2025 Conference
Speakers.
Angie Arora, MSW, RSW
Angie Arora, founder of Arora Wellness, specializes in supporting high stress and high trauma exposed animal care organizations to improve professional quality of life. As a Veterinary Social Worker and Certified Compassion Fatigue Specialist, Angie provides trauma-informed therapeutic coaching, training and courses to help veterinary hospitals, animal shelters, and wildlife and conservation organizations mitigate the impacts of high-stress, high-trauma exposed work.
She serves as a member of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association’s Professional Wellness Committee, the Governance Chair for the Canadian Collective for Equity in Veterinary Medicine, and faculty with blendVET, the first of its kind DEIB certification for veterinary professionals. She previously
served on the inaugural Board of Directors for the International Association of Veterinary Social Work.
She completed her Bachelor of Social Work with the Toronto Metropolitan University, Master of Social Work with York University, Emotional CPR certification with the National Empowerment Centre, Compassion Fatigue Specialist certification with the Traumatology Institute and International Coaching
Federation training with the Mind Rebel Academy.
Corey Atkinson
Corey Atkinson is a Professional speaker, Strategic Performance executive, SAAS Platform co-founder, executive coach, and author of Values & Culture Book Series which includes Values,Culture.Period. & Values,Culture.Results. This series of business transformation books focus on culture and leadership excellence and provide the road map to clarify values and creating desired organizational cultures.
He has led transformational initiatives for Strategic Leadership Development, Employee Experience and Customer Experience Management, that have impacted thousands of employees. He is a Certified Master Trainer of Personality Dimensions®, Everything DiSC Profile®, HRDQ WMS Style Assessments and
able to administer assessment tools such as The Leadership Circle, Team Dimensions Profile® and MBTI.
He has consulted with, designed learning for and provided development experiences for some of the world’s most respected organizations and has spoken on stages across North America. Corey’s expertise is in experiential and immersive approaches to leading change, learning, creatively designing sessions to maximize interaction and self-discovery.
As a professional speaker, Corey brings great insight and sensible ideas, delivered in his trademark audience focused and energetic style. His presentations have been called “powerful”, “engagement from beginning to end”, and “passion inaction”. You will be truly impressed at how Corey keeps everyone listening, thinking and learning.
Dr. Maureen Anderson, DVM
Dr. Maureen Anderson, DVM, is a graduate of the Ontario Veterinary College and is ACVIM board-certified in large animal internal medicine. Her graduate and post-graduate work had a strong focus on infectious disease control and zoonotic diseases in particular.
She is currently Lead Veterinarian - Animal Health and Welfare at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, where she continues to work in areas bridging animal and public health, including rabies and antimicrobial stewardship, and co-leads the companion animal Ontario Animal Health Network (OAHN).
Rachel Appel
Rachel Appel is the Lead Adoption Grants Manager at PetSmart Charities of Canada, bringing over two decades of experience in animal welfare. Passionate about innovative approaches to increasing adoptions, Rachel combines her expertise in retail environments, program development, grantmaking, and
community partnerships to support organizations across Canada in saving more lives.
She is a strong advocate for enriching the shelter experience through off-site adoption and volunteer programs, community events, and strategic collaborations.
Outside of work, Rachel enjoys spending time hiking and camping with her family, fostering all types of animals, and spending time with her horses. Her deep knowledge of animal welfare is matched by her love for helping others in the field grow their impact.
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As the Integrated Marketing & Communications Manager at PetSmart Charities of Canada, Kimberly leads impactful initiatives that inspire nationwide support for the organization. Her work plays a pivotal role in elevating the charity’s mission—from in-store adoptions to major events like National Adoption Week—by amplifying its presence and connecting with communities across the country.
Kimberly spearheads the development and execution of integrated marketing strategies in Canada that drive awareness, increase donations, and boost adoption rates in PetSmart stores. Her leadership in crafting compelling content and campaigns has helped achieve key milestones, including supporting over
400,000 pet adoptions since the charity’s founding in 1999.
With a robust background in strategic marketing across both the for-profit and non-profit sectors, Kimberly brings a deep understanding of consumer behaviour, brand engagement, and mission-driven communications. Her expertise, combined with a genuine passion for animal welfare, makes her a powerful advocate for pet adoption whose contributions support the continued success of PetSmart
Charities of Canada.
Kimberly Williams
Janet Cutler, PhD CAAB
Dr. Janet Cutler is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist dedicated to improving animal welfare through evidence-based behaviour support for both dogs and cats. She holds an MSc and PhD which focused on Applied Ethology and Animal Welfare from the University of Guelph.
In addition to helping families address companion animal behaviour challenges, Janet collaborates with shelters and animal welfare organizations, providing behaviour assessments, individualized behaviour modification plans, and staff training to support positive outcomes for animals in care.
Janet has taught courses on animal behaviour and welfare at the Ontario Veterinary College and frequently guest lectures at universities and colleges throughout North America. Her expertise is also sought in legal cases involving animal abuse, neglect, and dog bites.
