New veterinarian a boost for animal care in the North Bay area
A veterinarian clinic in Callander, just outside of North Bay, is welcoming a new doctor to its team.
Dr. Haris Aziz arrived in Canada just more than a month ago and has joined the team at the Callander Animal Hospital. A native of Pakistan, Aziz said he came here for the quality of life.
"I chose Canada because it had a good quality of life, family life,” he said.
“People are nice, all those things. It was not an easy job to reach here, I had to work hard and get all the completed achievements."
What was just a one-doctor clinic, run by Dr. Neil Lawrence, now has three doctors, making things easier and allowing for more patients.
"There's a shortage of veterinarians all across North America,” Lawrence said.
“I've been advertising for over a year, looking for another vet. To bring someone new in with a different skill set, different work experiences, and different life experiences we share lots of tips and tricks on veterinarian medicine."
He said he’s already noticed the impact Aziz is making on the clinic.
"One of the things that we've already seen that he's provided to the practice is more cat medicine,” Lawrence said.
“He's dealt with a lot more cats overseas where we tend to see more dogs come into a vet in Canada. We had a ringworm case earlier this week. He's seen ringworm dozens of times whereas I've only seen it two or three times."
Aziz said there's still plenty to learn, and that being a veterinarian in Canada is much different than overseas.
"There is a huge difference in equipment and availability,” he said.
“The major difference from the clients is their attachment to their pets. There's a huge difference here -- they treat them like they're family. Work environment also, the skill set of the people here are higher."
His wife and son also came to the north with him. Aziz said working and living and Canada has been even better than expected and that he and his family are lucky to call Callander home.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
It's the biggest election in history. Here's why few Indians in Canada will take part
In the Indian general election that gets underway on Friday, almost a billion people are eligible to vote, but a vast majority of the overseas Indian community in Canada won't be casting a ballot.
McDonald's customers left with 'zero value' collection of free hot drink stickers after company ends program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Jury selection in Trump hush money trial faces pivotal stretch as former U.S. president returns to court
Jury selection in the hush money trial of Donald Trump enters a pivotal and potentially final stretch Thursday as lawyers look to round out the panel of New Yorkers that will decide the first-ever criminal case against a former president.
Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
Biden scores endorsements from Kennedy family, looking to shore up support against Trump and RFK Jr.
U.S. President Joe Biden will accept endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop in Philadelphia on Thursday as he aims to undermine Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.