Shaping the Next Generation of Veterinary Professionals: HBSPCA and Conestoga College Partnership

The Hamilton/Burlington SPCA is proud to launch a new partnership with Conestoga College, creating immersive learning opportunities for Veterinary Technician and Veterinary Assistant students—while advancing animal welfare in our community.

Through structured 10-week placements in our Companion Animal Hospital and Pet Health Outreach Clinics, students step into real-world veterinary environments where every decision, every action, and every compassionate choice directly affects the lives of animals in our care. These placements are more than observation—they are hands-on experiences that develop technical skills, professional confidence, and critical problem-solving abilities.

A Partnership With Purpose

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For Conestoga College, this partnership is more than placements—it’s a meaningful expansion of applied learning within their Animal Care programs. Working with the HBSPCA gives students the chance to tackle real-world challenges, while the College strengthens its commitment to community-aligned education and supports an organization that shares its priorities in animal health and welfare.

For the HBSPCA, this collaboration reinforces our role not only as a leader in animal welfare—but as a training ground for the next generation of veterinary professionals. Together, we are shaping graduates who are compassionate, skilled, and ready to make an impact in veterinary and shelter medicine.

Learning at the Frontlines

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Shelter and community veterinary environments offer experiences that textbooks and traditional clinics can’t replicate. Students encounter a wide range of medical, behavioural, and welfare needs while learning the realities of population management, shelter protocols, and community-focused care.

This high-impact setting fosters adaptability, resilience, and confident decision-making—qualities essential for success in today’s veterinary field.

Skills That Make a Difference

During their placements, students gain hands-on experience in:

• Animal husbandry, low-stress handling, and restraint
• Supporting medical assessments, treatments, and preventative care
• Surgical preparation and post-operative monitoring
• Applying shelter medicine protocols, biosecurity measures, and population health strategies
• Collaborating within an interdisciplinary animal care team
• Supporting client-facing services in a community hospital environment

Every shift helps students bridge the gap between theory and practice, preparing them to enter the workforce ready to provide ethical, skilled, and compassionate care.

A Partnership That Lasts

“Having some of our Veterinary Technician and Veterinary Assistant students do their placements at the Hamilton/Burlington SPCA provides our students with invaluable, hands-on learning experiences in both shelter medicine and community veterinary care. This collaboration strengthens their clinical skills, compassion, and readiness to enter the workforce. We’re proud to work together to support animal welfare while preparing the next generation of veterinary professionals.”
— Andrea Steele, MSc, RVT, VTS(ECC), Chair, Animal Care Programs, Conestoga College

Looking ahead, the HBSPCA and Conestoga College aim to cultivate a long-term, mutually supportive relationship, exploring opportunities such as expanded placement capacity, service-learning initiatives, and collaborative educational programming.

By investing in students today, we are shaping a stronger veterinary workforce—and a brighter future for every animal that comes through our doors.