She is a Fear Free Certified Practitioner and a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA), and she remains committed to advancing humane, science-based approaches to improve animal welfare.
Dr. Emmanuel Fontaine
Emmanuel Fontaine graduated from the Toulouse Veterinary School in 2004, he continued his studies at the Alfort Veterinary School (Paris) as trainee Vet in the domestic carnivore unit of the Reproduction Department. From 2005 to 2011, he worked at the Centre d’Etude en Reproduction des Carnivores (CERCA) [Research Centre for Reproduction in Carnivores], a unit specializing in pet breeding assistance. Emmanuel Fontaine is also qualified at the European College for Animal Reproduction (ECAR) and completed his PhD in 2012 on the use of GnRH agonists in canines. From September 2011 to September 2018, he worked as Technical Services Veterinarian for the PRO team at Royal Canada. He then was in charge of Scientific Communication for the Americas until August 2022. He now works as Senior Scientific Communications Veterinarian for Royal Canin North America.
Peter Freeman
Peter started working with animals at a city shelter in Toronto, in 1987. Two years later began to work as an animal control officer and then worked as a senior animal control officer in Toronto for 34 years.
Shortly after starting work as an animal control officer Peter began creating his own animal capture and handling devices to use on the job. For the past 33 years Peter remains as chief product developer and founder of Freeman By Design, a company dedicated to the manufacture of humane animal handling products.
Peter also consults and provides training to other animal handling professionals wanting to learn more about safe and humane animal handling technique and tools.
Tamara Gillen
Tamara Gillen earned her Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from the University of Guelph and went on to complete a Diploma Associate Degree in Veterinary Technology at Ridgetown College. She is a Registered Veterinary Technician and has been a proud member of the Ontario Association of Veterinary
Technicians (OAVT) for over 20 years.
Tamara spent more than a decade working in small animal practice, where she developed a strong interest in health and safety and the principles of One Health. These interests ultimately led her to her current role as Associate Manager of the OAVT Public Health Rabies Response Program, a position she has held for
the past ten years. In this role, she works at the intersection of animal and human health, coordinating the collection and shipping of animal specimens for rabies testing. This service supports rabies surveillance efforts and assists public health units across the province in their response to potential rabies exposures.
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Lindsay McAllister
As an Animal Welfare Director at 24Pet, Lindsay McAllister excels in managing client relationships and ensuring the highest service standards. With a keen eye for detail and a strategic approach, Lindsay has successfully implemented initiatives that have significantly improved client engagement and support for animal welfare groups. Lindsay lives in rural Ontario with her husband and two rottweilers.
Anne McCarthy
Anne McCarthy is a science communicator with the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR). Anne did her undergraduate degree at Trent University, and masters at Laurentian University. She has worked with the wildlife and aquatic research teams in MNR since 2009. Since 2019 she has been working with the rabies control program, helping to showcase the important work the program is doing.
Dr. Heather McClinchey, DVM
Dr. Heather McClinchey, DVM, is proud to be a veterinarian, farmer, wife, mother, and One Health champion. She graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College and went into mixed animal practice for several years before pivoting to small animal practice ownership.
In 2018, she returned to OVC to complete a Master of Public Health degree. She has the coolest job in the world now, working as the veterinary consultant in the
Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, a position that she’s held since 2021.
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Lindsey Narraway
Lindsey Narraway graduated from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Animal Science. She has over 20 years of experience working in the animal care field and is currently the Supervisor of Animal Services for the City of Pickering in Ontario, Canada.
In addition to Lindsey’s full time job, she has been a part time professor at Durham College, is currently the past chair of ASPO as well as being the chair for the Canadian Association for Humane Trapping.
When Lindsey is not working, she loves spending time with her husband Kevin, her 12 year old son Carter, and their dog Oakley and cat Calliope.
Vicky Donaldson
Vicky is the Head of Unowned Cats for International Cat Care in the UK. She is a registered veterinary nurse and clinical animal behaviourist, having spent over 37 years working with, and specializing in, cats. Vicky has lectured all over the world on cat behaviour to veterinary and other audiences and now speaks most frequently on topics related specifically to unowned cats, including cat population management and International Cat Care’s model for working with unowned pet cats - Cat Friendly Homing.
Vicky has previously worked in both the National Health Service in the UK and private practice as a certified person-centred counsellor. Vicky is the author of eight best-selling books on cats for the general public, several peer-reviewed papers for scientific journals and co-author of veterinary textbooks and published guidelines.
At home, Vicky is a slave to the demands of L.C., her ‘pre-loved’ elderly black cat.
Heather Parson
Heather began her career in the animal industry by working in a shelter and as an animal protection officer, working on-call/overnight for any emergencies. This early exposure to shelter life gave her a great respect for the role of proper nutrition and preventative medicine in a vulnerable population.
She went on to spend several years working veterinary clinics where she learned, first-hand, how critical the role of communication between the veterinary team and the pet owner is in facilitating a high standard of care. She continued to learn about the importance of nutrition in overall health.
