Who Are We?

Our mission

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 dogs in rural or remote communities. Our team members travel to northern communities with the necessary equipment and pharmaceuticals for a full service accredited spay neuter clinic once invited to do so.

Geographical Isolation

Many First Nation communities lack access to veterinary care because of geographical isolation. Lack of education and information about animal welfare contributes to the challenges that many rural communities in Northern Ontario experience, such as animal overpopulation, poor health, or aggression. Historically, in communities where there is a high incidence of human morbidity or mortality due to dog aggression, feral dogs are shot or culled, which are inhumane practices and do not solve the problem.

Assisting with humane population control

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.

Education for rural and remote communities

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.

During our time in Wabaseemoong Independent Nations this past September, we collaborated with students from the local high school. Some of our team members in the recovery station taught the students how to perform post-operative animal care. We were thrilled to see the students dedicated to providing compassionate care to the animals, and keen to help our team with clinical tasks. Our hope is to encourage community engagement with the educational component of our spay and neuter clinics.

Volunteer-driven

A team of 10-12 veterinarians, veterinary technicians and assistants travel to rural and remote communities throughout Northern Ontario to conduct veterinary care. Team members volunteer their time and expertise to promote the mission of GBAQT.

The model

An annual visit to each community is planned until successful dog population control is achieved and there is continued community commitment to ensure our shared purpose. 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.

Success stories

Bonds & partnerships

Since 2012, GBAQT has partnered with communities throughout Northern Ontario to perform over 1150 spays and neuters, and conduct over 2000 wellness checks. 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.

Since 2013, GBAQT has made several annual visits to Wabaseemoong Independent Nations. Our last visit was in September 2024.

Onigaming First Nation at Nestor Falls, Ontario partnered with GBAQT in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

In 2016, 2017 and 2019, our team collaborated with Beat the Heat Kenora and the OSPCA to assist Naotkamegwanning First Nation with their dog population control effort.

In 2017, we partnered with the Northern Spay Neuter Program to provide humane veterinary care to Big Grassy River First Nation.

GBAQT travelled to Rocky Bay Biinjitiwabik Zaaging Anishnabek and Lake Helen Opwaaganisuing with the Northern Spay and Neuter Program in 2018.

Some of our team members have visited Moose Factory and Kashechewan First Nations along the James Bay Coast to assist other animal welfare groups with veterinary clinics.

During 2024, GBAQT partnered with Big Grassy River First Nation and Wabseemoong Independent Nations to improve community and animal welfare.

Our team collaborated with Urban Tails Animal Rescue to perform a spay and neuter clinic in Poplar Hill First Nation from June 7th-14th, 2025.

We were also happy to partner with Wabaseemong Independent Nations during September 14th-21st, 2025.

Bonds & partnerships

Over the years we've forged bonds with many people in Northern Ontario. Members of our team have been fortunate to see the northern lights, experienced the ceremonies of sweat lodges and smudging, ice fished, seen bears, moose and wolves, 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 Nations with their dog population control, we admitted Roscoe on day three of our clinic. He was presented to be neutered, but missed the cut off time for surgery. He received a physical examination, heartworm test, vaccinations for DHPP and R, internal parasite control for roundworms/hookworms/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 owner was advised to keep him quiet overnight and to present him to our clinic the following morning for his neuter surgery. This is because heartworm positive dogs may develop life threatening pulmonary emboli among other complications if they are too active after receiving treatment.

The next morning our team was alerted to Roscoe’s owner rushing into the clinic extremely distressed. Our veterinary team immediately triaged Roscoe and it became clear that he was hypothermic. Roscoe received exceptional care from our team, and was placed on intravenous support and continuous monitoring. By noon, Roscoe was up and walking, and released to his owner at the end of the day.

Later on, we learned that Roscoe had been placed in a crate overnight but managed to escape and adventure all night in the rain. In the morning, his owner found him comatose in a ditch and wrapped him in a blanket with the intention of bringing him to our clinic. Roscoe survived and underwent successful neuter surgery on day 5 of our clinic.