{"id":51646,"date":"2018-11-08T16:55:40","date_gmt":"2018-11-08T21:55:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsroom.carleton.ca\/?post_type=cu_story&#038;p=51646"},"modified":"2025-10-20T10:37:14","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T14:37:14","slug":"fall-convocation-social-work-graduate-establishes-community-veterinary-outreach","status":"publish","type":"cu_story","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/story\/fall-convocation-social-work-graduate-establishes-community-veterinary-outreach\/","title":{"rendered":"Fall Convocation: Social Work Graduate Establishes Community Veterinary Outreach"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<section class=\"w-screen px-6 cu-section cu-section--white ml-offset-center md:px-8 lg:px-14\">\n    <div class=\"space-y-6 cu-max-w-child-max  md:space-y-10 cu-prose-first-last\">\n\n        \n                    \n                    \n            \n    <div class=\"cu-wideimage relative flex items-center justify-center mx-auto px-8 overflow-hidden md:px-16 rounded-xl not-prose  my-6 md:my-12 first:mt-0 bg-opacity-50 bg-cover bg-cu-black-50 pt-24 pb-32 md:pt-28 md:pb-44 lg:pt-36 lg:pb-60 xl:pt-48 xl:pb-72\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/michelle-lem-banner2-1200x900.jpg); background-position: 50% 50%;\">\n\n                    <div class=\"absolute top-0 w-full h-screen\" style=\"background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.600);\"><\/div>\n        \n        <div class=\"relative z-[2] max-w-4xl w-full flex flex-col items-center gap-2 cu-wideimage-image cu-zero-first-last\">\n            <header class=\"mx-auto mb-6 text-center text-white cu-pageheader cu-component-updated cu-pageheader--center md:mb-12\">\n\n                                    <h1 class=\"cu-prose-first-last font-semibold mb-2 text-3xl md:text-4xl lg:text-5xl lg:leading-[3.5rem] cu-pageheader--center text-center mx-auto after:left-px\">\n                        Fall Convocation: Social Work Graduate Establishes Community Veterinary Outreach\n                    <\/h1>\n                \n                            <\/header>\n        <\/div>\n\n                    <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"absolute bottom-0 w-full z-[1]\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 1280 312\">\n                <path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M26.412 315.608c-.602-.268-6.655-2.412-13.524-4.769a1943.84 1943.84 0 0 1-14.682-5.144l-2.276-.858v-5.358c0-4.876.086-5.358.773-5.09 1.674.643 21.38 5.84 34.646 9.109 14.682 3.59 28.935 6.858 45.936 10.449l9.874 2.089H57.322c-16.4 0-30.31-.16-30.91-.428ZM460.019 315.233c42.974-10.074 75.602-19.88 132.443-39.867 76.16-26.791 152.063-57.709 222.385-90.663 16.7-7.823 21.336-10.074 44.262-21.273 85.004-41.688 134.719-64.193 195.291-88.413 66.55-26.577 145.2-53.584 194.27-66.765C1258.5 5.626 1281.34 0 1282.24 0c.17 0 .34 27.596.34 61.3v61.299l-2.23.375c-84.7 13.718-165.93 35.955-310.736 84.931-46.494 15.753-65.427 22.076-96.166 32.15-9.102 3-24.814 8.198-34.989 11.574-107.543 35.954-153.008 50.422-196.626 62.639l-6.74 1.876-89.126-.054c-78.135-.054-88.782-.161-85.948-.857ZM729.628 312.875c33.229-10.985 69.248-23.523 127.506-44.207 118.705-42.223 164.596-57.709 217.446-73.302 2.62-.75 8.29-2.465 12.67-3.751 56.19-16.772 126.94-33.597 184.17-43.671 5.07-.91 9.66-1.768 10.22-1.875l.94-.161v170.236l-281.28-.054H719.968l9.66-3.215ZM246.864 313.411c-65.041-2.251-143.047-12.11-208.432-26.256-18.375-3.965-41.73-9.538-42.202-10.074-.171-.214-.257-21.38-.214-47.046l.129-46.618 6.654 3.697c57.313 32.043 118.491 56.531 197.699 79.143 40.313 11.521 83.459 18.058 138.669 21.059 15.584.857 65.685.857 81.14 0 33.744-1.876 61.306-4.93 88.396-9.806 6.396-1.126 11.634-1.983 11.722-1.929.255.375-20.48 7.769-30.999 11.038-28.592 8.948-59.288 15.646-91.873 20.147-26.36 3.59-50.015 5.627-78.35 6.698-15.584.59-55.209.59-72.339-.053Z\"><\/path>\n                <path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M-3.066 295.067 32.06 304.1v9.033H-3.066v-18.066Z\"><\/path>\n            <\/svg>\n            <\/div>\n\n    \n\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<p>While serving Christmas dinner to Toronto\u2019s homeless at a downtown church, veterinarian Michelle Lem had a canine encounter that would eventually lead her to found Community Veterinary Outreach, an Ottawa-based NGO that provides veterinary services to pets of vulnerable people across Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Back then, the graduate of Carleton\u2019s Master of Social Work program was a student at the Ontario Veterinary College, and when she scooped up some turkey, peas, potatoes and stuffing for a dog who had come to the event, she was surprised to see the food go mostly untouched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/271908241?title=0&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0\" width=\"100%\" height=\"360\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/271908241\">Michelle Lem &#8211; Purina  Better With Pets May 25 2018<\/a> from <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/lnoyl\">kristopher chandroo<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\">Vimeo<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAs a fairly privileged person, I expected the dogs to be starving and eat the whole plate,\u201d Lem says, \u201cbut it only had the turkey and gravy, and left everything else. And I was like: \u2018Huh, that dog\u2019s not starving.\u2019 It really challenged my perception &#8211; which wasn\u2019t based in reality &#8211; about the relationship and condition of these animals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignfull wp-image-51654 size-full w-screen ml-offset-center cu-max-w-child-max px-4 md:px-6 lg:px-12\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"680\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/michelle-lem1-1200x680.