2021  
Corporate Social 
Responsibility  
Initiatives
Updated September 2021

For the love of animals and 
the people who love them.
Across the globe, the veterinary and animal care industry is known for selﬂessly caring for those without a 
voice – the animals and pets that bring joy to our lives every day. Giving back, championing the environment, 
and ensuring everyone has a voice are important to NVA, not just as an organization, but as a community united 
in our why : "for the love of animals and the people who love them."
Our 2021 Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative Report highlights our commitment to creating change that 
matters and outlines our actions that we believe will create value and opportunities for our community. 
United by our passion to improve the comfort and well-being of animals – our teams positively contribute to 
our world through local giving, championing emotional and mental wellness, creating inclusion, and building 
environmental sustainability.
1

Our community is dedicated to:
The veterinary profession proudly boasts a signiﬁcant population (70%) of female 
veterinarians. However, it falls behind in ethnic diversity. Through scholarships, 
mentorships, internships, and externships, NVA is working to increase our 
industry's diversity and, more importantly, ensure that everyone feels a sense of 
belonging and acceptance.
Compassion fatigue and high suicide rates plague professionals in our industry. 
NVA has developed programs to ensure our veterinarians and their teams 
prioritize their own mental and emotional well-being.
With over 1,300 hospitals and pet resorts across ﬁve countries supporting over 
3,700 local charities, NVA believes the biggest impact we can make is through 
giving to the local community.  Every hospital and pet resort is empowered 
and encouraged to work with local charities, pet rescues and neighborhood 
organizations. 
We are starting our journey to scale climate and environmental friendly practices.  
We are committed to step-changing our eﬀorts in reducing greenhouse gas 
emissions and identifying and managing climate risks and opportunities in our 
business.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY 
AND INCLUSION 
MENTAL AND 
EMOTIONAL 
WELL-BEING 
LOCAL GIVING 
ENVIRONMENTAL 
RESPONSIBILITY AND 
SUSTAINABILITY 
2

The veterinary industry struggles to attract an ethnically diverse workforce
There is a problematic lack of ethnic diversity across the veterinary industry, which is regarded as one of the least 
diverse professions in the U.S. Recent AVMA data on the population of veterinarians in the U.S. shows that less than 10% 
of veterinarians are non-white. As minorities continue to represent a higher percentage of the American population, 
research has found that increasing numbers of veterinary students from unrepresented minority groups will still fall 
proportionally below those of the overall U.S. population. 
Developing comprehensive strategies for lasting change 
The stark ethnic disparities in our industry are not a recent revelation. Many issues have prevented the veterinary 
industry from becoming more diverse, such as a lack of access and exposure to veterinarians at an early age - particularly 
among children who live in urban or low-income areas - in addition to the high cost of veterinary school and the inability 
for some to meet the prerequisite requirements for clinical hours.
For the veterinary industry to address the ethnic disparities in veterinary and vet technician jobs, while also meeting the 
changing needs of pet owners and increasing demand for care, there must be a commitment to lasting change. 
Organizations must recruit, encourage, mentor, assist, motivate and support minorities and people of color to enter 
the ﬁeld of veterinary medicine. 
NVA is committed to leading this change.
Diversity, 
Equity 
& Inclusion.
CHAMPIONING ETHNIC DIVERSITY.
90% 
2% 
1% 
WHITE
HISPANIC
BLACK
3
DRIVING GENDER DIVERSITY
Women constitute 70% of US veterinarians. Within NVA, women represent 85% 
of our teams. Dedicated to gender diversity, NVA recently launched an internal 
Women’s Leadership program and aﬃnity group to ensure we give our up and 
coming female leaders support to grow and thrive at NVA.
WOMEN
70%