She moved on to work in the veterinary industry, spending 16 years working in pet nutrition, with a primary focus on veterinary nutrition. She worked on the launch of many pivotal, unique products that changed the nutrition landscape. Beginning as a sales representative, Heather went on to manage several teams in
both sales and marketing, before leading a Canadian veterinary nutrition company as President for four years.
Most recently, Heather has run her own consulting business (On The Spot Consulting) where she specializes in supporting start-up companies, or established companies launching new lines.
Throughout her career, Heather has pursued continuing education including completing a diploma in Veterinary Hospital Management, and an MBA.
She is extremely passionate about pet health and the products that help us care for our beloved pets.
She shares her home with 7 Dalmatians with whom she is VERY active in various sports and competitions, her very easy-going husband, and his beloved Irish Red and White Setter.
Dr. Sara Pizano, DVM
Dr. Sara Pizano is a veterinarian, Animal Welfare Strategist and founder of Team Shelter USA and has devoted her career to shelters. She is a 1986 graduate from Oswego State University (BS), a 1988 graduate from Columbia University (MS), a 1994 graduate of the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) and a 1995 graduate of the Animal Medical Center internship program all located in New York. Dr. Pizano has served as staff shelter veterinarian in private shelters and as a public shelter director at Miami-Dade Animal Services in Florida. Since 2013, Dr. Pizano has completed more than 170 community and shelter assessments and feasibility studies in 27 states, focusing on shelters euthanizing for space and those struggling with capacity for care and length of stay. Her work has culminated in an approach to help shelters of all sizes, both public and private, realize their full potential and in an analysis of just 18 shelters, the number of pets euthanized for space decreased by more than 47,000 dogs and cats the first year with her guidance. Dr. Pizano’s areas of interest are access to care for both shelter pets and owned pets. She is a veterinary ambassador for the Open Door Veterinary Collective national training team that proves a financially sustainable veterinary clinic can also enhance access to care, is a partner with Maddie’s Million Pet Challenge, a courtesy faculty member at the Shelter Medicine Program at University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine and part of the Joanie Bernard Foundation and PetSmart Charities teams. Dr. Pizano is the author of The Best Practice Playbook for Animal Shelters and considered a leading expert in animal welfare.
Jackie Rose
Jackie began her animal welfare career in 2007 and has been fortunate to hold several senior leadership positions in both non-profit and municipal animal welfare agencies across the United States since that time.
Jackie has served as the Executive Director for the Addison County Humane Society in Vermont, the Executive Director for the Dutchess County SPCA in New York, the Director of Animal Services for Multnomah County in Portland Oregon and the Director of Animal Services for Ventura County Animal Services in California.
In May of 2024, Jackie joined DocuPet, the leading Pet Licensing/Registration
company in North America, as their Chief Strategy Officer with the mission to help increase lost pet reunification throughout the US and Canada.
Jackie holds a master’s in Psychology, a post-graduate certification in Human Resource Management, a Juris Doctorate in Law, and is a Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA).
Dr. Sarah Silcox, DVM
Dr. Sarah Silcox, DVM, is a pioneer in the world of veterinary cannabis use and is one of the founding directors and the current President of the Canadian Association of Veterinary Cannabinoid Medicine.
An OVC ‘97 grad, she is a small animal veterinarian with over 25 years of clinical experience. Dr. Silcox has been active in general, locum, and emergency practice, founded her region’s first integrative medicine practice, and currently operates her region’s first veterinary practice dedicated solely to palliative, hospice, and end-of-life care for pets.
A passionate advocate for the veterinary use of cannabis and cannabinoid medicine, her interest in the potential benefits of medical cannabis for pets reaches back several years. With changes in legislation that legalized cannabis in Canada, she is grateful to now be able to guide her clients on the responsible
use of cannabis for treating their pets and has seen numerous patients who have benefited from the therapeutic effects of this amazing plant.
Monica Tarant
Monica Tarant is the Chief Innovation Officer at the Give Them Ten Movement, driving efforts to create cat-caring communities nationwide. A trailblazer in trap-neuter-return (TNR) practices, Monica founded a rural Illinois TNR organization and developed one of the country's first and largest working cat programs.
In 2012, her move to Texas was instrumental in helping Austin achieve a 98% live release rate for cats. As an instructor with Maddie’s Fund Lifesaving Academy, she has advanced shelter best practices, researched shelter medicine innovations, and influenced public policy as a City of Austin Animal Advisory Commissioner.
Monica is a sought-after speaker and consultant, recognized for her leadership in
progressive community cat programs, transformative shelter management, and crafting sustainable, impactful strategies for animal welfare organizations.
Dr. Scott Weese, DVM
Access to legal antivirals has revolutionized the treatment of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) but many questions remain about optimal drug choices and treatment regimens, drug access, animal monitoring and other aspects of feline care. This talk will cover various components related to the management of FIP.
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