Provincially operated veterinary and laboratory services to be transitioned to private sector

Release

Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries

March 18, 2026

FREDERICTON (GNB) – The following statement was issued by Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries Minister Pat Finnigan: 

New Brunswickers have told us very clearly what matters to them: timely access to health care, help with the rising cost of living, and a strong education system. We want to be able to deliver those by making investments that will have a real impact on the everyday lives of New Brunswickers.

We understand that our decision to transition government-funded provincial veterinary field services, as well as provincial veterinary lab services, to the private sector is upsetting for employees and current clients who are affected.

We want to be clear that the transition of these services will occur gradually over the next three fiscal years.

Currently, New Brunswick is one of only two provinces still operating government-funded veterinary services. For information, 54 per cent of these services are being provided to horses, 19 per cent to hobby farms and companion animals, with only 27 per cent focused on commercial livestock such as dairy, beef and poultry. The costs of delivering these services are significant to the taxpayers of New Brunswick.

By transitioning these functions into the private sector, we can allow the private clinics and veterinarians to provide more responsive and flexible services to our agricultural community, just like every other jurisdiction in Canada apart from Newfoundland and Labrador. It also creates a significant opportunity for private sector innovation that will support the agriculture industry in New Brunswick for the long term.

Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries officials met with numerous stakeholders on Tuesday to walk them through the transition approach and committed to working with them throughout this process. We know change is hard, but we will be undertaking the following actions to support this transition:

·         Supporting provincial veterinarians with transitioning resources and business development supports to set up their own practice or join an existing private veterinarian clinic.

·         Facilitating and transitioning efforts to empower private sector veterinarians and clinics to establish and expand service availability across New Brunswick.

·         Developing a private veterinarian registry program to support and address service gaps in the core livestock sectors in underserved areas.

·         Facilitating the transfer of laboratory functions, ensuring continuity of diagnostic services and pharmaceutical access.

·         Maintaining the chief veterinary officer position to ensure continued oversight of disease management and animal welfare functions in collaboration with the New Brunswick Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the federal government.

Our government is not removing support for the agriculture industry. We are aligning with our neighbours and moving to a more sustainable model for veterinary care in the province. We are committed to supporting and monitoring throughout this process to ensure that agricultural and veterinary needs continue to be met appropriately.

Questions and inquiries can be directed to the Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries via phone at 1-844-808-4360 or via email at [email protected].

18-03-26

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