Profiles
How a love of animals inspired a gift
October 22nd, 2026
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Dr. June Donaldson’s (MBA, EdD) relationship with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) began in 2024 when she sponsored a very special gift for the BJ Hughes Centre for Clinical Learning. After touring the veterinary college and its simulation centre in October 2024, Donaldson began work with the WCVM team to develop a full-size mare and foal simulation model …
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One distinguished professor
After decades of supporting the lives of animals and people, Dr. Claire Card has reached a milestone achievement in her career that spans nearly four decades. Card (DVM, PhD) is one of five University of Saskatchewan faculty members to receive the honorary title of distinguished professor in 2026. This prestigious honour recognizes professors who have made lasting contributions to teaching …
October 22nd, 2026 Full story »
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One curious equestrian
From the show-jumping arenas of her youth to the labs of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), Dr. Madison Ricard’s passion for horses has driven her every step of the way in her academic career. The horse enthusiast received her PhD in anatomic pathology at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) Fall Convocation in November 2024. Ricard’s doctoral research sheds …
March 03rd, 2025 Full story »
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A passion for horses
After years of “living and breathing horses,” Laura Callaghan is savouring her new role as an equine field service intern at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM). Having already spent a summer as a student with the WCVM Veterinary Medical Centre’s Equine Field Service, Callaghan is enthusiastic about returning as a qualified veterinarian who can now “sign on the …
September 01st, 2024 Full story »
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Equine vets in training
Drs. Alannah Friedlund, Eveline Juce and Josefina Ghersa are among the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s team of incoming residents and clinical interns whose work focuses on equine health. Visit tehrf.ca to read more profiles of the college’s new team members. Dr. Alannah Friedlund, resident, large animal surgery Originally from Fort Nelson, B.C., Dr. Alannah Friedlund completed a Bachelor of …
August 31st, 2023 Full story »
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‘It was always horses, horses, horses.’
Long before she became a veterinarian, Dr. Amanda Butler was a big fan of horses. “There was never a second when I didn’t think I was going to work with horses,” says Butler, a lecturer in equine field service and large animal medicine at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM). “[For me], it was always horses, horses, horses.” After …
August 30th, 2023 Full story »
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Practical veterinarian
Coming to Canada for an equine residency meant starting over for Dr. José Antonio Guerra. Guerra had already become a professor at Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México outside of Mexico City, Mexico, after earning a master’s degree at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). He oversaw a new equine hospital — and he finally owned the horses he’d …
October 06th, 2022 Full story »
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Dr. Duke’s 30-year legacy
In 1999, Dr. Tanya Duke-Novakovski travelled to Leipzig, Germany, for a one-year sabbatical leave from her role at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM). The veterinary anesthesiologist’s goal during her stay in the former east German city was to help curb the number of horses that died after surgery in the Universität Leipzig’s large animal clinic. The problem was …
March 06th, 2022 Full story »
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Vet’s career heads straight to the heart
Growing up in Portugal, Dr. Tiago Afonso always knew he wanted to be an equine veterinarian. “My uncle had a farm with horses, and he’s a mixed veterinarian in the back country of Portugal,” says Afonso, an assistant professor in the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s (WCVM) Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences. “I used to spend all my weekends …
December 01st, 2021 Full story »
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Stall-side research
Mateo Castano Ospina, a veterinary student at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), spent four months working as the Townsend Equine Health Research Fund (TEHRF) undergraduate summer research student. Each year, the equine research fund provides financial support for a veterinary student to work on a horse-health focused research project. “I think the program gives veterinary students a great …
November 09th, 2021 Full story »
