Waste
We are working to minimize our waste footprint, with a goal to reduce landfill waste and increase recycling.
Supporting People, Patients, Planet
At VetStrategy, we care every day – for animals, our clients, our colleagues and for a better environment. We believe a sustainable approach to what we do, is who we are.
Across the country, our hospital teams organize donation drives, host in-clinic fundraisers, hold educational events, work closely with local charities supporting animals, and help pets find loving homes.
We support Canadian organizations working to improve the lives of people from coast-to-coast.
Aleks’ Promise is a national program to address mental health and limit stressors impacting animal health professionals daily. Created in honour of Cobequid Animal Hospital (Nova Scotia) team member Aleksander Kristensen, we will continue to support clinics each May in honour of Mental Health Week and Aleks’ birthday with external resources and internal supports.
Through various initiatives such as Employee Resource Groups, scholarship programs and signage in our clinics and hospitals, we aspire to make our organization and each of our practices a welcoming and safe place for everyone.
Our veterinarian mentorship program fosters the success of new grads and to leverage the experienced mentors in our clinics and communities across Canada. Part-time and full-time team members in clinic are provided with funds to access continuing education opportunities.
Our Employee Assistance Program provides support to team members and their eligible dependents related to mental, financial, physical, and emotional wellbeing. In addition, all our employees are eligible to participate in the Group Retirement and Savings Plan, which consists of employee contributions to a RRSP or TFSA plan, and employer contributions to a deferred profit-sharing plan.
Our hospital teams organize donation drives and host various in-clinic fundraisers to raise funds to support charities in communities across Canada.
To mark Giving Tuesday 2022, our clinics hosted a Holiday Food Drive, collecting over 19,000 lbs for local service organizations and food banks. Our Home Office colleagues gave back with more than 550 collective volunteer hours at food banks in their regions.
To mark International Women’s Day 2022 and 2023, many of our clinics held nail trim fundraisers, named Claws for a Cause, raising close to $20,000 to support local charities making a difference in the lives of women and girls.
As part of our commitment to supporting ethnic diversity across the veterinary industry, we have launched the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion scholarship program. In partnership with the University of Montreal, the scholarship will be awarded annually to 1 Indigenous student, 1 BIPOC student, and 1 student involved in the school’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee.
We’re proud to support these students as they begin their training in the veterinary profession and wish them all the best.
Established in 2012, OSCAR stands for “Offering Subsidized Care for Animal Recovery” providing hospitals the opportunity to support pets in their community. As part of this initiative to help pets, our entire clinic team plays a part in both fundraising and determining patients for support.
Our clinics support multiple local rescue and non-profit organizations by hosting spay and neuter clinics, nail trim clinics and other special events to raise funds.
As part of IVC Evidensia, each VetStrategy veterinarian (full-time, part-time, specialist, etc.) is provided with an annual allotment and decision-making autonomy to support clients and patients facing financial hardships, with the goal of saving lives.
Inspired by #IWD2022, our Women’s Leadership Group organized a nationwide nail trim fundraiser to raise funds for local women’s charities. Over 50 clinics participated in Claws for a Cause, raising $16 427 for 36 different women’s charities.
We are working to minimize our waste footprint, with a goal to reduce landfill waste and increase recycling.
We are working with sustainability experts to identify opportunities for energy efficiencies across our clinics, focusing on renewable energy sources.
Jocelyn has been working hard to reduce her practice’s waste! She has implemented a pill bottle recycling program where owners can bring back their bottles to get them refilled at a discounted price. She has also switched how the hospital measures how much of a controlled substance is left by using a scale instead of a fresh syringe and needle.
Read more about Jocelyn’s waste reduction initiatives here: https://fal.cn/3qL5Q