Behind the Care: Students Discover How Veterinarians Safeguard Canada’s Food Supply and Communities

The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) wants Canadians to know that veterinarians do far more than care for beloved pets. Behind every safe and healthy meal is a profession that plays a critical role in protecting the food supply, public health, and the environment.

On November 3, the CVMA launched its new national public awareness and education campaign, Behind the Care, giving Ottawa-area students a firsthand look at the many ways veterinarians contribute to everyday life.

Students from École secondaire De La Salle and Montessori Kanata discovered the vital role veterinarians play in the foods they consume each day, from eggs, milk, and meat to honey and even the water they drink.

Through an interactive educational experience, students learned that a veterinarian’s work begins long before food reaches the dinner table. In addition to caring for pets and farm animals, veterinarians help ensure food safety, monitor animal health, prevent disease outbreaks, and protect communities across Canada.

ABOVE: Dr. Kathleen MacMillan, President, Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.

The CVMA’s Behind the Care campaign highlights the often-unseen contributions of veterinary medicine and the interconnected health of animals, people, and the environment.

Many diseases that Canadians rarely have to think about, including rabies, avian influenza, leptospirosis, anthrax, bovine tuberculosis, salmonellosis, E. coli infections, and listeriosis, are monitored, prevented, and controlled through the work of veterinarians and the organizations that support them, such as the CVMA.

Beyond supporting veterinarians through continuing education and professional resources, the CVMA works closely with government and industry partners to improve access to veterinary medicines, modernize regulatory processes, and strengthen protections for animal and public health across Canada.

The message students took away from the event was simple: veterinarians protect far more than pets. Their work safeguards the food we eat, the animals we depend on, and the communities in which we live. It is essential work that often happens behind the scenes, making Behind the Care a fitting reminder to thank the veterinarians whose efforts largely go unseen.

For more information about the CVMA’s Behind the Care campaign, visit Behind the Care.

Above: Grade 11 students from École secondaire De La Salle and Montessori Kanata participate in the CVMA’s Behind the Care education program at the Canadian Agricultural Museum.

 ALL PHOTOS: Ashley Fraser Photography