Canadian VIBE Network

Earlier this month we wrapped up our Discover Vet School Sponsorship Program with a beautiful networking dinner for our seven recipients and their families. Creating a space for connection with current and past Black students from the Ontario Veterinary College.

This experience is only possible because of partners who have stood with us year after year. Even as support for DEI initiatives has shifted in other spaces, these sponsors have continued to invest in creating a welcoming, affirming, and accessible pathway for Black students interested in veterinary medicine.

With their support, our recipients spent three unforgettable days immersed in hands‑on labs, lectures, mentorship, and meaningful conversations. Discover Vet School Lecture Series organized and delivered an incredible program, and the Ontario Veterinary College Dean’s Office ensured our students could attend all three days. P3 Veterinary Partners helped remove transportation barriers for students traveling from outside the Guelph/Wellington area. Bright Light Veterinary Eye Care supported our closing dinner, giving students and families a space to connect, reflect, and celebrate.

For five consecutive years, these sponsors have made it possible for us to welcome Black students into a space where they can see themselves reflected in veterinary medicine. Every year, we meet young people who are passionate, curious, brilliant, and full of potential. Showing them that there is room for them in this profession, and that there are people who genuinely want to support their journey, is the heart of this work 🤎🤎🤎

We are deeply grateful for our sponsors and endlessly inspired by the students who join us. The relationships built through this program continue long after the three days end, and that lasting impact is what makes this so meaningful.

P.S. We also got to celebrate Donatella’s birthday during the dinner. The sweetest ending to an already unforgettable day 💛💚🖤❤️

Shout‑out to the Women of VIBE who grew up to serve animals, their owners, and their communities in every corner of veterinary medicine — and who now stand as representation for the young Black girls following behind them.

From fur to feathers to hooves to paws, from private practice to public service to academia, from local impact to global reach, their influence is everywhere.

Today we're honouring Women’s History Month and all the incredible women, past and present, who continue to shape our world.
💚💛🖤❤

“Why should I care what colour my veterinarian is?”
It is a fair question. And Dr. Melanie Moore answers it in a way that might surprise you. Representation in veterinary medicine is not just about who stands in the room. It is about how care is delivered, who feels seen, and whether every community has access to a profession that understands them.
This is just a glimpse. The full article is linked in bio.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Over the last two Black History Months, Dr. Melanie Moore has shown up in rooms that matter.
When the invited her to speak at their Purpose and Learning Day for Black History Month on “Advancing Diversity in Veterinary Medicine: A Path Forward,” she drew from her international work in underserved communities and challenged a room full of professionals to see diversity not as a checkbox, but as the very thing that strengthens the profession and expands access to care.

Her words also reached beyond the podium. As a contributor to Animal Talk’s Spring 2025 digital magazine, Dr. Moore brought the conversation around cultural competency to a wider audience. Words that continue to reach people long after the screen is closed.

At the Black Youth Expo, the focus shifted to the next generation. Speaking directly to young people about pathways into veterinary medicine, Dr. Moore showed up at a time when seeing someone who looks like you in a profession can change the entire trajectory of a life.

Through Coffee and Conversations, a network-wide dialogue centred on Black excellence and resilience, the room became a space for honest reflection and shared commitment to building a more inclusive profession. The kind of conversation that shifts culture from the inside out.

Most recently, at Wallaceburg District Secondary School, Dr. Moore brought veterinary medicine into the classroom in the most tangible way possible. Through hands-on canine CPR, emergency response education, and surgical specimen exposure, she gave students a glimpse into a world.
“My father attended school during a time of segregation, when he was required to use separate water fountains and bathrooms and was subjected to systemic barriers simply because of his skin colour. He instilled in me that success would require working harder and setting my goals high. I do not see myself as a victim of my skin colour. I strive for excellence while acknowledging the barriers that exist. I am Black excellence and a product of perseverance.” The commitment continues beyond February 🖤

We got to start Black History Month off with the for the Kuumba Festival Family Sundays at .

The day was filled with hands-on large, exotic, and small animal vet med activities, conversations about Black history at and in Canadian agriculture, and lots of connection and resource sharing.

It was such a rewarding day bringing veterinary science and Black history to the general public. It was especially meaningful for many of us to connect with Black families and students. Creating a safe space, made for them to explore veterinary medicine and ask questions, which is something many of us in the VIBE Network didn’t have while navigating our own paths, and we’re really grateful to be able to provide it now.

Shout-out to VIBE, the little community we’ve built, and everyone who supports us to make this possible ❤️💛🖤💚

Especially our partners for this event .acmv

For Black History Month, we partnered with Ontario Veterinary College to highlight and bring to life the history of Black individuals who have walked the halls of OVC. Like with many other professions, our stories are often missing, fragmented, or difficult to access.

Much of what we know exists because of the tireless work of at the OVC Baker Museum, whose ongoing efforts to preserve and document this history made these works possible.

Among those featured is Wesley Deer McCoy, the great-grandfather of American actress Sanaa Lathan , a connection recently uncovered by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. on Finding Your Roots (PBS). We encourage you to watch the episode to learn more about his story and legacy.

We are also grateful to Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) for advocating for visibility by collecting race-based data from their members! While this data does not yet reflect the full profession, it is a critical step toward understanding the true scope of representation, making inequities visible, and creating informed, meaningful solutions.

These works will now be displayed throughout the University of Guelph hallways. If you’d like access to the digital files to bring this history into your classrooms or workspaces, please reach out.

We wouldn’t be able to do this work without the incredible efforts of Black folks who came before us ✊🏾✊🏾 Thank you for the recognition and support. We’re honoured to build on their work in service of our community 🫶🏽🫶🏽

February is Black History Month in Canada, a time to recognize and honour the significant contribution Black Canadians have made, and continue to make, in shaping a culturally diverse, vibrant, and thriving country.

This year's theme “30 Years of Black History Month: Honouring Black Brilliance Across Generations — From Nation Builders to Tomorrow’s Visionaries” celebrates three decades of Black History Month in Canada and recognizes the enduring legacy of Black Canadians, whose leadership, creativity, innovation and resilience have shaped our past, continue to influence our present, and will inspire future generations.

Today, we are highlighting the important work of the Canadian VIBE Network, an organization playing a vital role in fostering connection, representation, and celebration of Black professionals within the veterinary field. We invite you to explore their profile to learn more about the community they’re building and the impact they’re making.