FORT FRANCES — He began as a young graduate who had promised his new fiancée he would stay in Fort Frances, Ont., for only three years.
Five decades later—after he had established a leading veterinary clinic in northwestern Ontario, served as an active volunteer in his community, retired, and received a Golden Life Membership Award from the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA)—he laughs at how quickly his plans changed.
At the end of January, Dr. Daniel Pierroz received the 2024 Golden Life Membership Award. The award, which was presented at the OVMA Conference and Trade Show in Toronto, honours a veterinarian who has made extraordinary contributions to animal welfare and veterinary medicine.
Dr. Pierroz gave a short speech in front of hundreds of fellow veterinarians at the conference, accompanied by his wife Anna Pierroz.
“I was really quite shocked and amazed,” he said. “The honour, of course, is having your name submitted for such a thing. But the achievement, of course, is actually getting rewarded with one. Both of those things were a very big honour to me.”
His associates, Dr. Marialisa Laurella and Dr. Douglas Veldhuisen, nominated him for the award.
Dr. Pierroz was born on a dairy farm on the outskirts of Hamilton, Ontario. He attended the Ontario Agricultural College in the fall of 1969 and was accepted into the Ontario Veterinary College in 1971.
After graduating from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1975, Dr. Pierroz saw an ad for a job opportunity in Fort Frances and relocated to northwestern Ontario. “Everybody in southern Ontario thought I was crazy moving that far, 1200 miles north, including Anna,” he said over the phone, laughing.
“We had just met prior to me leaving school,” Dr. Pierroz said of his engagement to now wife, who had been working as a teacher in southern Ontario at the time. “We did long distance for a year, and she joined me up here in 1976.”
“Very reluctantly,” Mrs. Pierroz chimed in good-humoredly. “Because I had a nice teaching job in Guelph, I didn't want to leave.”
Travelling to the north back then involved multiple stops, one that included a four to six-seater plane. On his first day in Fort Frances, Dr. Pierroz recalls extremely cold weather and a crunch of snow under his feet.
One year after his move, Dr. Pierroz purchased the Nor-West Animal Clinic, a mixed animal practice serving the Rainy River District.
“Overall, it was the opportunity here that the large animal practice was starting to grow very well with the increasing dairy industry, and the small animal practice had a lot of potential. So it was just a good place to relocate,” he said.
Mrs. Pierroz had also received teaching offers at both the public and Catholic school boards in the area, she says, making the “jump” easier.
Over the span of his 48-year career, Dr. Pierroz served the needs of animals across the district, often as the only practitioner in the area. With no access to emergency clinics nearby, he worked on-call to provide after-hours care.
Mrs. Pierroz recalls being at home and answering emergency phone calls after hours for her husband late at night because, back then, they didn’t have cell phones.
Due to the large geographical area of the Rainy River District and to respond to emergencies in a timely manner, Mrs. Pierroz would try to reach Dr. Pierroz about new emergency calls while he was already out at a farm.
The newlyweds worked together as best as they could. But oftentimes, Dr. Pierroz would return home only to learn that another call had come in not too far from the farm he was just at.
“He used to have to go to a farm call late at night sometimes as far as Rainy River,” Mrs. Pierroz said. “After he finished the call, he would phone somehow from the farmer’s house, ask [me] if there was another call, and I'd say there probably wasn't. But by the time he got back, there was. So he’d have to go back somewhere.”
“We had no two-way communication,” Dr. Pierroz added. “Later on, we got FM radios and now, of course, the cell phones. So communication is so much better in how we operate.”
Committed to improving animal welfare in the northwest, Dr. Pierroz organized travel clinics in more isolated and remote areas, including Indigenous communities. Without a humane society in the district, he provided aid to local rescue organizations, helping to find forever homes for animals.
Dr. Pierroz was also a lead in the formation of the Designated Area Veterinary Association, representing the Designated Practices in Ontario. His, like many other designated areas, often lacked adequate animal welfare resources and struggled to attract veterinary professionals.
As an advocate for mental health and mentorship, throughout his career, Dr. Pierroz mentored colleagues and interns, employed summer veterinary students and offered support in various ways. He often checked-in on colleagues and created a safe environment for staff to express their emotions and discuss challenges.
“We tease Dr. Pierroz about being a legend—that’s probably the best way to describe his influence in this area after practicing veterinary medicine here for almost 50 years,” said Dr. Veldhuisen. “His integrity, perseverance and genuine care for people and pets is worthy of great recognition.”
The Nor-West Animal Clinic received the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Award in 2013 and won a 2021 OVMA Practice Management Award.
Dr. Pierroz has also been an active member of his community, serving a decade as a School Board Trustee with 4-years as Chair. He helped lead the steering committee for the construction of the current Fort Frances High School, was on the Townshend Theatre Auditorium fundraising committee, is a former Boy Scout Leader, and was involved in developing the multi-sport field project in the Town of Fort Frances.
Today, he continues to be a strong advocate and financial supporter of local organizations and service groups, including the Tour de Fort concert series, district 4-H programs, and the annual agricultural fair.
In 2017, Dr. Pierroz built a new 5000 sq. ft. clinic with a detached isolation building and a community-use Pet Wash—one of the accomplishments he feels most proud of.
On June 30, 2023, the current owner, Dr. Laurella, purchased Nor-West Animal Clinic from Dr. Pierroz.
In December 2023, Dr. Pierroz officially retired.
He had felt the need to slow down for a while. Now that the Nor-West Animal Clinic was in a “good place,” serviced by seven technicians and two associates, rebuilt with a new facility equipped with the latest technology, Dr. Pierroz felt the time to retire was right.
“It’s a really, really great office to continue to serve northwestern Ontario and the Rainy River District. And it was just time,” he said. “All the things were in place that I had wanted to leave for the district…I really feel good about leaving the district with just a wonderful facility and great former staff.”
Dr. Pierroz reflects on his career with pride and fulfillment, saying he met many great clients and pets. Many residents recall experiences when “Dr. Dan” played a key role in the lives of their furry loved ones.
In retirement, Dr. Pierroz looks forward to his 50th class reunion in 2025, visits to the grandkids, home renovations, and doing all the “stuff” he says he’s put off for 25 years.
“I might even go fishing with some buddies next Spring,” he said.
Most of all, Dr. Pierroz holds immense gratitude for the community that welcomed him and supported him throughout the years.
“I just want to thank the community, the whole district for their support over the years and I’m really happy that we stayed with the community and worked with the community. And I’m really pleased that we’re retiring in Fort Frances and going forward from there,” he said.
Fort Frances Times / Local Journalism Initiative
