William Dale – Local Journalism Initiative
Published online September 9, 2026, at www.pontiacjournal.com
LUSKVILLE — Local horse owners and members of the regional equestrian community gathered at the Luskville Community Centre on Wednesday, August 26, for a meet-and-greet with Dre Adrianna Schwarzer, the region’s newest mobile equine veterinarian. Organized by the Pontiac Équestre Association, the event gave local horse owners an opportunity to meet Schwarzer, ask questions about veterinary care and discuss emergency coverage in the Pontiac.
Four Years Without Local Equine Care
For the past four years, horse owners across the Pontiac have had limited access to local equine veterinary services following the passing of local veterinarian Dr. Andrea Kelly. In response, the Pontiac Équestre Association began organizing group vaccination days and basic veterinary visits with practitioners travelling in from outside the region. “When we lost all our vets in the region, we gathered together and started finding vets who could travel around to handle annual vaccinations and basic care,” said Andrea Goffart, president of Pontiac Équestre. “This meet-and-greet is a follow-up to those four years of hard work. Now that there is a new vet in the area, we wanted to give everyone a chance to meet her, ask questions, and hear about her plans for the Pontiac,” she pointed.
A New Local Option
Schwarzer will begin seeing clients in September through her new practice, SVAS Equine. Based in Hull, she will provide emergency services in parts of the Pontiac, including Luskville, Quyon, Shawville, Campbell’s Bay and Otter Lake. She said the emergency service area is limited to ensure she can reach animals within a reasonable response time. For horse owners outside the primary service area, group vaccination days and routine care visits can still be organized in advance. Schwarzer’s interest in equine medicine began in 2018. She had originally planned to pursue human medicine.
“What is super fun about equine medicine is that I get to do a little bit of everything,” said Schwarzer. “In human medicine, you pick a specialty, but as an equine vet, I can be a surgeon, a dentist, and a family doctor all in one day,” she added. While attending veterinary school and owning horses locally, Schwarzer also saw firsthand how difficult it had become for horse owners in Western Quebec to access veterinary care. “Once I graduated, I knew I wanted to return to this area. If I could step up and help make sure the region wasn’t left behind, that was where I wanted to be,” she asserted.
How to Register
SVAS Equine is already accepting patient registrations ahead of the September launch. Horse owners can request a PDF intake form by email at svas.equine@gmail.com.
Photo: Pontiac Équestre President Andrea Goffart (center) speaks to community members alongside Dre Adrianna Schwarzer (right) and treasurer Carole Savard (left) at the Luskville Community Centre on Wednesday, August 26. The meet-and-greet gave horse owners a chance to learn about Schwarzer’s new mobile practice, SVAS Equine. (WD)
