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As Canada faces a growing veterinary staffing shortage, Roo, the leading veterinary workforce platform, is launching in the Greater Toronto Area to give hospitals easier access to locum coverage and veterinary professionals more control over when and where they work.
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TORONTO — Roo, the largest veterinary workforce platform that connects hospitals with veterinary professionals, launched in Canada today, offering flexible locum work, known as relief work in the U.S., and free continuing education. Through Roo’s platform, veterinary hospitals across the Greater Toronto Area can now post and fill open shifts while Canadian veterinarians and Registered Veterinary Technicians can find flexible locum shifts that fit their schedules.
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The launch comes as Canada’s veterinary workforce faces growing staffing challenges. According to the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, from now until 2031, the country is projected to face approximately 5,000 veterinary job openings with just over 4,000 job seekers. For veterinary hospitals, that demand makes it harder to maintain appointment capacity, cover vacations and parental leave, and give veterinary teams the time they need to reduce burnout.
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Currently, finding locum coverage in Canada is difficult, with hospitals relying on a mix of agencies, word of mouth, and social groups. This makes it challenging to quickly find qualified professionals when coverage is needed. Roo replaces that scramble with a real-time, self-serve platform, giving hospitals a faster, more reliable way to post shifts and find qualified coverage when they need it most. By connecting clinics and professionals directly, Roo helps hospitals find coverage faster.
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For veterinarians and RVTs, the same lack of a central, reliable resource makes it hard to discover opportunities that fit their lives. Roo gives vets and RVTs the flexibility to define their own work-life balance, setting their own schedule while choosing the shifts and locations that work for them. That means picking up extra work to reach financial goals or simply having more control over when and where they practice.
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Instead of managing shifts through time-consuming, back-and-forth emails and texts from multiple sources, Roo brings these connections into a real-time, self-serve platform where hospitals can post shifts and veterinary professionals can find and request opportunities that fit their schedules within minutes at the click of a button. Veterinarians and RVTs get to build their career their way, searching shifts by date, specialty, and pay, and choosing the ones that fit their lives and financial goals.
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“We’re bringing Roo to Canada to help veterinary professionals build flexible, fulfilling careers in an increasingly demanding industry,” said Danny Leffel, CEO of Roo. “Roo was built around flexibility. It gives veterinarians and technicians the opportunity to choose how and when they work, while giving veterinary hospitals a flexible way to access professionals when they need coverage. Our goal is to support the teams already caring for Canadian pets by helping clinics maintain capacity, meet demand, and reduce the risk of burnout.”
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How Roo Works:
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- For veterinary hospitals: With a free Roo account, hospitals can post unlimited shifts without paying until they confirm coverage, customize their coverage needs, and review profiles of interested veterinarians and RVTs to choose who they want to work with.
- For Veterinarians and RVTs: Veterinary professionals can search available shifts on an interactive map with transparent pay, filter opportunities based on their schedule and preferences, and request the shifts that fit their lives. After completing a shift, they receive payment by electronic funds transfer within a few business days.
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“After more than 12 years working as a locum vet, I’ve seen firsthand how much the right coverage can mean to a veterinary team, and how much flexibility can mean to the people doing the work,” said Dr. Marie Holowaychuk, DVM, Diplomate ACVECC, CE and Career Development speaker, and Founder of Reviving Veterinary Medicine. “Locum work has given me the freedom to build a career on my own terms, and I’m excited for Roo to bring that same flexibility and support to Canadian veterinarians and RVTs. At a time when our profession is facing so much pressure, giving people more choice and helping clinics get the support they need can make a real difference for teams and for the future of veterinary medicine.”
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For Canadian veterinary professionals, Roo also provides access to free RACE-approved continuing education, including on-demand courses and live educational opportunities through the same platform used to find locum work. Roo will host a free continuing education event at the Toronto Zoo on September 27, 2026, in partnership with CoVet and VetWise, bringing Canadian veterinary professionals together for learning, fun, and connection.
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Roo currently serves more than 30,000 veterinary professionals and 10,000 partner hospitals in the United States and has provided more than four million hours of coverage to help hospitals care for more pets in their communities. In the Greater Toronto Area, Roo will provide Canadian veterinary teams with another flexible resource to help meet staffing needs and support access to care.
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To learn more, visit: roo.vet/en-ca
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For the media kit with images and assets, please see HERE.
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About Roo
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Founded in 2019, Roo is a flexible staffing and careers platform connecting Veterinarians and Registered Veterinary Technicians with animal hospitals for locum work and free continuing education. Roo empowers the largest network of veterinary professionals to earn and learn on their schedule while providing more than four million hours of coverage to help hospitals care for more pets in their communities. For more information, visit roo.vet/en-ca.
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