Women for Humane Canada

Melissa has been involved with Humane Canada since 2016 as one of the founding members of Women for Humane Canada. She has worked in the animal welfare non-profit sector for 10 years with a range of experience including Fund Development, Corporate Partnerships, Marketing, Events and Humane Education.

She began her education at St. Thomas University and went on to complete Veterinary Technician & Broadcast Journalism programs. Melissa is passionate about animal welfare and raising funds to help give animals in Canada a better future. In her spare time she enjoys reading, being outdoors and spending time with friends & family. Melissa has been an avid animal lover her whole life and at home has 2 rescue cats, a rescue dog, as well as 2 young children.

Debbie Johnston is Executive Director and Senior General Counsel leading the Competition Bureau of Canada’s legal team. She is a former federal prosecutor and public sector lawyer with expertise in criminal prosecutions, human rights law, competition law, and in public sector governance. Over the past decade, she has provided pro bono training in Spanish to judges and prosecutors in Colombia and Mexico on human rights and adversarial system prosecution skills in the context of Latin American criminal justice reform.

Debbie is a lifelong animal lover and became especially passionate about animal welfare when she adopted an Akbash puppy mill survivor. In the past decade, Debbie has devoted efforts to the animal welfare of street dogs in Latin America- on the ground rescuing, fostering, transporting dogs and donated vet supplies, adopting, helping at spay/neuter clinics, sponsoring urgent veterinary care, fundraising, and supporting NGOs both in Canada and abroad. She has helped rescue over 30 dogs.

Deb lives with her husband, three kids and her Latino-Canadian canine rescue pack in the Gatineau Hills.

Graduating with a veterinary degree from the University College Dublin, Dr. Doyle returned to Canada to practice in 2009. She subsequently obtained a certificate and a Master’s in Veterinary Forensics from the University of Florida. Dr. Doyle has lectured across North America, and Internationally to veterinarians, law enforcement, and crown prosecutors on the recognition and reporting of animal abuse. As an advocate for awareness of the ‘Link’, she lectures on the need for mandated reporting among veterinarians and a need for broadening the scope of investigations involving the intersections of violence against all living beings.

Currently based in Calgary, Alberta, at the VCA Riverbend Animal Hospital Dr. Doyle provides services from crime scene analysis and photography to forensic necropsies and live examinations. Dr. Doyle was the first person to be qualified as an expert witness to testify in the field of veterinary forensics in the Court of Queens Bench in Alberta. She has consulted with law enforcement agencies across Canada on cases of intentional and unintentional animal abuse. In 2017 she was proud to receive a Calgary Police Commission award for her work on animal investigations and community policing in Calgary.

Deanna Thompson has been the Executive Director for Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society (AARCS) since 2010. A graduate from Mount Royal College, Deanna went on to complete her Bachelor of Management Degree at the University of Lethbridge. She left her successful oil and gas career in Risk Management to lead one of Alberta’s fastest-growing animal welfare agencies.

Under Deanna’s leadership over the past 12 years, AARCS expanded operations in Alberta with an intake shelter and onsite veterinary hospital in Calgary and a shelter and adoption centre in Edmonton. With a volunteer base exceeding 2,000, with over 800 of those foster families, AARCS is a hybrid shelter/foster-based agency. In addition to their innovative volunteer and adoption programs, AARCS focuses much of their work on improving animal welfare through Spay/Neuter Programs, Pet Assistance, and Animal Disaster Response. Deanna led her team of animal rescuers through three major disasters in Alberta and is a member of the Alberta Companion Animal Disaster Response committee.

“Each day we work hard to change the lives of each individual animal that come through our doors, but our vision is that they don’t arrive in need of help in the first place. In order to do this, we must work towards building a compassionate world for all animals and Humane Canada and Woman for a Humane Canada provide a platform to do just that.”

Adrianne Campeau is a human resources and communications executive and has spent her career in global organizations dedicated to improving and saving lives and serving communities in the medical device, pharmaceutical, diagnostic imaging and insurance industries. She holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Illinois and an MBA in Human Resources Management from Michigan State University.

She is committed to giving back to the community and grew up with a houseful of pets; so her love of animals started at an early age. She is a change advocate, life long learner and keenly interested in health and wellness. Born and raised in Chicago, Adrianne and her husband live with their three children and rescue dog in Newmarket, Ontario.

“I am honoured to be part of this group of amazing, professional women who are passionate about improving the lives of animals across Canada!”

Aedes Scheer grew up on a beef and grain farm in southern Alberta. She studied to become an Animal Health Technologist before completing a Bachelor of Science, later tacking on a high school teaching certificate and a Masters of Science. She went to the Yukon Territory for a six-week vacation and nearly 30 years later, still calls the Yukon home.

