Thompson’s Thompson Humane Society says the ongoing lack of local veterinary care is making it harder to find homes for shelter animals and forcing some families to send sick pets hours away for euthanasia. The alarm was raised at the group’s Annual General Meeting in June 2026, where Board Chair Oswald Sawh called the shortage the biggest hurdle the shelter faces.
In 2025, the shelter at 27 Nelson Road helped 118 dogs and cats. But only 19 were adopted locally. Instead, 74 animals were transferred to no-kill shelters and rescues across Canada, many outside Manitoba.
Sawh told the meeting that low local adoptions come down to one main problem: new pet owners cannot find regular vet care in Thompson. Without that, he said, families are also forced to send beloved pets out of province for humane euthanasia when they fall ill. “This has caused the Humane Society to have less local adoptions and having to send loved family pets away to be humanely euthanised when ill,” Sawh said.
The city has been without a full-time veterinarian since Dr. Keri Hudson Reykdal, Thompson’s only veterinarian, closed her North of 55 Veterinary Services on December 31, 2024. Before closing, Dr. Hudson Reykdal cared for more than 5,300 patients and saw about 400 animals a month. Although she now visits Thompson four days a month to see approximately 120 patients requiring ongoing care, the nearest full-time clinics are four hours away in The Pas or eight hours away in Winnipeg.
To bridge the gap, the Humane Society opened the Animal Health and Wellness Centre in November 2023, aiming to offer affordable care and attract a permanent vet. Meanwhile, the Winnipeg Humane Society’s One Health program runs four spay and neuter clinics in Thompson each year. A lay vaccination program also started in February 2025 to help fill care gaps.
Sawh stressed that without stable vet services, both animals and families in the north will keep facing tough choices. The shelter is urging continued support to secure permanent care in the community.
