Erin Wasson (MSW, RSW)
In 2014 Erin, implemented the Veterinary Social Work services at the University of Saskatchewan, Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), the first of its kind in Canada. She is a registered social worker who has worked clinically in several areas, including mental health, addictions, crisis response, interpersonal violence, trauma, geriatrics, disability, and youth work. She has spent her career working with individuals, groups, and communities as an advocate, clinician, and educator. Erin practices from an integrative approach to social work, which includes assessments and interventions from a community-care and trauma-integrated lens. These approaches, help Erin, and the clients she works with, to explore the context of their experiences that lead to relational connection and disconnection within their lives. She continues to work as the veterinary social worker at the WCVM, providing services to companion animal and livestock clients of the Veterinary Medical Centre; as well as resources, referral and support to staff and faculty. Additionally, Erin has been active in the promotion of health and wellbeing with veterinarians and allied professions. Erin enjoys her clinical practice as well as engaging in research, policy development, and providing educational seminars to professional associations, animal welfare agencies, and other groups who work at the interface of human beings and animals.
Dr. Michelle Lem DVM, MSc, MSW, RSW
Dr. Michelle Lem, a 2001 Ontario Veterinary College graduate, founded Community Veterinary Outreach (CVO) in 2003, a Canadian charity offering health services for homeless and vulnerable populations through a pioneering “One Health” model that combines veterinary and human healthcare. CVO now operates nationwide, addressing needs from Whitehorse to Halifax. She earned an MSc in Population Medicine in 2012, researching pet ownership among street-involved youth, and a Master of Social Work in 2018, focusing on human-animal violence links, wellbeing in the veterinary profession and community capacity building. Dr. Lem is currently the Veterinary Social Worker at Capital City Specialty & Emergency Animal Hospital, where she supports both clients and Cap City's 150 team members, as well as organizational communication and culture. Recognized for her social innovation, she has received prestigious awards, including an Ashoka Fellowship, the World Small Animal Veterinary Association’s Global One Health Award and an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Guelph in 2023.
Sarah Bernardi MSW/RSW
Sarah Bernardi has been in Veterinary Social Work in Canada since 2017, with experience spanning private specialty practice and teaching hospital settings. Currently, she serves as the Veterinary Social Worker at the Ontario Veterinary College and Health Sciences Centre, where she provides a wide range of clinical support services, resources, and continuing education across the Companion Animal Hospital, Large Animal Hospital, and Animal Cancer Centre. In her role, Sarah supports pet caregivers and animal-care staff.An advocate for integrating social work into veterinary and animal welfare settings across North America, Sarah recently completed a two-year term on the executive board of the International Association of Veterinary Social Workers. She also leads a peer group that offers a supportive and knowledge-sharing platform for mental health practitioners in veterinary hospitals and shelters.
Kathleen Dunbar MSW, RSW, RVT
Kathleen is the veterinary social worker with the Tender Tails program at Carnegy Animal Hospital in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Kathleen is dedicated to supporting grieving pet parents and veterinary team members who cope with the industry's unique challenges. Kathleen provides individual and group counselling to pet parents and veterinary team members on the east coast of Canada. She has a Master's in Social Work and has worked in the mental health field for twenty-five years. Before becoming a Registered Social Worker, she worked as a Registered Veterinary Technician for a decade and a half.