While living in Dawson City, she provided veterinary assistance to a community that did not have a local vet, worked as a mosquito biologist, served on City Council, volunteered for the ambulance service, and started Humane Society Dawson (HSD). Through her work with HSD, she helped shape the initial iteration of the Yukon Animal Protection Act, and was a director-at-large with the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS). Later she was a member of the Canadian Council on Animal Care during her time at the CFHS.

In 2006, Scheer decided to return to school and complete a medical degree. She now works as a rural GP in the Yukon and Beaufort Delta region of the Northwest Territories. She remains a board member of HSD

“I look forward to being a member of the Women for Humane Canada, to learn more about animal welfare efforts on the national scene, and to be able to bring this information for the betterment of animal-human interactions back to the community I love.”

Member Since: November 27th, 2019

Elizabeth Riddell-Dixon is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Bill Graham Centre for Contemporary International History at Trinity College (University of Toronto), a Senior Fellow at Massey College, and a Professor Emerita of Political Science at the University of Western Ontario, where she taught international relations at the graduate and undergraduate levels.

As a child, Elizabeth rescued and raised orphaned baby birds and squirrels. Over the years, she has adopted two dogs from Humane Society shelters and two from rescue organizations – all of whom are/were beloved companions. Her current canine companion is a beautiful rescue from Northern Manitoba. Elizabeth welcomes the opportunity to contribute her research and analytical skills to the valuable work of Women for Humane Canada.

“Women for Humane Canada provides the opportunity to work with strong, like-minded women to advocate for laws that protect animals from abuse and promote their well-being, and to raise public awareness about the intrinsic importance of animals and their right to respect and quality of life. I strongly endorse Humane Canada’s groundbreaking work to raise awareness of the link between violence against humans and violence against animals and to establish policies and practices aimed at prevention and intervention ”

Member Since: September 22nd, 2019

Jennifer’s love for animals started at an early age with two cats her parents adopted when a friend needed to move and couldn’t take the cats with them. Since then, and throughout her life Jennifer has donated to various causes and in 2017 also started volunteering for the North Toronto Cat Rescue as a caregiver. She and her husband currently have two cats (Kiwi and Taco) that were adopted from NTCR and they are the loves of their lives.

As a CPA-CA by day, Jennifer currently works for a Canadian Financial Institution where she helps manage the project portfolio finances for one of their groups. In her free time she’s also a food blogger for Gastro World where she visits restaurants and advises on the experience.

“I’m excited to connect with a group of women who want to do more to better the lives of animals in Canada! Being an avid food lover, I want to engage the group on an initiative I’m developing on helping Canadians make better choices when buying and eating meat. Seeing the wealth of experience in the group, there will be much to learn.”

Member Since: October 4th, 2019

As a founder and principal of Jacqueline Watty Consulting, Jacqueline has a passion for supporting nonprofits and charities on fund development and communications strategies. She also provides leadership and coaching to staff and helps each organization right-size a plan and find solutions custom to their needs.

Jacqueline focused her master’s thesis on addressing “Who should be leading the charge? Leadership and Animal Welfare in the Food Supply Chain.” She has been involved with The Humane Society of KW and Stratford Perth since 2013, first in Humane Education, and is now past-President of the Board of Directors.

Jacqueline is thrilled to join a group of women who are addressing the root causes of all animal suffering at the national level through policy change, legislative review, awareness/educational campaigns, and their efforts to showcase the link between animal and human abuse. She cares deeply about all thing’s animal welfare, related to companion animals, those within the food supply chain, and the ecosystems that are vital to supporting them.

Member Since: September 20th, 2019

Renata Hale, CPA, CGA, Director, Technology & Strategy with the Municipal Finance Authority of BC in Victoria, BC. Her specialty is in big picture thinking and strategic solutions to address complex situations.

As part of her commitment to making positive change for animals, Renata believes in understanding all facets that impact animal welfare – legislative, legal, cultural, financial, and behavioral. Her belief is that a focus on shared purpose and professionalism in animal welfare is an imperative for this issue in Canada. She has done amateur animal rescue and fundraising for animals throughout her life, and has volunteered in a board and/or fundraising capacity with several animal welfare and rescue organizations over the past 15 years. She and her husband had a team that raised more than $50,000 over five “Paws For a Cause” BCSPCA fundraising events. Renata’s family nicknamed her “Doctor Doolittle” when at a very young age she demonstrated a keen interest in all animals, wild and domesticated. She still talks to animals more than she does to people. Renata is the guardian of two rescued Great Dane/Great Pyrenees dogs and seven “formerly feral” cats.

