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KUGLUKTUK/COPPERMINE - Veterinarians from the Atlantic Veterinary College in P.E.I. visited Kugluktuk earlier this month and offered free veterinary services to animals in the community.

It went excellent," said Melissa Joy, one of the organizers. "They performed over 16 surgeries and in total they saw over 78 dogs and cats in the community. Most of the surgeries were female dogs and the response from the community was fantastic, everybody pitched in.".

Fourth-year students Aleta Schmah and Shaun MacKenzie from the Atlantic Veterinary College prepare a patient for surgery in Kugluktuk, while young Annunzio Torretti watches. - photo courtesy of Melissa Joy

She said the community had been trying to recruit veterinarians to the community and heard about the Chinook Project, a program offered through the Atlantic Veterinary College in PEI.

The veterinarians volunteered to come, the hamlet paid for their airfare and the team arrived on May 12.

"Some main contributors were Catherine Cornish who started the Kugluktuk Best Friends Society and began this project with the Chinook Team," said Joy.

"Myself and Gladys Joudrey were the main co-ordinators for the actual clinic. Larry and Helen Whittaker opened their home for the entire team to stay in. Renewable Resources employees Mathieu Dumond, Luigi Torretti and Dustin Fredlund donated the lab space. The Hamlet of Kugluktuk officially supported the project and contributed funds."

"The supplies are paid for by a grant from the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre," said Dr. Peter Foley, one of the veterinarians from the Chinook Project. "It's an organization at the Atlantic Veterinary College."

Foley said the team consisted of two veterinarians including himself, a veterinary technician, and four senior veterinary students. The team also visited Kullik Ilihakvik to give a presentation about animal safety.

Joy said community members were able to bring in dogs for rabies shots they may have missed and also to vaccinate them against other common diseases.

"Not every dog gets vaccinated by the bylaw for rabies," she said. "We also did the distemper vaccination, which is really good, because that is something else that our dogs are exposed to here frequently."

Foley said this is the fourth time the team has travelled to the Arctic. The team headed to Cambridge Bay on May 18 before heading home to P.E.I.