Positive Pet Experiences of Ottawa's homeless

A touching photo exhibit capturing homeless people and their pets demonstrates the strong positive human-animal bonds that exist on city streets. 

Ottawa radio DJ and photographer, Sandy Sharkey, attended a community outreach vet clinic run by Dr. Michelle Lem, to snap some photos of low-income people receiving free vet care for their pets. The project, which started out as an initiative by Global Pet Foods franchisee Karla Briones, quickly escalated. 

Sharkey spend eight weeks photographing people living on the streets or in community housing. She discovered a pet experience unlike any she had seen before. 

"The human-animal bond on the streets is one of the most beautiful that I have ever witnessed," said Sharkey. "For may of these people, their animals are the only relationship that they truly value." 

The 30-day exhibit, Joy To Their World, will include 15 photographs and will be on display at Holland's Cake and Shake beginning Saturday, November 22. Admission is free and all proceeds from the event will go to Community Vet Outreach. 

READ THE OTTAWA CITIZEN ARTICLE

Community Collaboration Summit presented in Ottawa

Left to Right: Mark Taylor (Ottawa Councillor ), Dr. Jennifer Messer 
(Ottawa By-law Services),  Dr. Michelle Lem (CVO), 
and Dr. Berney Pukay (CMVA)

The Community Veterinary Outreach (CVO) program and the City of Ottawa By-law and Regulatory Services' Spay/Neuter Clinic was presented yesterday with the 2013 Community Collaboration Summit Award. 

Sponsored by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, this Summit Award recognizes programs, codes of conduct or best practices delivered to create a healthier environment for urban animals. 

The CVO and Ottawa By-law services were nominated by their industry peers to receive this award for their efforts to integrate veterinary care into the community, in particular, to animals of the homeless, at risk of becoming homeless or marginally housed. 

For more information, CLICK HERE

Collaboration within Ottawa community receives Summit recognition

Dr. Michelle Lem, Founder and Director
of Community Veterinary Outreach

The Community Veterinary Outreach (CVO) program launched in 2003 in Ottawa to meet the growing need for integration of veterinary care in the community. Over the past 10 years, the organization has examined, treated and vaccinated over 1,500 animal and has experienced an ever-increasing rise in demand for this service. 

Community Veterinary Outreach, along with the City of Ottawa By-Law Services, were recognized by their industry peers in the form of a 2013 Summit Award for Community Collaboration. This award, sponsored by CVMA, recognizes programs, codes of conduct or best practices delivered to create a healthier environment for urban animals. 

Community Veterinary Outreach programs provide preventative care to animals of the homeless, at risk of becoming homeless or marginally housed. The clinics are staffed with volunteers, animals are examined, vaccinated or treated for internal and external parasites and owners receive education and advice. Community collaborators include shelters, municipal public health, community health centres, mental health organizations, IAMS as well as pharmaceutical companies. 

“I think the work that Dr. Michelle Lem and Community Vet Outreach program provides is invaluable," said Eric Coulson, champion of sales and operation at Pets Plus Us and nominator for this award. "Members of the Pets Plus Plus team volunteer with the CVO at the Yonge Street Mission and know firsthand how important the work they do is and the positive impact it has on the pet owner and their  four-legged furry companion.”

By providing preventative veterinary education and care to the animals of those in need, the CVO program improves, not only the health of the animal but also supports the physical and emotional well-being of their owners and contributes to protecting public health. 

Founder and director of the CVO, Michelle Lem, was also a recipient of the Individual Achievement Summit Award in 2011 for her extensive work and accomplishments with companion animals. 

Lisa Milton featured on Critter Care

Lisa Milton with Robert Church on Critter Care,
November 4, 2013

Summit for Urban Animal Strategies Production Manager, Lisa Milton, starred in a 30 minute segment on Critter Care with Robert Church earlier this month to discuss PetLynx, innovation, the Urban Animal Conferences and the SUAS.

Lisa has been a driving force behind the SUAS, an international event that celebrates animal welfare innovations and promotes mindful pet communities through collaboration between all sectors of the pet industry. 

"It does bring together every sector of the industry," said Robert Church in the interview. "All kinds of people sitting down at the table saying 'how do we work together to solve these issues and raise the bar of animal care across the board'. Because every sector has its issues… and yet animal welfare is everybody's business." 

This segment simply describes the importance of the Summits and Urban Animal Conferences and their significance in bringing about a catalyst for change across the industry. As individual sectors, agencies, organizations and individuals realize the potential that collaboration can bring, we are seeing positive and progressive steps towards creating healthy communities for people and pets. 

"It's about building value into your animal and your pet experience," said Lisa. "If we can do that in any way, though the National Recovery Service, the Summit Conversations, the Summit Awards and most importantly, our partners in the industry, we're building a better experience for the people out there who own animals."

Critter Care with Robert Church is a half hour program airing weekly on Shaw Television Channel 10 in Calgary, Alberta. Every week features different guests and pets sharing their unique brand of animal knowledge. 

Poll 2 WINNERS!

Poll 2 winners are.... 

Community Collaboration 

Michelle Lem + Community Veterinary Outreach with 30% of the vote

 

Individual Achievement 

Randy Valpy – Pets Plus Us with 41% of the vote

Retailer 

Planet Paws Pet Essentials with 54% of the vote

Wellness 

Atlantic Veterinary College  with 29% of the vote

Stay tuned for the final four Summit Awards! 

Nominations for the 2013 Community Collaboration Summit are Amazing

Six finalists vie for the Urban Animal Industry's highest award in the category of Community Collaboration:

1. Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society (AARCS) + Pound Rescue for their joint activities to promote spay and neuter.
2. Calgary Greenway + Calgary Parks Foundation + Calgary Humane Society (CHS) for their joint activities to create a pet friendly recreational trails system.
3. Dr. Krista Foreman + Safe for Pets Program for a collaboration that spans Veterinarians, Police Services, Social Workers and other provincial agencies to home pets for those experiencing domestic violence.
4. Michelle Lem + Community Veterinary Outreach for a collaboration that serves the Urban Animals of those who are homeless, marginally homed or at risk for homelessness.
5. Toronto Feral Cat TNR Coalition for activities to bring together 10 disparate groups to open and operate the first known feral cat facility for surgical recovery and education.
6. Nova Scotia Department of Justice + Nova Scotia SPCA
7. (Working on our Future - WOOF) for a ground breaking program that pairs inmates, dogs and correctional officers to deliver benefits for all.

The 2013 Summit for Community Collaboration recognizes programs, codes of conduct or best practices delivered to create a healthier environment for urban animals. 

The 2013 Summit for Community Collaboration will be presented during the Awards Gala on Friday, 18 October 2013. This event is open to the public.

VOTE NOW!

Mini Vet School® reaches out to public

A fundraiser for Community Veterinary Outreach and People and Animal Welfare Solutions (PAWS)  in the Hamilton area will provide the public with insight into the field of veterinary medicine, promote community outreach by the veterinary community through education on animal health and the human-animal relationship and increase awareness of veterinary medicine as a profession. 

Sponsored by Pets Plus Us, Mini Vet School® is presented by Community Veterinary Outreach and Hamilton PAWS throughout the month of May at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. A series of lectures by leading veterinary practitioners discuss and present the 'inside' of the veterinary profession. 

Both Community Veterinary Outreach and the Hamilton P.A.W.S. Committee work to provide veterinary care to lower-income, homeless or vulnerable pet owners. 

MINI VET SCHOOL®