On January 20, 2025, amid a deep freeze, a burst pipe in the Stewart Building at the University of Guelph unleashed significant flooding at the Ontario Veterinary College’s Health Sciences Centre. The resulting water damage forced the closure of the Large Animal Hospital’s (LAH) two operating suites and all five recovery and induction rooms, which remain out of service. 

For over 100 years, the LAH has been a critical care facility for countless equine and bovine patients across the province. It also stands as Ontario’s sole provider of round-the-clock emergency services for horses. After the flood, staff scrambled to relocate essential supplies and equipment, establishing a makeshift surgery suite in a nearby research facility. By January 23, clinicians were already performing surgery on a horse in life-threatening condition. Nevertheless, the majority of non-emergency cases have been deferred or redirected. 

According to Cynthia Fobert, the university’s donor relations manager, the estimated cost to refurbish the five affected rooms totals approximately $500,000 — about $100,000 per room. “Any equipment damaged in the flood, including all donor-funded equipment like the high-tech dispensary received through the Caird F. Wilson Estate, will be replaced through insurance,” she noted. 

Renovations are scheduled for the summer, but their completion depends on financial contributions from outside sources. “We have had some donor interest [which] gives us some confidence to move forward.” Fobert also emphasized that the current closure offers a unique opportunity. “If we were ever going to do these renovations to the induction/recovery rooms, this would be the time, when the surgeries are closed. We would have to do the project piece-meal and at greater cost otherwise. Also, the noise would be disruptive for our patients.” 

In a recent fundraising appeal, Dr. Luis Gaitero, Chief Medical Officer, stressed the critical need for support: “Funded on a cost-recovery basis, the Large Animal Hospital has suffered a substantial loss of income — not covered by insurance or a cash-strapped university — and it will be months before the facility returns to full operation. Undoubtedly, after more than 35 years without substantial renovation, the LAH is also overdue for significant upgrades. But with resources stretched thin, the prospect of rebuilding something better during this crisis is out of reach for us unless you answer this call. For the first time in a very long time, the Large Animal Hospital is asking for your help. 

“This unprecedented closure of the operating suites at OVC’s Large Animal Hospital presents an extraordinary opportunity: the chance to renovate all five worn and outdated surgery prep and recovery rooms at once. Upgrading our facilities while the hospital is substantially closed allows us to capitalize on rare efficiencies, reducing costs in time, money, and disruption.” 

Please donate HERE.

With files from Ontario Veterinary College, Cowsmo.com 

Photo: iStock/Sandi Smolker