The formal purpose of the Grey Bruce Aboriginal Qimmiq Team is to partner with First Nation communities in Northern Ontario to improve community and animal welfare by assisting with sustainable humane dog population control. Spay and neuter services as well as vaccination against communicable diseases, parasite control and animal identification is provided to the dogs in these communities. The Grey Bruce Aboriginal Qimmiq team is a volunteer driven registered charity.
Many First Nation communities lack access to veterinary care because of geographical isolation. Also, there is a lack of education, information and initiative to seek assistance when animals on First Nation communities reach levels of overpopulation, general poor health, or aggression. To that end, many communities have resorted to shooting feral dogs, or those dogs that are deemed aggressive or un-owned. In communities where there is a higher than normal dog bite incidence and human death due to dog aggression, this has historically been the only option available. And, not only are dog culls inhumane, they do not solve the problem.
GBAQT has developed a model whereby we first select communities to assist based on their need, and their willingness to address and to continue to address dog population control in a humane manner. Our model is geared to achieve our goals while remaining culturally sensitive and respectful to each community that we partner with.
We offer education and advice for the development of companion animal care and control within the community. On each visit to the community there is a component of education offered to the school children on topics such as dog bite prevention, and basic animal care. Assistance with dog by law development and dog control is offered.
A team of 10-12 veterinarians, veterinary technicians and assistants are assembled in order to travel to the community to conduct up to five annual veterinary clinics. Each of the veterinary team members volunteers their time and expertise. .
An annual visit to each community is planned until successful dog population control is achieved and also based upon the continued commitment of each community to our shared purposes. Further veterinary visits are made based on need for dog or animal population control as well as the support from the community and the availability of the team.
Since 2012, GBAQT has partnered with communities throughout Northern Ontario to perform spays and neuters, and conduct wellness checks on over 1500 dogs. All these animals have received identification by tattoos or microchips and their individual pictures and health information has been left in the respective communities as well as a microchip scanner.
Over the years we have forged bonds and friendships with many people in the north. We've been fortunate to see the northern lights, experienced the ceremony of sweat lodges, ice fished, seen lots of bears, moose and wolves, been smudged, driven through a snowstorm on May 24th, been “drummed in” to welcome us and “drummed out” to say goodbye, and listened to many stories from elders about the Creator as well as Ojibway traditions.
Roscoe’s story September 2022, Wabaseemoong Independent First Nation
While our team was assisting Wabaseemoong Independent First Nation with their dog population control, we had the pleasure of admitting Roscoe to be assessed on day 3 of our clinic. He was presented to be neutered, but missed the cut off time for surgery. He received a physical examination, a heartworm test, and vaccinations for DHPP and R, as well as internal parasite control for roundworms, hookworms, and tapeworms, and external parasite control for sarcoptic mange, fleas, and ticks. Roscoe was found to be heartworm positive, so he received a heartworm slow kill protocol. His wonderful owner was advised to keep him quiet and warm overnight and to present him in the morning for his neuter surgery. If the dogs that have heartworm worms are too active after their treatment, they may develop life threatening pulmonary emboli among other complications.
The next morning our team was alerted to Roscoe’s owner rushing into the clinic extremely distressed. The team rushed to assist and triage Roscoe. It became clear that Roscoe was hypothermic, and needed to be warmed and assessed. We were able to place a surgical warming blanket on him. Roscoe received compassionate and competent care from the GBAQT team, and was placed on intravenous support and continuous monitoring. By noon, Roscoe was up and walking. He was kept quiet, and re-assessed over the day. And released to his happy owner at the end of our day.
We learned that Roscoe had been placed in a crate and in a quiet environment, but Roscoe managed to escape the crate and adventure all night in the rain. In the morning, his owner found him comatose in a ditch, and then wrapped him in a blanket and ran to our makeshift clinic. Roscoe survived, and was admitted to the clinic on day 5 of our clinic, for his successful neuter surgery.
Dr. Linda Bolton graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1984. She has lived and
practiced in the Grey Bruce area ever since. Along with Dr. Sally Parks she became the owner of
Mullen Small Animal Clinic in 1993. She lives in the country with her husband, Russ, and a
plethora of dogs and pet chickens, turkeys and geese.
Dr. Bolton is the former Chair of the Awards Committee of the Ontario Veterinary Medical
Association, a past president of the Grey Bruce Veterinary Association, a retired St. John
Ambulance Therapy Dog Handler, and a newly retired coach for the Art of Veterinary Medicine
at the Ontario Veterinary College. She received the OVMA Award of Merit in 2009.
