The Pride Veterinary Medical Community (PrideVMC) is excited to announce a new collaboration with PrideVMC 2021 Gold Partner, Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG)! VEG is the world’s veterinary emergency brand that helps people and their pets when they need it most.
“We welcome our VEG colleagues who are committed to developing VEG as a diverse, equitable, and inclusive (DEI) workplace” said Dr. Dane Whitaker (he, him, his), PrideVMC Board President. “We are very excited to work with the entire VEG community to further the PrideVMC mission of creating a better world for the LGBTQ+ veterinary community and to live our top strategic priority of education and advocacy for LGBTQ+ diversity, equity, and inclusion through the lens of antiracism and intersectionality.”
With 20 hospital locations in seven states and growing, VEG has begun to devote resources to a more DEI workplace. Currently, various teams at VEG including education, marketing, and recruiting have been working on these DEI efforts and strategies. VEG is creating educational materials, such as presentations, workshops, and resource guides to support VEGgies in developing inclusive language and practices. Additionally, through open community zoom sessions and VEG swag with Pride flags and Black Lives Matter graphics, we aim to celebrate differences and uplift one another.
“We recognize that in order to achieve our mission and vision, and to uphold our core values, all VEG staff need to feel a sense of belonging and engagement in decision making,” said Dr. David Bessler, founder of VEG. “Further, as we aim to diversify our company, we benefit from greater innovation and can work towards a veterinary field with leaders from a variety of backgrounds.”
VEG joins a notable list of PrideVMC partners including Boehringer Ingelheim, Zoetis, Blue Pearl Veterinary Partners, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, NVA, VCA, Banfield Pet Hospital, Nationwide Pet Insurance, and Relief Rover. We are grateful for these partnerships and our collective efforts as we strive towards a vision of an empowered LGBTQ+ veterinary community that embraces wellbeing by being their authentic selves.
For details on partnering with PrideVMC or joining as a member, please contact us at info@pridevmc.org or visit our website PrideVMC.org.
____________
The mission of the Pride Veterinary Medical Community (PrideVMC) is to create a better world for the LGBTQ+ veterinary community. We do so by striving to foster acceptance and inclusivity for people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender presentations within the veterinary medical profession and community. We fight discrimination, build collaborative networks, and support LGBTQ+ veterinary students through mentorship and scholarship programs. PrideVMC membership is open to the entire animal health and veterinary community regardless of role, race, color, religion, national origin or citizenship status, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, or military status. Allies are welcome!
For more information please contact info@pridevmc.org.