INSPIRING AND 
ASSISTING  TODAY’S 
YOUTH & VETERINARY
COLLEGE  STUDENTS.
PLEDGING $110K IN 
MINORITY STUDENT 
SCHOLARSHIPS
SUPPORTING  OUR 
RISING VETERINARY 
TALENT WITH  
MENTORSHIPS  
AND CAREER  
OPPORTUNITIES.
Inaugural intern class 
resulted in 72% of interns 
offered continuing roles.
This Is How We "ROLE." - NVA is a 
proud sponsor of the Purdue Univer-
sity School of Veterinary Medicine’s 
"This is How We ROLE" program for 
elementary school children. Through 
fun, interactive games and books, 
unrepresented children can learn 
about the vast world of veterinary 
medicine. 
Deeply committed to change, NVA has pledged $110K in DVM and veterinary 
technician scholarships. Our goal is to ensure our organization and the animal 
healthcare industry at large better represent the communities and clients we serve. 
A key area of focus for our diversity, equity, and inclusion programs is increasing 
representation from the Black community. NVA is proud to advance diversity in 
veterinary medicine with the creation of scholarship programs at Florida A&M 
University and Tuskegee University, both historically Black universities. 
VetUp! - We also started 
sponsoring Purdue's VetUp! D.V.M 
Scholars program which provides 
opportunities for educationally or 
economically disadvantaged D.V.M 
degree students.  In 2021, 18 VetUp! 
students successfully completed 
internships at NVA animal hospitals 
working alongside seasoned NVA 
veterinary professionals.
PrideVMC - Our commitment to 
diversity, equity, and inclusion does 
not stop with our youth. Our 
partnership with PrideVMC 
(Veterinary Medical Community) 
supports our shared mission to 
create a better world for the 
LGBTQ+ veterinary community by 
fostering acceptance and inclusivity 
across the industry. 
BlackDVM - We proudly partner 
with the BlackDVM network to foster 
a community of veterinary leaders 
through mentorships and career 
opportunities for underrepresented 
minorities. BlackDVM is one of the 
fastest-growing organizations for 
change in the veterinary industry. 
Vet Technician Program - Our 
partnership with Penn Foster College 
oﬀers veterinary assistants and 
technicians the opportunity to 
become credentialed through online 
education. Through this program, we 
can help to ease the ﬁnancial burden 
for hundreds of professionals 
through tuition support as well as full 
scholarships.
Education to affect change:
Our community team launched an 
educational website helping our 
teams better understand the 
Black experience to help start 
conversations and prompt change.  
4

For the love of animals and 
the people who love them.
CARING FOR OTHERS, REQUIRES CARING FOR YOURSELF.
Compassion fatigue and high suicide rates plague the industry
Our industry faces a severe mental health crisis. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), one in 
six veterinarians has considered or attempted suicide, and one in 10 suﬀers from severe psychological distress. 
Other threats to animal care professionals’ mental health and well-being include the staggering rate of student 
loan debt, depression, anxiety, compassion fatigue and new stressors related to COVID-19.
Improving the well-being of the profession
NVA invests in the mental and emotional well-being of our people and industry colleagues. Our signature 
wellness programs teach our people the skills they need to cope with compassion fatigue and thrive in the 
caregiver role. 
5

Health of the Healers retreat: 
Animal caregivers attend a 
four-day retreat, learning how to 
prioritize their emotional and 
mental health so they can support 
themselves and others. They learn 
emotional skills like reframing 
emotional thinking, emotional 
self-care techniques, and making 
peace with what can and cannot 
be controlled. 
Connect retreat: 
During this retreat, our pet resort 
leaders and veterinary technicians 
learn well-being practices and 
leadership skills such as conﬂict 
resolution, building teams, 
communicating eﬀectively, and 
ways to thrive in life and business.
AVMA partnership on 
suicide prevention: 
We partnered with the American 
Veterinary Medical Association’s 
My Veterinary Life podcast to 
share a four-part series on 
personal well-being.  Featuring 
our Chief Community Oﬃcer, the 
episodes explore several critical 
topics, such as understanding 
the whole person, emotional 
intelligence, culture and life ﬁlters. 
To date, this series has over 
3,000 downloads.
       3K people downloaded 
NVA's wellness Pawcast:
In 2020, we produced a series 
of podcasts to share wellness 
practices such as breathing and 
mindfulness techniques and 
exploring our spiritual selves. We 
also published articles, blog posts, 
and inspiring messages to encour-
age the veterinary community and 
others to prioritize their mental 
and emotional health. 
Access to mental health 
professionals: 
NVA oﬀers a company-sponsored 
mental health program that 
provides weekly access to a 
licensed therapist. With this 
program, animal care workers can 
connect with mental health 
professionals to help cope with 
life and occupational stress.
At NVA, we have a team led by 
our Chief Community Officer that 
is dedicated to improving the 
mental and emotional health of 
animal caregivers. The team 
provides essential support for 
community wellbeing through 
specific programs, which include:
6

Strengthening our 
local communities.
A DEEP COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITIES 
WHERE WE LIVE AND WORK. 
With more than 1,300 general practices, equine hospitals, specialty and emergency hospitals and pet resorts, 
and nearly 25,0000 staﬀ members, our people are empowered to support the local causes they are most 
passionate about. We help and strengthen our local communities through philanthropy, year-round volun-
teerism, and action when disaster strikes. 
Providing support and care when and where we're needed the most
Although the love of animals is universal, the care needed by communities can vary, ranging from partnering 
with local animal rescues to helping kangaroos and koalas during the Australian wildﬁres. The staﬀ at our 
locally-empowered hospitals and pet resorts collectively contribute thousands of hours of their personal 
time volunteering for community outreach opportunities in order to directly impact those around them.
7
1,300 animal 
care practices 
supporting over 
3,700 local charities