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-51654\" srcset=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/michelle-lem1-1200x680.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/michelle-lem1-1200x680-300x170.jpg 300w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/michelle-lem1-1200x680-400x227.jpg 400w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/michelle-lem1-1200x680-768x435.jpg 768w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/michelle-lem1-1200x680-700x397.jpg 700w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/michelle-lem1-1200x680-200x113.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<h2 id=\"helping-pets-and-their-owners\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Helping Pets and Their Owners<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Volunteerism has always been important to Lem. Community Veterinary Outreach began as an opportunity for the veterinarian to add<em> pro bono<\/em> work to her practice. But it quickly became apparent that vet care wasn\u2019t only helpful to animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt provided a lever for people who were previously disengaged to engage with social services,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNurses and social workers were saying they had a whole new caseload of people who wanted a vet clinic referral, who had been living in the community but weren\u2019t really known or supported by local services.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, Community Veterinary Outreach clinics not only care for animals, they provide health services to their owners too. Clinic partners deliver immunizations, sexual health care, mental health supports, dental care, smoking cessation and Naloxone training and distribution.<br><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignfull wp-image-51655 size-full w-screen ml-offset-center cu-max-w-child-max px-4 md:px-6 lg:px-12\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/michelle-lem-banner1-1200x900-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-51655\" srcset=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/michelle-lem-banner1-1200x900-1.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/michelle-lem-banner1-1200x900-1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/michelle-lem-banner1-1200x900-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/michelle-lem-banner1-1200x900-1-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/michelle-lem-banner1-1200x900-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/michelle-lem-banner1-1200x900-1-700x525.jpg 700w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/michelle-lem-banner1-1200x900-1-800x600.jpg 800w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/michelle-lem-banner1-1200x900-1-200x150.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<h2 id=\"understanding-issues-that-contribute-to-homelessness\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Understanding Issues that Contribute to Homelessness<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Lem credits her social work education with helping her understand the structural issues that contributed to homelessness in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAs a mother, a veterinarian and a person looking to create social change . . . I feel like I was a bit asleep at the wheel until I started to understand the structural factors that contribute to homelessness and poverty,\u201d Lem says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMy Master\u2019s of Social Work was so impactful because it allowed me to interact in the world in a deeper and more meaningful way, in a language I didn\u2019t know before. I\u2019d never used the word oppression before; I don\u2019t think I knew what feminism really was. The program influenced how I see, address and treat my relationships; how I interact with the world, and what my place in it is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Fall Convocation is taking place on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018. The ceremonies will be broadcast online via live streaming at <a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/convocation\/live\" target=\"_blank\">Carleton.ca\/convocation\/live.<\/a><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/convocation\/live\" target=\"_blank\">\n<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While serving Christmas dinner to Toronto\u2019s homeless at a downtown church, veterinarian Michelle Lem had a canine encounter that would eventually lead her to found Community Veterinary Outreach, an Ottawa-based NGO that provides veterinary services to pets of vulnerable people across Canada. Back then, the graduate of Carleton\u2019s Master of Social Work program was a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":410,"featured_media":51655,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"cu_story_type":[25],"cu_story_tag":[1921],"class_list":["post-51646","cu_story","type-cu_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","cu_story_type-student-experience","cu_story_tag-faculty-of-public-and-global-affairs"],"acf":{"cu_post_thumbnail":"blueprint"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/51646","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/cu_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/410"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/51646\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97939,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/51646\/revisions\/97939"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51655"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51646"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cu_story_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story_type?post=51646"},{"taxonomy":"cu_story_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story_tag?post=51646"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}