Local pet owners will no longer be forced to take their animals out-of-town for veterinarian treatment on weekends and evenings once a new after-hours clinic opens in the fall.
“This is wonderful news. I am absolutely over the moon,” said Sarnia resident Marg Allen when she learned Dr. Balreet Sidhu has started renovations on a Phillip Street building for his clinic.
“I know there will be many pet owners who will look for his help during what is always a very stressful time,” said Allen. Last winter, she circulated a petition that received widespread support after she could not find a local after-hours vet and her dog Bernie died in her arms.
Allen had hoped she could convince local vets to provide after-hour services on a rotating basis, but that didn’t happen.
Allen said she was shocked to learn Sarnians had lived for years with very few after-hours veterinary services and often drove two to three hours to find a clinic.
“It’s far too late for my little Bernie but now there will be somewhere for pet owners to take their animals,” she said this week.
Dr. Sidhu, 35, told The Journal he moved to Sarnia with his wife, three-year-old daughter and their dog last year. He works as a surgeon at several veterinarian offices in the area.
The family moved from Winnipeg where he earned a business degree at the University of Manitoba. Prior to that, Dr. Sidhu spent 2.5 years as an international graduate writing the exams to become a certified vet in Canada.
Originally from India, he did his pre-med there, then went to veterinarian school for five years, followed by another 2.5 years studying surgery and radiology for companion animals (cats and dogs), then immigrated to Canada.
He said he moved to Sarnia searching for a better climate than Winnipeg. “Manitoba was a little cold for us and Sarnia is near the water and the beaches,” he said. Dr. Sunil Patel of South Sarnia Veterinary Services offered him a job.
Dr. Sidhu also worked at an after-hours clinic in London and realized a significant number of Sarnia residents drive their sick pets for treatment there because after-hours service is scarce here.
The vets in Sarnia are already busy with day practices, he said. “It’s very difficult to work after hours too. Everyone needs a work/life balance.”
He said there is generally a critical lack of veterinary support staff and technicians and that many Canadian vets take their practice to the U.S. where they can earn more money. Pet health insurance is more common in the States and vets tend to charge more, he said.
With encouragement from numerous local vets, Dr. Sidhu said he bought the building at 817 Phillip St. and intends to open 4 p.m. – midnight Monday to Friday; remain on-call until 8 a.m., and open weekends noon – midnight.
“It’s a learning curve for me. I am seeing what I can do on my own and will look for others to expand the clinic’s hours,” he said. “I am very excited for the new journey and will try my best to serve the community.”
He said existing veterinarians in Sarnia are excited as well and have helped him find a building, a contractor and suppliers.
“They are thinking of their community and they know how much an after-hours clinic will mean,” he said.
Obtaining financing and construction permits is taking more time than anticipated. He had wanted to have a clinic operating by May but said it will likely be October or November before he can open his doors.