New Brunswick switching veterinary field, lab service to private sector

A photo of cows at Boreview Farms in Burton, N.B. on March 19, 2026. (Laura Brown/CTV News)

The New Brunswick government is moving provincial veterinary field and lab services to the private sector in the next three fiscal years to better support the agricultural system.

Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries Minister Pat Finnigan said New Brunswick is one of only two Canadian provinces that still run government-funded veterinary services. More than half of the services are for horses, 27 per cent focus on commercial livestock and 19 per cent centre on hobby farms and companion animals.

“By transitioning these functions into the private sector, we can allow the private clinics and veterinarians to provide more responsive and flexible services to our agricultural community, just like every other jurisdiction in Canada apart from Newfoundland and Labrador,” Finnigan said in a news release.

Finnigan said they will support provincial veterinarians to start their own practices or join private clinics and develop a private veterinarian registry program to address service gaps in livestock sectors.

The province will also maintain the chief veterinary officer position to oversee disease management and animal welfare.

For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.