Ottawa, ON, Sept. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This fall, Community Veterinary Outreach (CVO) will be celebrating 21 years of bringing vet and human health care care to pets and people in need across Canada. But the celebrations will be far from stuffy ceremonies. Instead, the organization is hitting the road to raise funds to help more pets. Last year, the organization served the highest number of people and pets in its' history, with record numbers of clients experiencing homelessness and challenges caring for their furry friends. The need for care drove the organization to celebrate and raise funds.
“Across all of our regions, we have more pets and people in need than ever before,” shares CEO Dr. Melanie Barham. “With the cost of living rising, many clients have lost their housing, or are seeing their dollars not stretch as far as they used to. But no one should have to give up their best friend and family member simply because of hard times. This is about community caring for each other, keeping pets with the people who love them, and pet owners and vet teams joining together in support.”
The second annual Cross-Canada Community Challenge will run from October 1-31, 2024, with participants logging their kilometers and activity to meet the goal of walking across Canada, covering the distance between all the CVO locations. Participants can register as a team or individually. Last year, over 200 companies, pets owners, and vet teams got involved and raised over $50,000. This year, the charity is setting its goal at $100,000 to meet the high level of requests for care in communities across Canada.
“I am thrilled to be celebrating CVO’s 21st anniversary of community service with our incredible volunteers, community partners, supporters and sponsors across Canada,” says Dr. Michelle Lem, founder of CVO and board member.
Participants will also be treated to a virtual speaker series featuring world-renowned experts in veterinary topics, along with give aways and prizes all month long.
Community Veterinary Outreach is a national organization and a registered charity in Canada. The organization has 11 locations from coast-to-coast. Over its 21 year history, the organization has innovated compassionate and accessible health care for both people and their pets experiencing homelessness. CVO has received funding from organizations at the national, international, and local levels.
