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Northern College

PROGRAM INFORMATION

6 Semesters (2 semesters if applying after completion of a Veterinary Technician diploma)

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PROGRAM INFORMATION

Academic Year :

2026-2027

Credential :

Advanced Diploma

Program Delivery :

Full-Time

Duration :

3 Years

Length :

6 Semesters (2 semesters if applying after completion of a Veterinary Technician diploma)

Program Code(s) :

H134 - Haileybury Campus (HL)

DESCRIPTION

The only one of its kind in Canada, Northern College’s Veterinary Technology Wildlife Rehabilitation program is a three-year advanced diploma that will transform your passion for animals into a career helping orphaned, injured, and sick wildlife successfully return to their natural habitat.

After two years of the Veterinary Technician program, you’ll specialize in applying the principles and practices essential for the care and rehabilitation of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. Also, in the third year, you’ll deepen your knowledge of how to establish a functional facility, including all aspects of care pertaining to the wildlife within the facility.

Northern College is an approved administrator of the Ontario Wildlife Rehabilitation Exam for students in the program. This exam is a pre-requisite to apply for a Wildlife Custodian Authorization. For more information, please visit Ontario’s wildlife rehabilitation webpage.

Why Study Wildlife Rehabilitation at Northern College?

  • Gain specialized knowledge in preserving natural ecosystems and reducing mortality and suffering in orphaned, injured, and sick wild animals.
  • Learn from experienced faculty who work directly in the field of wildlife rehabilitation.
  • Study a curriculum that covers the National Wildlife Rehabilitator’s Association (NWRA) standards.
  • Add to your employability credentials and career path options by making your resume stand out with a Veterinary Technologist designation and deepening your Veterinary Technician animal nursing skills and knowledge.
  • Complete a 4-week placement to apply your learning in real-world wildlife care settings.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Graduates of this Veterinary Technology Advanced Diploma are able to work with the OMNRF to establish their own Wildlife Rehabilitation center or find employment at Wildlife Rehabilitation centers and sanctuaries, zoos, veterinary practices, humane societies, shelters, and research laboratories.

VOCATIONAL LEARNING OUTCOMES

  1. Communicate in a professional manner in all formats - written, oral, non-verbal and electronic.
  2. Maintain high ethical standards in order to provide quality care to patients, the public, the veterinary profession and governing bodies, by recognizing and upholding laws associated with the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act and the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians (OAVT) code of ethics.

1

Veterinary Technician

Program Outline 2026-2027

Veterinary Technician

Program Outline 2026-2027

  1. Demonstrate, perform or explain patient assessment techniques with minimum stress and maximum safety in a variety of animal species, so that objective and subjective data is accurately obtained.
  2. Demonstrate knowledge of proper handling, packaging and storage of specimens for laboratory analysis to ensure safety of patients, public and staff.
  3. Identify physical, behavioural, social, and natural historical features of various animal species, along with recognizing their basic underlying physiological processes.
  4. Accurately calculate the basal metabolic rate, caloric requirements, vitamin and mineral supplementation, medications and fluids for a variety of animal species and administer them safely and effectively.
  5. Apply knowledge of appropriate husbandry practices, habitat components, nutritional requirements, therapeutic, release and restraint techniques to various animal species in order to enhance wellness and achieve maximum health benefits.
  6. Create a working proposal, along with appropriate advertising materials to promote projects or products and assess their feasibility or interest within the community through outreach and community networking.
  7. Recognize the role of a wildlife custodian by demonstrating the principles of evidence gathering and investigation in preparation for judicial proceedings for offences against wildlife.
  8. Demonstrate knowledge for safe and effective work outdoors, including selection and use of appropriate clothing and gear.
  9. Design and prepare operational plans, policies, procedures and enrichment items in a manner to maintain a secure, quality environment for the animals, public and staff.
  10. Demonstrate knowledge of how non-profit organizations raise money, organize human and other resources and how all of these are used to achieve the organization’s goals.

PROGRAM COURSES

The following reflects the planned course sequence for full-time offerings of the program. Programs at Northern College are delivered using a variety of instruction modes. Courses may be offered in the classroom or lab, entirely online, or in a hybrid mode which combines classroom sessions with virtual learning activities.

NOTE: Semesters 1 through 4 are the program of study for the Veterinary Technician diploma, required before proceeding into the third-year Wildlife Rehabilitation specialization courses in Semesters 5 & 6.

| Semester 1 | Semester 1 | Hours | |

Source: https://www.northerncollege.ca/uploads/Veterinary-Technology-Wildlife-Rehabilitation-2026.pdf