Veterinary hospital opens in Ste Anne

A new veterinary hospital has opened in the Town of Ste Anne, offering residents a local alternative instead of driving long distances for furry friend care.

The Ste Anne Veterinary Hospital, located at 141 Centrale Ave., started seeing pet patients on Feb. 9. Since its opening, the hospital has already seen a high demand, said Dr. Jennifer Michaud.

“There’s lots of people that live in Ste Anne that have pets. Every time I drove through town, there was someone walking their dog,” the small animal veterinarian said.

Michaud wanted to open a practice in the community because she hoped to address the gap in care. Pet owners were previously forced drive to Steinbach, Winnipeg, Oakbank or Beausejour if they were seeking treatment, she said.

Having grown up in Ste Anne, Michaud wanted to give back to the town after graduating in 2020 from Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. She previously worked in Winnipeg for six years prior to opening her own practice, which will focus on treating dogs and cats. Michaud said she’s always wanted to have her own hospital and manage her own patients.

Working-dog breeds are her favourite, and she has two dogs of her own: a 13-year-old border collie cross named Twiggy and a six-year-old Australian shepherd cross named Hazel.

“They can be trouble. They need to be stimulated mentally and physically, and they’re just full of energy,” she said.

Michaud said she enjoys building relationships with pet families and helping a pet throughout its life. While dealing with end-of-life pet care is difficult, she said watching families get another pet, figure out its personality and fit into a home is special to witness.

The job can be difficult when test results are unclear and its difficult to diagnose a pet, Michaud said.

“We can do all these tests, and when they keep coming back normal, and we can’t figure out the underlying cause, I think is the hardest part for me,” she said. “I’d like to get people answers, and I like the puzzle part of the veterinary medicine because patients don’t talk.”

When that puzzle is solved, she finds it “super rewarding.”

Many people experience financial barriers when seeking pet care as not everyone has insurance, Michaud said, and she attempts to work with owners to find the best option for them without adding extra costs.

She hopes to expand the team and offer more services for different pets in the future.