We’re excited to share that the Yellowknife Community Foundation has launched Bella’s Veterinary Student Award Fund, established by Amanda Mallon to help grow and support the veterinary sector in the NWT. For so many Northerners, pets are family, and this fund is about making sure all Northern pets have access to safe and local care.
The award is named in memory of Bella, Amanda’s amazing dog who passed away in 2024. Bella was your classic Northern Special – a husky-beagle mix rescued through the NWT SPCA. She came from a community north of Yellowknife at just six weeks old, and with her big personality and lovable nature, she quickly became a “foster fail” and lived a full, adventurous 12 years surrounded by love, great vet care, and community support.
To honour Bella’s legacy and the special animals in all of our lives, we’re inviting NWT residents to share a photo and a short story about a beloved pet they’ve lost. We’ll be highlighting these tributes on our website.
“For many, pets are part of our families and our lives, especially here in the North. We’re proud to establish Bella’s Veterinary Student Award Fund which will helps strengthen veterinary care in the NWT by offering support to Northern students pursuing veterinary studies. When we invest in local students, we’re helping build stronger veterinary services in our own communities. Northern students are more likely to come back home to the NWT, stay, and continue to care for the animals that add to our lives.” Laurie Gault, Chair of the Yellowknife Community Foundation
Bella’s Fund will offer $5,000 a year to a resident of the NWT who is pursuing education in the following areas: veterinary medicine, veterinary technician, veterinary assistant, animal health technology, and wildlife rehabilitation. Applications are currently available until May 31 2025, here.
“This award will be a great support to Northern students who are interested in the science of veterinary medicine, and will hopefully encourage the furthering of vet medicine in the North!” Dr. Katie Denroche, Aurora Veterinary Hospital YK
To learn more about why local veterinary care matters, check out this article from Veterinarians Without Borders featuring Alison Buckland, a recently certified veterinary technician who was born and raised in Yellowknife. Now part of the Vets Without Borders team, Alison explains that having more veterinarians and vet techs living and working in the North creates opportunities for local students to study remotely and online from the North and complete their practicums in Northern clinics, and then find meaningful job opportunities in their own communities.
We encourage everyone to make a donation to Bella’s Fund.
The Yellowknife Community Foundation was established in 1993 to give individuals and organizations a way to support community projects with lasting impact. We manage endowment funds, meaning that we invest donations and generally grant out the annual investment income as student awards or community grants. This ensures that funds like Bella’s Fund will endure, helping to grow and maintain and strong animal care sector in the NWT. The Foundation is built on a simple yet powerful idea – that by working together, we can create meaningful change in our community.
