Torsten Diesel, a board member of Iqaluit Qimussiqtiit Katimajingit, or the Iqaluit Dog Team Society, said having a full-time vet would make it easier to deal with unexpected illnesses.

Mayah Obadia was vacationing in Toronto when she received a text message from her petsitter about her cat, Fig. He was not eating or playing.

For most Canadians, this would warrant a pretty simple solution: a trip to the local veterinarian’s office, likely scheduled during regular clinic hours.

However, this wasn’t the case for Fig, because he – and Ms. Obadia – live in Iqaluit, Nunavut’s capital of about 8,000 residents. There is no full-time veterinarian in the city (or the territory), so the closest option for in-person care is about 2,000 kilometres away, in Ottawa.

Northern territories often face

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