“I am thrilled to join this group of brilliant women, from all walks of life and all over Canada, as it provides the opportunity to collaborate and problem-solve with greater scope than any one of us could accomplish individually. This cause requires a sharing of purpose and cooperation on this scale to truly make a difference for all animals.”

Member Since: December 1st, 2018

Marcie Moriarty is the Chief Prevention and Enforcement Officer with the BC SPCA. After obtaining degrees in Animal Biology and Law from the University of British Columbia, Marcie was called to the bar in 2003. Her passion for animal welfare and advocacy led her to a career with the BC SPCA starting in 2005.

In her current role, Marcie leads a department that combines cruelty investigations, government relations, outreach, and scientific programs. Some of the BC SPCA Prevention and Enforcement Department successes she is most proud of are the strengthening of the provincial animal cruelty laws, including increasing penalties and the incorporation of various codes of practice. Marcie was also a key contributor to the creation of the National Centre for the Prosecution of Animal Cruelty (NCPAC). In recognition of her work with NCPAC, she was presented with a 2016 Animal Welfare Leadership and Innovation Award by Humane Canada in 2016. Marcie is also thrilled to be the new chair of the Humane Canada board.

“I am a firm believer in the change-making power that a group of committed, talented and diverse women can have. I am pleased to join Women for Humane Canada. It is my hope that my experience being a vocal advocate for animal issues will be an asset to the group and will help secure lasting and impactful improvements for animals in Canada.”

Member Since: May 1st, 2018

Margaret Strecker is retired. During her career she held several senior management positions in the social services. He last position was Director of Services for Seniors in Halton Region. She has a Master’s of Social Work in Policy, Planning and Administration from the University of Toronto. Margaret is a strong supporter of the animal-human bond. She introduced cats, dogs, birds and rabbits to the Long-term Care facility for which she was responsible.

During her retirement she has dedicated herself to the well-being of animals. She was the Chair of the Hamilton/Burlington SPCA for 4 years and has been and a Director on the board for 8 years. As well, she volunteers with the Hamilton Community Cat Network which is dedicated to humanely resolving the issue of the many community cats in our city.

“I believe that all animals should have the opportunity to enjoy the five essential freedoms: from hunger and thirst, from pain, injury and disease, from distress, from discomfort and to express behaviours that promote well-being. I am excited to be a part of Women for a Humane Canada to work together for this change.”

Member Since: May 1st, 2018

Monika Enachescu is a geoscientist and sustainability professional with a passion for environmental, animal and social justice. She holds a BScH in Geosciences and a BSc Biology from Queen’s University, and an MSc in Sustainable Energy Development from the University of Calgary.

Monika currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Animal Task Force and volunteers with Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society, The Alice Sanctuary and Pawsitive Match Rescue Foundation. She is also a long-time committee member and current board member of the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists. Monika believes in leading by example to empower others to make socially-conscious choices and is interested in creating better policy, legislation and education to improve, protect and defend the lives of women and animals.

“As a devoted animal lover, I am a strong believer in advocacy and empathy for all and I am honoured to join Women for Humane Canada, working to elevate these causes.”

Member Since: May 1st, 2018

Nancy Nicks, CPA, is a Partner at Hendry Warren LLP. She focuses on entrepreneurial business and small business start-ups, providing advisory services in controllership, financial accounting and taxation in a variety of industry sectors. Providing personal attention and taking time to understand her clients’ businesses allows Nancy to deliver excellent service focusing on both business and personal financial goals

Nancy is responsible for auditing and assurance engagement quality control and is the training principal for the firm’s CPA student training program. She is also actively involved in managing human resources efforts for the firm.

Nancy is a member of CPA Canada, CPA Ontario, Women for Mental Health and the Women’s Executive Network.

“I joined this giving circle after attending an WHC event and wanted to help the organization protect animals. I am a cat lover, and I also enjoy dogs and other animals. I believe that anyone who loves animals and wants to protect them should join WHC to help them make a difference in animal welfare at the national level.”

Member Since: February 20th, 2018

Nancy Penrose has been an active animal advocate for as long as she can remember. She is a dedicated member of The Social Petwork and has been a Director with several other non-profit organizations. Her focus is education, advocacy, and awareness about unethical breeding practices used by puppy mills and backyard breeders. Nancy has worked with several municipalities to make legislative changes regarding the sale of pets in the retail environment.

Nancy brings her extensive background in retail and commercial finance to aid pet store owners and retailers to convert their business model to feature rescue and shelter animals for adoption. She is passionate about assisting businesses to adapt to the changing market and focus on ethical and sustainable practices.