AUSTRALIAN WILDFIRES. 
LOCAL RESCUES.
Our pet resorts and hospitals donate thousands 
of collective hours supporting local community 
animal rescues by giving in-kind service, ﬁnding 
pets forever homes, and supporting the volunteers 
themselves. Every day these stories of care and 
hope unfold at our hospitals. Such as the story of 
Angel, a dog without a home. Angel was found by 
a client on a dark road starving, exhausted, and 
covered in mites. When she arrived at our 
Roanoke Animal Hospital, she could barely walk. 
Angel spent the next three months with the 
hospital undergoing daily treatments. After six 
months, she was ﬁnally healthy and found her 
new, forever home.
VetPartners, our Australian company, came together in 
response to the devastating ﬁres in January 2020 that killed 
or displaced nearly three billion animals. Our locations raised 
over $145,745.00, including  a matching company donation 
of $97,163.84.
Helping in the 
time of crisis:
ANGEL FUND.
$83,090 TO HELP 
THOSE WHO 
NEED HELP
Through our Angel Fund program, NVA aids families who need ﬁnancial assistance to 
ensure their pets can get the care they need. The Angel Fund is supported by fundraising 
eﬀorts and donations from our clients, community members, and staﬀ. 
BLOOD DRIVES.
HELPING PETS WHO 
NEED IT MOST
Just like people, pets sometimes require life-saving blood transfusions. If a dog or cat is 
injured, needs surgery, or is ﬁghting a blood illness, having donations at the ready can 
make all the diﬀerence. Many of our hospitals work proactively with their communities 
to ensure these demands are met.
8

SUPPORTING VETERANS & 
THEIR CANINE COUNTERPARTS.
Military Working Dogs. Many of our hospitals 
participate in American Human’s War Dog Program. 
After loyal service to their country, military dogs 
who require specialty or emergency care can 
receive medical treatment at no charge. Our 
doctors and technicians donate their time to 
provide the best care to these extraordinary, 
hardworking dogs. 
U.S. Army PaYS Program. We're proud to work 
with the Partnership for Youth Success (PaYS) 
Program, to help soldiers pursue careers after 
serving in the Army. We guarantee interviews 
and possible employment through PaYS eﬀorts 
to connect our businesses with talent and 
potential of those who have served. The program 
builds opportunities for the nation's youth to serve 
their country now, connecting them to a bright 
future later.
NVA CARES: CARING FOR PEOPLE
IN THE FACE OF DISASTER
GIVING BACK 
DURING THE 
COVID PANDEMIC.
When environmental disasters strike, they have a 
devastating impact on the people we care deeply 
about. NVA Cares is an employee relief program 
designed to help our staﬀ and their families facing 
ﬁnancial hardship after suﬀering a major life event 
caused by an environmental disaster such as a ﬁre, 
drought, earthquake, ﬂood, hurricane, or landslide. 
Through NVA Cares, we work to ensure the safety 
and security of our team members and their families’ 
and oﬀer immediate, short-term ﬁnancial support. 
Most recently, we have supported staﬀ aﬀected by 
the California Wildﬁres, Hurricane Ida, and several 
other devastating events.
This year has been challenging for many families around the world. As communities 
struggled with record unemployment, food insecurities, and the impact of COVID-19, 
our staﬀ came together to help meet some of those needs. Through collective eﬀorts, 
the people of NVA fundraised, collected, and donated food, money, clothing, books, and 
other essentials for individuals and families in their local communities. Together, our 
teams have contributed thousands of service hours to support the people in their local 
communities. 
99
    RAISED $624,000
    APPROVED 39 GRANTS THROUGH 
    3Q 2021 HELPING PEOPLE THROUGH 
    THE ARIZONA WILDFIRES, HURRICANE 
    IDA AND WINTER STORMS.
Cares

At NVA, we believe that all our hospitals and 
pet resorts play a role in protecting our 
environment. We are committed to 
developing responsible environmental 
protection practices across all our 
operations to beneﬁt the health of the pets 
we serve, our clients, staﬀ, and communi-
ties. With more than 1,300 hospitals and pet 
resorts stretching across the U.S., Canada, 
Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore, 
improving our environmental sustainability 
will make an enormous impact.
Environmental
responsibility 
and sustainability
COMMITTING TO IMPROVING THE 
WORLD AROUND US
OUR APPROACH TO POSITIVE CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP INCLUDES:
  Conserving energy by adapting paperless processes for pet patient registration and records
Encouraging our staﬀ to adopt green practices at work and home
Using recycled materials and energy-eﬃcient equipment
Designing energy eﬃcient construction and renovations
We are starting our journey to 
scale climate and environmentally
friendly practices. We are 
committed to step-changing our
efforts in reducing greenhouse gas 
emissions and identifying and 
managing climate risks and 
opportunities in our business.
10

In summary…
Our 2021 Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative Report reflects our commitment to 
creating change that matters. Via our passion for what unites us, our love of pets and 
the people who love them, our teams drive lasting change that benefits communities through 
local giving, championing emotional and mental wellness, creating inclusion, and building 
environmental sustainability.