“We patronize them for their incompleteness, for their tragic fate for having taken form so far below ourselves. And therein do we err. The animal shall not be measured by man [sic]. In a world older and more complete than ours, they move finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear.”
-Henry Beston
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Valli Fraser-Celin, PhD
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About me
I hold a PhD in Geography from the University of Guelph where I studied human-African Wild Dog conflict and conservation in Botswana, Africa.
Following my doctoral studies, I pursued postdoctoral research in Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary. My focus was on dogs in Indigenous communities under the umbrella of One Heath and Reconciliation.
My postdoctoral experience led to working in humane dog population management in remote communities in Manitoba for close to three years before working as a project manager for an equitable access to pet care project at the Ontario Veterinary College.
Over the last 10+ years, I have accumulated a wealth of experience in research and writing, with a focus on qualitative research, grant writing, peer-reviewed publications, and reporting.
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Additional Certifications
Engagement and Relationship-Building with Indigenous Communities, Red River College
Rabies Educator Certificate, Global Alliance for Rabies Control
The First Nations Principles of OCAP (Ownership, Control, Accessibility, Possession): Fundamentals of OCAP, Algonquin College
Fear Free Shelters (Completed Module), Fear Free: Leaders in Animal Wellbeing
Shelter Consultation Mentorship - Foundational Course, Maddie’s® Million Pet Challenge
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Publications (selected)
Rutherford, S., Fraser-Celin, V.-L., Hager, H.A., Fox, L. & Hofman, A. (2024). The social landscape of wolves in Canada – preliminary findings. Human Dimensions of Wildlife. https://doi.org/10.1080/10871209.2024.2360741
Fraser-Celin, V.-L. & Rock, M.J. (2022) One Health and reconciliation: media portrayals of dogs and Indigenous communities in Canada. Health Promotion International, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daab110
Fraser-Celin, V.L. & Hovorka, A.J. (2019) Compassionate Conservation: Exploring the Lives of African Wild Dogs (Lycaon pictus) in Botswana. Animals, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9010016
Fraser-Celin, V.L., Hovorka, A.J., Silver, J.J. (2018) Human conflict over wildlife: exploring social constructions of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) in Botswana. Human Dimensions of Wildlife, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10871209.2018.1443528
Affiliations
Vice-President (Board of Trustees), Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada
Think Tank Member, The Dog Rehoming Project
One Health Advisor, GoChip
Board Advisor, Canadian Animal Shelter & Community Medicine Association