Two Pride Fund recipients take action this Pride Season

As part of this year’s Pride Season campaign, practices were invited to apply for a Pride Season Grant to support activities their teams are passionate about. Five practices were awarded a Pride Season Grant, and their initiatives are now in full swing across the country! This month, Riverview Animal Health Centre (in collaboration with Moncton Animal Hospital, Mountain Road Animal Hospital, and Acadia Veterinary Hospital) and North Oakville Animal Hospital (with colleagues from Animal Hospital of Oakville) brought their events to life.

For a fourth year, many local colleagues proudly joined the Moncton Pride Parade. The event is organized by River of Pride, a volunteer-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment where every voice is heard. Did you know? 25 years ago, New Brunswick held its first officially recognized Pride Parade in Moncton on June 17, 2000.

Riverview Animal Health Centre Practice Manager, Cali Hicks shared, “This was our fourth year participating in the Moncton River of Pride Parade, and it continues to be one of the highlights of our year. Pride is about visibility, inclusivity, and celebrating our diverse community—and it means a lot to our team to show up in support, not just for our colleagues, but for our clients and community members as well.”

At North Oakville Animal Hospital, Pflag Halton delivered a learning session focused on fostering inclusive and positive spaces for 2SLGBTQIA colleagues, clients, and more. Established in 2019, Pflag Halton is committed to building safer spaces for queer and trans folks across Halton region. As a symbol of inclusivity, colleagues from Animal Hospital of Oakville were invited to participate as well.

Deidra Brown, Practice Manager at North Oakville Animal Hospital shared, “We display All are Welcome pride flags on our door, but we didn’t feel fully confident that we understood what that symbol truly represented and how to make people feel welcome. This session really opened our eyes to how sensitive and important inclusive language is—both for our colleagues and our clients. We learned that something as seemingly small as addressing someone as “Mr.” or “Mrs.” can unintentionally exclude, and how powerful it is to use language that makes people feel seen and respected. Our team had a lot of thoughtful questions, and the training gave us the tools and confidence to not only say “everyone is welcome here” but to actually live it. One of the biggest takeaways was understanding that for clients, it matters deeply to see and interact with people who make them feel like they belong.

We were also proud to donate $800 to Pflag Halton, knowing it will help others who may be struggling in this area. Supporting this work beyond our own walls is important to us, because everyone deserves a place where they feel safe, understood, and valued.”

Across the network, many more practices are showing their support for the 2SLGBTQIA community this Pride Season:

• Colleagues at the Centre vétérinaire Daubigny in Québec City created a colourful artwork piece inspired by the Progress Pride flag. Each team member applied a different colour of the flag behind the Daubigny logo, with a bright, striking and bold result. Their painting will now hang in the staff room as a statement of allyship and inclusivity.
• This summer, the team at Avon Animal Hospital created a beautiful symbol of inclusivity for both colleagues and clients by installing a bright rainbow bench in front of their practice. Chelsea, Practice Manager at Avon Animal Hospital, shared: “For us, the rainbow bench represents kindness, inclusivity, and community. Every day at Avon Animal Hospital, we welcome pets and people from all walks of life, and this bench is a reminder that everyone deserves a place where they feel safe, valued, and seen.”
• The team at Bedford South Veterinary Hospital highlighted their commitment to creating a welcoming, inclusive, compassionate, and safe space for everyone — not just during Pride Season, but every day in a creative and engaging reel on social media.