Once her three children grew up, Dr. Bolton found herself with time on her hands, and a love of surgery.
Apparently running a practice just wasn’t enough to keep her busy. And so she began a relationship with
First Nation Communities in Northern Ontario and their dogs. After five years of helping provide
veterinary care in a number of remote communities from 2005 to 2010, Dr. Bolton formed the Grey
Bruce Aboriginal Qimmiq Team in 2012.
The GBAQT started with four key members and has grown into a large group of veterinarians, veterinary
technicians, and support team members. In 2017 the group became a registered charity. Dr. Bolton
devotes her spare time to working with communities interested in achieving successful dog population
control and coordinating the trips to these communities. The team members, who live and work all over
Ontario travel to these northern communities with the necessary equipment and pharmaceuticals for a
full service accredited spay neuter clinic once invited to do so.
Dr. Bolton is hoping that with collaboration between interested Aboriginal communities and groups like
the GBAQT, we can achieve success and sustainability with Aboriginal dog population control where this
has not been possible or available before now.
Gary has been an Respiratory Therapist for over 30 years. Became a RN next. Loves flying and building planes. Is a wonderful musician. Worked as an OR nurse and flight nurse in the U.S, and Fort MacMurray, then eventually made it to the Grey Bruce area and became a client of Linda's. Taught nursing at Georgian College and then Conestoga College, and has now retired to Port Dover.
Barb has been with Gary forever! She is also an RN as well. Barb met Linda as a patient care manager for ER and ICU nurse in Hanover, on. Barb is also a diabetic educator and ended her career at Conestoga College in Kitchener teaching nursing. Loves to make glasswork and soaps and stained glass among other crafts. Both Gary and Barb have been raising Sullivan, an Irish Wolfhound for the last year.
Cassie graduated from the Veterinary Technology- Wildlife Rehabilitation program at
Northern College in 2012 and has been working as a Registered Veterinary Technician
in the mixed animal practice at Temiskaming Veterinary Services since.
She has a burning passion for cats but loves working with dogs, rodents and wildlife.
Anything with fur and whiskers really!!
She has volunteered with a variety of animal organizations from Northern Ontario all the
way to Cuba and South Africa. Cassie has been a part of the GBAQT group since 2013
and has grown a lot since then. It started with a love for dogs but has grown into a love
for visiting the communities and especially spending time with the children. “Children
are the future and I strongly believe that if we can make a difference with them now then
they will make a difference later “. She also enjoys working with younger technicians
and helping them along the way.
At home she wrangles her husband, two young daughters and a handful of fur critters.
Naomi Simpson is a life-long animal lover who owned a hotel for dogs for almost two decades. She also managed a busy mixed veterinary practice for over ten years, often assisting the veterinarians in preventive and emergency work, as well as occasional surgeries. She first became involved with the GBAQT in 2019 on a trip to Wabaseemoong Independent Nation and was grateful for the opportunity to return in 2023, as well get more involved with the organization as a member of the board. Naomi shares her beautiful 83 acre farm with her family, as well as her four-legged family, which includes two dogs, two cats, three horses and a very cute pony.
Erica recently graduated with a Masters of Biomedical Science in Applied Reproductive Biotechnologies from the Ontario Veterinary College. She pursued undergraduate and graduate studies at the University of Guelph with the hopes of pursuing a career in healthcare. Erica worked at a small animal clinic in Thunder Bay for many summers, and currently volunteers with numerous organizations that promote the welfare of animals and humans. She is continuing her passion for learning by working as a research intern at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. Erica loves to spend time with her two Maltese dogs, Zoey and Max, and she hopes to recruit new team members to help promote the mission of GBAQT.
Stacey takes pride in her Métis heritage, hailing from the Gaspe Peninsula, Lower St. Lawrence,
and Magdalen Island Métis Aboriginal Nation. Additionally, her family roots extend to the Māori,
the indigenous people of Mainland New Zealand. With over a decade of administrative expertise
in non-profit administration and engagement with settler organizations, she actively amplifies the
Indigenous voice, emphasizing healing and justice work. A mother of four—two children and two
cats—she is enthusiastic about her role as a Program Manager with GBAQT, where she looks
forward to bringing her love and compassion to dogs and Northern Indigenous Communities.