by Iris Winston
Animal lovers everywhere know just how much their companion animals contribute to their lives as the bond between animal and human grows stronger every day. A clear understanding of this connection combined with a deep commitment to help vulnerable people and animals led Dr. Michelle Lem to start an organization that has changed the lives of thousands of people and animals over the last two decades.
She had been a practising veterinarian in New Zealand and Canada for just two years when she founded Community Veterinary Outreach (CVO) in 2003, through which she and a partner offered free veterinary care to pet owners at the Ottawa Mission. The objective of the volunteer-run organization was to improve the health of both the animals and the people who loved them. Then and now, CVO’s work is directed towards those who are living homeless or who are vulnerably-housed. This includes those escaping domestic violence, living with mental health or substance-use challenges and youth who are street-involved. Now a registered charity with branches across Canada and the U.S.—most established with Michelle’s guidance and support, CVO focuses on the interconnection between animal and human health. It brings hope as it treats animals and connects human beings with support services daily.
“I saw from the research that I did, as well as research in the UK and the U.S., that the people I talked to put their pets before themselves,” she says. “They fed their pets and found housing for them first.”
“Kids living on the streets often hadn’t had unconditional love in their lives, but they experienced it from their animals,” she adds, noting that they would try to avoid arrest in an effort to stay with the animals they loved. “I’ve had clients with criminal records or heavy involvement with the police. Yet they do such a good job of caring for their pets. They love their pets more than anything and they deserve our support.”
“I’m glad that I have been working long enough to have seen changes in attitudes towards pet ownership and to have contributed to these changes,” adds Michelle, who has accumulated many accolades over the years including the World Small Animal Veterinary Association’s Global One Health Award and the Canadian Veterinary Association President’s Award. She has also been honoured for her innovations in health delivery by Ashoka, a global organization that recognizes and supports
leading social entrepreneurs and “changemakers.”
“When I graduated, the general view was that you shouldn’t have a pet if you couldn’t afford one. Now, more organizations and charities support pet ownership and there has been much more research demonstrating the positive effects pets have on people’s lives, as well as a greater understanding of social inequities. Seeing this type of social change makes me optimistic.”
A mother of 20-year-old twins, both in university, Michelle has continued providing support to those in need through every phase of her career. In addition to writing numerous peer-reviewed academic articles, she remains on the board of the CVO and continued her academic studies in population medicine at the University of Guelph. The focus is on optimizing the health of animal and human populations in their environments—in her case studying the effects of pet ownership on vulnerable youth. She is also a registered social worker specializing in veterinary social work at the Capital City Specialty & Emergency Animal Hospital in Ottawa.
“I’m really fortunate to have broad experience in my background,” she says, noting that communication is an important aspect of her work. “I work with both clients and team members, as well as with the organization as a whole. The threefold role makes my days pretty varied. I support a lot of clients with grief counselling as well as decision making about such matters as quality of life, end of life or next steps in treatment or diagnostics. Clients do appreciate that I have a medical background, though my primary role is that of social worker.” vetoutreach.org
Captions
- Michelle Lem in action.
- CVO is a registered charity dedicated to improving the health and welfare of both animals and people.
Suggested edits using person-first language
Deleted “often” as CVO’s charitable mandate is to serve people living homeless or vulnerably-housed
