The SaskSPCA’s mission is to amplify a system of best practices in animal welfare across Saskatchewan. The people in our community power us to execute our mission and achieve our animal welfare goals. We believe it’s essential to support causes that affect people, including queer solidarity, safety, and rights.

Saskatchewan’s animal welfare sector is diverse, and many of the folks we work with are active in the 2SLGBTQ+ community, and they deserve our support. The SaskSPCA is pleased to offer our community a free webinar celebrating Pride Month. Join us at 7 PM on Tuesday, June 27th, for presentations from Dr. Rebecca Mycock and Andrew Hartman.

Dr. Mycock will discuss the joys and challenges associated with being an out member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. She will highlight the importance of creating a safe environment for staff and clients and how this can be achieved. Discussion of the struggles she has faced and how she navigated the fears associated with having to “come out” in various situations in a veterinary medicine setting will be included. Lastly, she will discuss her experiences of coming out and navigating life in a small town as a queer youth.

In Andrew Hartman’s talk, participants will receive an introduction and foundation to sex, gender, and sexuality, including the spectrum of 2SLGBTQ+ identities. Additionally, common experiences and barriers 2SLGBTQ+ people experience when accessing services will be highlighted. The talk will close with affirmative actions, policies, and practices that can be applied by animal welfare professionals to improve 2SLGBTQ+ community members’ experiences accessing care for their furry loved ones.

Click here to register for this free webinar

About the Speakers:

Dr. Rebecca Mycock is a small animal veterinarian working in the City Park community in Saskatoon. After graduating from veterinary school in 2018, she did a 1-year rotating internship in Hollywood, Florida. It was during this time she found the courage to come out publicly and truly embrace her sexuality. She returned to Canada to work as an emergency veterinarian at the VMC before settling in at City Park Vet. She strives to create an inclusive environment for her coworkers and clients, and visibility as part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community is extremely important to her.

Andrew Hartman (they/them) is a proud queer, Métis, differently abled program evaluator, applied social psychology doctoral student, and Founder of Psystem, a social enterprise focused on facilitating positive change in the world through research and service delivery. Andrew’s research focuses on the psychological process of healing in queer survivors of gender-based violence. They have over five years of experience conducting community-based research alongside the 2SLGBTQ community and leading local and national research projects focused on improving 2SLGBTQ people’s experiences navigating system and other social programming. Over the years, Andrew has presented, published, and instructed others on working with 2SLGBTQ peoples. Most importantly, they are the proud pappi to two beautiful cats.