Veterinary Technician Week Proclaimed for Oct. 14-20

AGRICULTURE/FISHERIES--Veterinary Technician Week Proclaimed for Oct. 14-20

Veterinary technicians will be recognised for their work with animals during Veterinary Technician Week, being held Oct. 14 through Oct. 20.

"Veterinary technicians are vital to the veterinary medicine and animal health fields in Nova Scotia," said Ernest Fage, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries. "Their dedication to improving herd health and treating other animal health issues is significant to our farms, and we want to recognise their profession and contribution."

"We hope to create public awareness about our profession and the qualifications that are required to become a veterinary technician," said Bev Sutherland, president of the Eastern Veterinary Technician Association. "In essence, a vet technician performs a role equivalent to a nurse in a hospital."

Veterinary technicians -- animal health and registered veterinary technologists -- have practised in Canada for more than 30 years. There are currently 180 Eastern Veterinary Technician Association members in the Atlantic provinces. At the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, 50 students are majoring in animal health technology, a prerequisite to becoming a veterinary technician.