Collège Boréal, SPCA to expand vet training & low-cost pet care

Collège Boréal and SPCA expand partnership to boost vet tech training and community pet care. Madison Marier has more.

Collège Boréal has announced an expanded partnership with the Ontario SPCA, further integrating the Sudbury Regional Veterinary Clinic into its Veterinary Care Technician program. The SPCA has operated out of the college for several years, and the school has recognized the mutual benefits of this collaboration. Now, the two organizations are formalizing a new initiative to enhance student training while increasing access to affordable pet care in the community.

Hands-on experience for future veterinary technicians

Kiana McFadden-Houle, Manager of Collège Boréal’s Veterinary Care Technician program, explained the significance of the partnership.

“Last summer, we started discussions about evolving the partnership into what we have now with the Ontario SPCA – specifically, spay and neuter services. This is very meaningful for us as technicians in the industry because we strive to provide access to veterinary medicine for people in the community,” she said. “It also helps spread that passion to the students. They’re working alongside professionals and teaching faculty, and we get to share this excitement with them.”

Hope Lumbas, Manager of the SPCA Regional Veterinary Clinic, echoed McFadden-Houle’s enthusiasm.

“With this collaboration, I’m excited to offer students the opportunity to gain experience in a clinic setting while contributing to a charitable organization,” she said. “This allows them to apply their learning in a real-world context and ultimately extend that care into the community.”

Increasing access to affordable pet care

A key goal of the expanded partnership is to make spay and neuter services more accessible to pet owners who face financial or geographic barriers.

“Our hope is to offer veterinary services to people who may not have access, whether due to cost or the lack of clinics in the city or outlying northern communities,” Lumbas told CTV News. “We work with many rescues outside Sudbury, as well as Indigenous communities and others who may not have regular access to care.”

The clinic operates on a tiered pricing system, with reduced costs for those in need, supported by government funding. This ensures that essential procedures remain affordable for underserved populations.

Program launch and student involvement

The Ontario SPCA Sudbury Regional Veterinary Clinic officially begins operations today. However, Collège Boréal students will not participate in the new partnership until the fall semester starts in September. McFadden-Houle emphasized the value of this hands-on experience, noting that it will better prepare students for their careers after graduation.

Lumbas added that the initiative not only supports student education but also strengthens the SPCA’s mission to provide compassionate care across the region.

“This partnership allows us to fulfill our commitment to the community while nurturing the next generation of veterinary professionals,” she said.

Officials say the expanded collaboration between Collège Boréal and the Ontario SPCA marks a significant step forward in veterinary education and accessible pet care in northern Ontario.