo animals at the facility.
What if an exotic pet becomes critically ill and needs emergency care after regular hours? Where can people go?
The VMC cannot offer emergency services for exotic pets from July 22 to Aug. 17 (inclusive). The hospital can only provide humane euthanasia services, if required.
At least one clinic on the VMC’s list of alternative care for exotic pets offers after-hours service for exotic pets (Erindale Animal Hospital) in the Saskatoon area. Two other local clinics offer extended hours during the week:
- Corman Park Vet Services: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Friday, and clinical services on Saturday (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
- Warman Small Animal Hospital: open until 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
The list also includes two Alberta clinics that offer after-hours care for exotic pets (Harvest Pointe Animal Hospital and Paramount 24 Hour Animal Hospital).
Why did the WCVM decide to change its plans about the wildlife service?
In order to continue providing an environment of high-quality care that ensures both the quality of training experience and the sustainability of the working environment, the VMC has been carefully reviewing each of its clinical services over the past year.
The hospital’s review of its wildlife service continues as planned with the goal of completion by November 2026. Consultation with key stakeholders is a normal step in the hospital’s clinical service review process, and any changes stemming from the clinical service reviews will be communicated to hospital clients and the public in a timely manner.
To support open, constructive discussions during this review, the WCVM will continue providing clinical services to wildlife.
How many exotic pets are treated at the Veterinary Medical Centre?
In 2025-26, the zoo, exotic and wildlife (ZEW) service had 1,212 patients — about six per cent of the WCVM Veterinary Medical Centre’s patient population in the Small Animal Clinic. The majority of patients in the ZEW service are exotic pets with smaller numbers of zoo animals and wildlife.
Is the VMC planning to close or scale back its 24-hour emergency service for small animals?
The VMC plans to maintain its 24-hour emergency service for small animals, but the reality is that the hospital’s emergency and critical care service has been overloaded for several years.
This current situation has made it clear that the VMC must plan for any number of contingencies if the hospital’s small animal caseload continues to grow.