Roo expands veterinary staffing platform to Canada amid rising job shortages

Canada: Roo launches its veterinary staffing platform in the Greater Toronto Area, addressing a projected deficit of veterinary professionals and aiming to improve flexibility, retention, and supply of locum vets and RVTs in a strained sector.

Roo has opened its veterinary staffing platform in Canada, targeting a sector where clinics are struggling to cover shifts and hold on to staff. The service is designed to give hospitals faster access to locum veterinarians and registered veterinary technicians, while offering professionals more control over when and where they work.

The launch begins in the Greater Toronto Area, where animal hospitals can post vacancies and match with available workers through a self-serve system. Roo also packages free continuing education into the platform, a feature it says is meant to support retention as much as recruitment.

The timing matters. The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association has projected about 5,000 veterinary job openings in Canada between now and 2031, against just over 4,000 job seekers. That imbalance can leave practices short-staffed, limit appointment availability and make it harder to cover holidays, parental leave and other absences.

Roo says the model is intended to ease pressure on clinics while helping veterinarians and RVTs build more flexible careers. Danny Leffel, the company’s chief executive, said the goal was to support teams caring for Canadian pets and to reduce the risk of burnout in a demanding industry.