Nancy is a volunteer transporter for a wildlife rehabilitation centre, contributor to various newsletters featuring wildlife education and and fosters senior and palliative care dogs. Nancy considers it a privilege to provide a loving, caring home so they may have peace and happiness for their remaining time

“I became a member of Women for Humane Canada because I believe we can be the voice for change together.”

Member Since: February 20th, 2018

Judith Goldberg is an elementary school principal and life-long learner whose passion for animals has led her to host workshops by Keep It Wild, a program she hopes will inspire her students to foster compassion for wildlife and help them understand that they can make a real difference in the lives of animals.

Since coming on board as principal, Judith’s leadership has brought forward a strong focus on student well-being, character-building and participation in the Roots of Empathy program. Judith holds a degree in History and Political Science from Carleton University, a B.Ed from Ottawa University and an M.Ed from OISE.

Judith is honoured to be part of Women for Humane Canada and looks forward to the opportunity to have a more profound effect on animal cruelty and protection laws in Canada to ensure the well-being of all animals in this country

“I am honoured to be part of Women for Humane Canada and I look forward to the opportunity to have a more profound effect on animal cruelty and protection laws in Canada to ensure the well-being of all animals in our country.”

Member Since: June 1st, 2017

Carrie Fritz is a CGA-CPA who was drawn to a career in animal welfare and the not-for-profit sector from the start. Carrie was delighted to accept the position of Controller at Calgary Humane Society in 2007, and was later on appointed Executive Director in 2014.

Once in the role of Executive Director, Carrie had a strong desire to build a professional, highly-skilled team in order to further all aspects of animal welfare. Growing up in a family of teachers, she understood the importance of education and used this as a strategy to develop the team so they could be successful in inspiring the community to take on the challenges of animal welfare and teach them to be responsible pet owners.

Carrie originally joined Women for Humane Canada as she wanted to be a part of this professional group of women who are passionate about animal welfare and who have significant influence in their communities and within their own social circles.

Carrie currently lives just south of Calgary, where she shares her home with her daughter, her two dogs (Daisy and Lacey) as well as her rescue rabbit, Winter

“I believe if we are to succeed in the animal welfare sector, we need to work together with a strong, unified voice. If we are able to connect the many conversations we are having individually and share these consistent messages across Canada, we will have a much greater impact in order to achieve our goals of helping more animals and saving lives.”

Member Since: May 1st, 2017

Jane was born and raised in Toronto, but spent much of her working life in Prince George, BC as a botany professor at the University of Northern British Columbia. She holds a BSc (York University), MSc (University of Guelph) and PhD (University of Toronto).

During 2016-7, she was the Community Council Chair of the North Cariboo District Branch of the BC SPCA. She retired in 2017 from UNBC and moved back to Ontario with her husband, Dave, to fulfill her dream of dedicating most of her energies to helping animals, including starting a program, “Pets Too”, which helps people in need to feed their pets. Dave and Jane adopted a puppy mill survivor, Pebbles, a few years ago and feel honoured to provide a loving and safe home for this sweet soul.

One of the areas Jane is most interested in is the violence link between animal cruelty and human cruelty and believes deeply that we can help both animals and people by recognizing this connection. She has been thrilled to head up Women for Humane Canada and continues to be one of its ambassadors every day by educating the public and government officials about animal issues, as well as investigating ways to make her local community a more humane environment for both animals and people

“I joined Women for Humane Canada because of the strong presence of women in the world of animal advocacy and I believe in our power and talent to make Canada a more humane nation. I encourage other women to join this amazing group and witness for themselves how their commitment is putting animals more strongly on the national map.”

Member Since: February 1st, 2017

Dianna Flannery is a lawyer and mediator. After practicing law for nine years she took a position at an international financial institution focusing on estate planning.

Dianna’s passion for animals has been with her since the day she was born. As a result, she has dedicated volunteer time to improving the lives of animals.

She has sat on the executive of the Ontario Bar Association Animal Law Section (now merged with the environmental law section) and was a regular contributor to the Animal Law Newsletter.

She is a former board member of the Kitchener-Waterloo Humane Society and currently continues to be involved with the Kitchener-Waterloo Humane Society as a Canine Companion. Dianna has also volunteered at the Vet Outreach Clinic that provides vet care services to those in need in the Kitchener-Waterloo area.

“Joining the Women for Humane Canada provides an opportunity for me to work together with other woman who have the same goals in recognizing that we can live in harmony on this planet by recognizing our obligations not only to one another but the planet and the animals that share it with us.”

