This June, Dr. Ernie Prowse (BA’71) was honoured with the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association‘s (CVMA) Small Animal Practitioner Award. It is the top award for small animal veterinarians practicing in Canada.

According to the CVMA, Dr. Prowse was selected “for his compassion and continuous dedication to the animals in his care.”

Dr. Prowse studied psychology at Dalhousie and science at Prince of Wales College, now part of the University of Prince Edward Island. He then received his veterinary degree from the University of Guelph in 1976.

After moving back to Nova Scotia from Ontario, Dr. Prowse and his wife Pam opened the Central Nova Animal Hospital in Truro in 1987. They sold the business, which continues to employ many pre-veterinary students from Dalhousie’s Faculty of Agriculture, in 2000. Dr. Prowse has since focused on performing orthopedic surgery across Nova Scotia.

“I don’t know what I’d be doing if I hadn’t become a vet,” said Dr. Prowse in an interview with Truro Daily News. “I’m lucky to have been able to do this for 40 years and I want to continue.”

During his career, Dr. Prowse helped found and teach courses in the Animal Health Technician program at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, now Dalhousie’s Faculty of Agriculture. He has also held numerous roles with the CVMA, Nova Scotia Veterinary Medical Association and Atlantic Provinces Veterinary Conference.

Read more in “Local veterinarian honoured with national award” on trurodaily.com and “Nova Scotia Veterinarian Awarded for his Dedication and Compassion to Animals in his Care” on canadianveterinarians.net.

Photo: Truro Daily News