Dr. Scott Zaari

As a father of two young children – Zara and Zander, my professional motivation lies in a path that contributes to a thriving local and global community. Graduating with an emphasis in ecosystem and public health, my veterinary career has long been rooted in a holistic and ‘One Health’/systems-level understanding of animal health and agricultural systems. It is from this foundation that I have built a career at both the local and international levels to include mixed animal veterinary medicine, international veterinary standard setting and policy development, laboratory research and technician, as well as large scale programme management.

Intrigued by the practical application of international animal health and welfare standards and policies, I’ve worked for the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) developing unique capacity building activities in the form of trainings and workshops focusing on topics including laboratory biosecurity, disease surveillance and outbreak investigation to name a few. I was responsible for operationalising a country wide OIE Rabies and Foot and Mouth Disease Control Programme in Myanmar. The Rabies campaign focused on the training local community animal health workers in appropriate capture and vaccination of community dogs across Myanmar. I also guided the development and implementation of a National FMD vaccination campaign involving over 300,000 large ruminants and 50,000 small scale producers in Central Myanmar.

Further to having developed an international perspective on animal health, I have also contributed to the livestock and agriculture sector within Canada. As a mixed animal veterinarian in Brooks, Alberta, I provided veterinary services including herd health, reproduction, surgery and outbreak response to many of the largest and well-established cow-calf producers across Southern Alberta. In doing so, I am proud to have gained a first-hand understanding of the processes involved in livestock management and production and a strong appreciation for the producers dedicated to this industry. I‘ve also practiced as a shelter medicine veterinarian for the Animal Care Center facilities of New York City. In addition to my day-to-day clinical shelter role, I regularly employed the ‘One Health’ approach while considering solutions to public health and socioeconomic factors relevant to overcoming animal homelessness and improving animal welfare.

 In my current role as Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO), I am responsible for leading work on issues related to animal health and welfare by upholding several Manitoba laws related to these areas. As CVO I am also the leader when it comes to animal care, the connection between animal and human care, and how all of those issues connect into the overall strength of Manitoba’s agriculture and agri-processing sectors. It is this combination of skills and expertise that I aim to apply as a Board Member of Vet Treks.