Founding Member - Member Since: April 19th, 2016

Tara has been a strong advocate for the welfare of animals for many years through her role as Executive Director of Central Alberta Humane Society for ten years and former Humane Canada Board Director from 2015-2020. Her long career in the charitable sector specializing in fund development, marketing, and management has spanned over 20 years, actively furthering the missions of the central Alberta charitable sector in domestic violence, seniors long term care, and animal welfare.

During that time, Tara received recognition for her dedication as a Red Deer Women of Excellence and through a Humane Canada Animal Welfare Leadership Award in 2020. Tara now supports the work of Humane Canada on the staff team as Director, Donor Relations and National Engagement. Tara proudly supports Women for a Humane Canada as a founding member and is a strong advocate for the recognition of women in leadership in our sector.

Along with partner Jaret and fur-kids Harlee and Bandit, she divides her time between their homes on the mountain in the Crowsnest Pass, AB, and their off-grid cabin on the shores of Kootenay Lake just outside of Nelson, BC. At home, they relish the freedom of nature, the beauty of the environment, and the wildlife that frequently visit both properties.

Founding Member - Member Since: January 11th, 2016

Linda Barber is a retired federal public service executive who also served as a senior director/branch manager in the Ottawa not-for-profit sector for ten years. Linda holds a B.A. from Queen’s University and a Master’s Degree in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership at Carleton University from Carleton University.

Linda’s long public service career has seen her serve in many capacities including the first Executive Director of Health Canada’s Office of Pediatric Initiatives, and as Director General of Human Resources and Transition Management, at Indian Residential School Resolution Canada. She is currently the Ottawa Branch Manager of the National Association of Federal Retirees.

Linda is also a dedicated volunteer, striving to improve animal protection and welfare. She served on the Board of the Ottawa Humane Society for seven years and chaired the Ottawa Humane Society (OHS) Board from 2012-2014. Until the pandemic she taught humane education classes for OHS in elementary schools. She remains a long-standing member of the OHS Auxiliary. Linda served as the Humane Canada Board Chair from 2015 to 2019 and continues to support Humane Canada in many ways including through her Women for Humane Canada membership.

“I joined Women for Humane Canada because animals deserve better protection and Humane Canada is committed to strengthening Canada’s criminal code to recognize animal abuse as a crime and to make people aware of how animal abuse can escalate to violence against others.”

Founding Member - Date Joined: January 1st, 2016

Building strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders and creating a culture of compassion and philanthropy in the community is Miranda’s passion. This philosophy was exemplified in her previous roles as CEO of the Edmonton Humane Society and CEO of the Glenrose Foundation.

Miranda has an extensive background in communications and business operations management that spans two decades. Her credentials include a public relations diploma from MacEwan University, a BA (Sociology) from the University of Alberta and an MBA from the University of Liverpool. She also holds a post-graduate certificate in nonprofit management from Harvard University, as well as a strategy certificate from Queen’s University.

Advancement is at the core of Miranda’s vision. She has a proven track record for driving results in the social sector. Her ability to transform organizations and advance social causes led to her being named Avenue Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40 (class of 2015) and led to two honourable mentions in Distinctive Women magazine for Women for Humane Canada, the national leadership philanthropy group Miranda co-founded in 2016. Miranda is currently pursuing her Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) designation, which denotes excellence in fundraising practice. Miranda was the past vice-chair of WHC and past chair of Humane Canada.

“I let the evidence and results inform me about the needs of the sector. I was impressed with Humane Canada’s long-standing legacy. And, because of the Ottawa location, at the seat of government, I knew we were well positioned to do meaningful work on a national level.”

Founding Member - Member Since: April 29th, 2016

Joanne has been an animal lover of all types and sizes (domestic and wild) throughout her life, and currently is the ‘grandma’ to two rescue dogs. Since her early twenties, Joanne has supported organizations that advance animal welfare locally, nationally and beyond, financially and where time permitted as a volunteer.

Graduating with an undergrad in Biology, and later a Masters in Human Systems Intervention she has held a myriad of positions throughout her career that focused on working with leaders and employees, developing and implementing strategies and programs that support the organization to successfully deliver its vision. Her career has focused in public and non-profit sectors, both as a manager, and as a management consultant and coach.

Recently she has taken time to reset, and hesitates to say ‘retire’, with the hopes to realize a lifelong passion to contribute more directly to the wellbeing of animals, specifically with a goal to continue improving animal cruelty laws and more broadly to enhance animal welfare locally and nationally.

“I am so excited to join this talented team of women in our shared cause to make greatly needed change in animal welfare in Canada. I so look forward to the opportunity to learn, collaborate and contribute towards making a meaningful impact with Women for Humane Canada. “