Dr. Samyra Stuart-Altman

Prologue to the introductions

Why did I start this site?

I wanted a place where I could share every nook and cranny of my passion for veterinary medicine, animal welfare, art, travel, the human animal bond, the client experience, the importance of veterinary professional mental health….ALL of it.

Who do I hope to reach?

Anyone with an interest in all points listed above! I want my clients to know who I am as a professional and a fellow human being. I want my peers to share my inspiration in a passion for volunteerism. I want future veterinary professionals to kick down the door to any barriers that prevent them from achieving their goals. And I want to break the mould of the traditional image of a veterinarian, and help to shape the landscape for future veterinary professionals to lead fulfilling careers.

Am I an expert?

Definitely NOT! But there are a few things in which I have “been there, done that”, and I would love to share those tidbits with YOU.

Now, onto the introduction……

I can’t tell you about me, without also telling you about the wonderful organizations and activities that I participate in during my “downtime.” However, all introductions start with the basics, so here they are in chronological order.

I graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 2012. Though at one point I had considered an internship in small animal medicine, I decided to instead pursue my ultimate dream of mixed animal practice. And so began my career at Central Veterinary Services in Oak Bluff, Manitoba. I say Oak Bluff to be geographically accurate, however we can see the outskirts of Winnipeg from our clinic driveway.

Throughout my years at Central Vet, my professional focus became more centred upon small animal medicine, surgery and ultrasonography. Though I see the occasional pig, goat, horse and chicken, my professional interests most certainly belong in the realm of cats and dogs. In November of 2020, I officially became a co-owner of Central Veterinary Services, which has been a personal and professional dream come true.

An interest that developed about three years into my career, was an unexpected passion for veterinary volunteerism. Once the “new grad jitters” had sufficiently settled, I found myself yearning to fulfill a desire to give back to my community. And so my volunteer path began as follows:

• Volunteer trail veterinarian for the Hudson Bay Quest dog sled race (Manitoba)

• Head Veterinarian for the Hudson Bay Quest

• Volunteer trail veterinarian for the Race to the Sky dog sled race (Montana)

• Save a Dog Network - remote spay/neuter clinics, vaccine clinics to both drive-in and fly-in First Nations Communities

• C.A.R.E (Cat Advocacy Rescue Education) - cat spay/neuter program for strays and low-income Winnipeg families

• Winnipeg Humane Society - Member of the Board of Directors

• Isla Animals - spay/neuter clinics for dogs and cats in Isla Mujeres Mexico

• Community Veterinary Outreach - One Health clinics, administering veterinary care to client’s pets

• Manitoba Veterinary Medical Association Representative for Winnipeg Animal Services

I quickly learned that one opportunity leads to another, which leads to another, and so on. And not only was I making a difference locally and abroad, I was making important connections with like-minded veterinary professionals and animal advocacy enthusiasts. Before I knew it, I had a network of friends and peers all around the world, literally just a phone call or text message away.

At some point, I also decided that I would revisit the joy of writing. I can thank the pandemic for affording me time to write, edit and submit two articles for publication this year

Aside from writing articles about volunteering, I also write about other topics including client-focused educational pieces, veterinary team communication techniques, new-grad survival guides, as well as accounts of my own veterinary adventures. With the topics becoming more diverse and my library growing, the idea to put it all into one resource was born.

So with that, I would like to welcome you to this site. Whether you are a veterinarian, vet-to-be, veterinary technologist, assistant, or animal enthusiasts, I welcome you with open arms.