Several new veterinary assistants are ready to fill wide-spread employee shortages in the field.

Nineteen VAs graduated from the Nova Scotia SPCA College of Animal Welfare in Dartmouth on Wednesday.

The college says there is a lack of access to vet services across the country and it’s trying to help with that in Nova Scotia.

Last month, the province announced there will be 24 first-year seats for Nova Scotians who want to study to be a vet reserved annually at the Atlantic Veterinary College in PEI, up from 16.

The director of veterinary education programs for the SPCA College, Dr. Mike West says the news of the eight new seats is exciting, but new vets “will struggle to function without adequate support staff, who are already in short supply.”

West says, “We are dedicated to our mission of supporting the veterinary profession. We’re excited to graduate our third class of veterinary assistants and look forward to starting to train veterinary technicians in the fall of 2025.”

Valedictorian Jennah Bear is one of four Indigenous students in the 2024 graduating class.