U of Guelph Veterinary Program Gets $50,000 Financial Boost

Gift will help support a veterinarian specializing in exotic animals

On June 8, 2010 Rolf C. Hagen Inc., makers of Nutrience Pet Food, announced its commitment to provide $50,000 a year (for the next two years) to help support a veterinarian specializing in the care of small and exotic animals at the OVC Health Sciences Centre at the University of Guelph (OVC).
The new position will not only benefit referred tertiary care hospital clients but will also play a key role in educating OVC Health Sciences Centre clinicians, who will in turn help student veterinarians learn about primary health care for small and exotic companion animals, which make up a growing segment of the pet population.

“We are grateful for the generous support,” said Dr. Elizabeth Stone, OVC dean. “This gift will help us meet the special needs of a growing number of clients whose animal companions are something other than a dog or a cat. It will also help us ensure that future graduates have the skills and experience they need to properly care for these animals.”

The gift from Rolf C. Hagen Inc. is consistent with the OVC’s efforts to focus on primary health care education, service and research. The recent opening of the Hill’s Pet Nutrition Primary Healthcare Centre introduces a new model of veterinary education in Canada. The four-year doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) program is the first of its kind to integrate primary health care into a learning model that gives students more hands-on experience and provides the skills necessary to meet the day-to-day health care issues that they’ll face as practitioners.


The addition of a Veterinarian specializing in small and exotic animals has been well received by veterinary practitioners, who recognize the importance of offering this specialized training to future veterinarians.

“As a veterinary practitioner, I think it is imperative to introduce new graduates to the complexity of working with small and exotic pets in order to ensure the future of a more compassionate and knowledgeable veterinary community,” says Dr. John Valsamis, an OVC graduate and founding member of the Britannia Animal Hospital in Mississauga. “As a large pet product manufacturer, Rolf C. Hagen Inc. has been extremely supportive of the companion animal industry over the years. This has been demonstrated through the many donations they have made to the veterinary profession and by helping expand the general public’s knowledge of animal care and well-being.”

Rolf C. Hagen Inc.’s On-going Commitment
Rolf C. Hagen Inc. has been a major contributor to the modernization of OVC's research capabilities. Alum (‘89 M. Ag.) and Vice-President of Nutrition at Rolf C. Hagen Inc., Mark Hagen has been one of the driving forces behind the company’s continued support. The company’s commitment to the University also includes the development of the Hagen AquaLab, an aquatic research facility that opened in 1995, funding of the Hagen Graduate Scholarship and the Hagen Pet Products Small Animal Scholarship.

“The years I spent as a student at the University of Guelph helped define my core values in animal care and truly nurtured my interest in the companion animal sector. We are proud to support the University and are certain that our contribution will enhance the OVC’s position as an international leader in companion animal primary health care research and education,” says Hagen

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