City of Vaughan

Holiday Pet Care has made the decision to commit to contributing business practices and activities that respond to the Sustainable Development Goals as issued by the United Nations (UN). The following is a list of the 17 goals outlined by the UN, and how we plan to commit to practices that best meet those goals.

We provide opportunities for “special circumstance” boarding of dogs to those who demonstrate a financial need for assistance during times of crisis. As well we will make donations to registered organizations that assist the poor in Vaughan when feasible.

In addition to donations to local Food Banks, we commit to supporting programs in Vaughan that encourage and assist those in need of food.

In areas concerning public health, we commit to following local and federal government guidelines that are currently in place and that may be introduced in the future. As part of our regular cleaning protocols, we use an environmentally safer hospital disinfectant called Quatto 44 to sterilize surfaces, as well as air filters equipped with ultraviolet light bulbs to kill airborne bacteria and viruses. When necessary, we provide a “doggie valet” service to pick up and drop off dogs directly to our client’s vehicles.

We commit to offering seminars for the community under the name of “DogGuru”.  We offer programs that educate the public, our clients, and our community on subjects such as training, behaviour, handling, care, and food nutrition for pets. These programs, courses, and seminars are available in-person as well as online.

Our hiring practice affords equal opportunities to all people of legal age to work in Vaughan. Our policy is not to discriminate based on gender in our employees, clients, or partners.

In addition to providing clean drinking water and washroom facilities, free of charge for our staff and clients, we commit to supporting local initiatives to ensure clean water and sanitation throughout Vaughan. We have our own water filtration system and test our water regularly. We also clean and replace the water in the dogs’ water bowls every two hours.

Our corporate goal of becoming carbon neutral includes changing all our lights to energy-efficient low-consumption lights. We have recently replaced the single-pane windows with energy-efficient double-pane windows, with the partial support of the City of Vaughan’s My Main Street Business Sustainability program.

We aim to build our company to a level that includes more employment opportunities for all people of Vaughan. We work with students and seniors and participate in college co-op programs, as well as with work experience and programs for people with specific support needs. We participate in training programs for new Canadians and unemployed or underemployed individuals.

Our company is committed to innovative ways of developing environmentally-friendly new technologies by expanding our business through social media channels and to use our website for new and innovative ways to operate as well as advertise and promote our business. We are committed to being a zero-paper business and will be launching a new, regular blog providing pet-related information and education.

We aim to provide opportunities that reduce inequalities for those living in conditions that challenge their employability. We adjust our jobs to accommodate those with specific support needs and provide regular “rap sessions” to check in with employees to see how they are faring in their job. If adjustments are required, we do our best to provide them.

Unlike many dog daycare and dog boarding businesses, we provide a permanent green space in our backyard area which includes trees. We also commit to support activities that aim to change the city planning in favour of making smarter, greener communities.

We practice responsible consumption through the regular disposal and recycling of plastic and cardboard waste as well as technological components. We limit our consumption of plastic through using biodegradable or reusable bags and cleaning with reusable cloths.

We also commit to supporting climate action groups such as the WWF, the UNFCCC and its Youth Climate Report programs through social media subscriptions, website links, donations, and information postings. Climate change information related to Vaughan as well as the world in general will be shared with our staff and clients.

We commit to using non-plastic, biodegradable bags whenever possible to reduce the amount of plastic that makes its way into our rivers, lakes, and oceans. With an end goal of using only sustainably produced alternatives, we provide information that helps our clients reduce their use of traditional plastics. We also care for pet fish as part of our pet sitting services.

We commit to recycling with the goal of using only environmentally-friendly materials whenever possible. We are currently 100% digital to reduce our use of paper. We also commit to never using chemical pesticides and to launching a dog-walk and local clean-up program of walking dogs in local parks while picking up trash we find.

We support Vaughan’s rehabilitation programs as well as programs that support police initiatives in our local community. We have a violence and harassment policy in place. We also report to authorities if we suspect an animal may be subject to abuse or neglect.

We commit to partnering with groups, organizations, and suppliers who share our commitment to sustainable business practices, and to the well-being of families and pets, including those that support animal rescue. These collaborations advance our commitment to adhering to all of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.