K2 Animal Health Publishing was established in 2005 to service the Canadian veterinary industry by providing new, relevant, and practical information to veterinarians. Our inaugural newsmagazine, Canadian Vet, has been distributed to veterinarians across the country bi-monthly since March 1996. Today, we continue to receive enthusiastic feedback from veterinarians who tell us that reading Canadian Vet is interesting and useful to their practice, and that they appreciate having a Canadian-focused newsmagazine.
In January 2009, we launched Canadian Vet Tech, a newsmagazine for animal health technologists and veterinary technicians, which like Canadian Vet, was received with much enthusiasm! Each issue contains editorial professionally written for vet techs, as well as 3 Continuing Education quizzes approved for CE credit by all provincial accrediting associations in Canada.
In June 2010, our first issue of Practitioner's Update journal for veterinarians was published. This special focus journal provides detailed information on specific animal health conditions, as conveyed by expert veterinarians and researchers.
In January 2011, to make CE quiz completion even more efficient, we launched an on-line quiz completion service. Vet techs can now visit our website at any time convenient for them, read the editorial articles and complete the associated quizzes. Quiz marks are then sent directly to their e-mail inbox, for submission to their association for CE credits.
Meet Our Management Team
Karen Tousignant - Publisher and Sales Director
“Animals make the world go around,” describes Karen’s outlook on life. It was her love for animals and passion for veterinary medicine that prompted Karen to launch K2 Animal Health Publishing. Her first job was working at a cattery, followed by a job at a dog grooming salon and then a job at a veterinary hospital. A definite pattern! She used her money earned to pay for horseback riding lessons. Karen then attended university and obtained an Honours Business Management Degree, which led to a successful career in human medicine publishing. Veterinary publishing, Karen realized, perfectly combines her skills and experience with her interests and passions! When not at K2 Publishing working on the next magazine or client project, Karen can usually be found at an equestrian center with her daughter Meghan, who is an avid horseback rider, or at an arena cheering on one of her son Alex’s hockey teams! In addition to her husband and two teenagers, Karen’s family includes a Boxer, named Thunder, and a thoroughbred horse, named Mira! One of Karen’s favourite trips to the vet was when Thunder casually climbed up to sit on the chair in between ‘mom’ and ‘dad’ in the veterinary reception room!
Shelagh Ross - Managing Editor
Shelagh began her publishing career working on university textbooks for a start-up company in the days when Mac computers first hit the stage, after earning an honours B.A. in English from the University of Toronto. Since then she has worked as a writer and editor in a variety of fields, including human medicine. Veterinary medicine, however, has become her favourite topic! As a life-long lover of animals, having had just two long weeks between three long-living dogs, Shelagh now spends much of her free time throwing sticks and balls for her Border Collie, April, while trying to keep the peace between her two cats. She and her husband Bob travel whenever possible, and enjoy watching their son, who’s studying history, play varsity rugby. Shelagh is also the volunteer president of the Canadian Congenital Heart Alliance, a national non-profit organization.
Jason Praskey - Art Director
An enthusiastic designer with a passion for animals, Jason has been working in the field of design and print for over five years. Graduating from George Brown College with an advanced diploma in Graphic Design, he has worked with an impressive array of clients and companies, including several publications under Rogers Media. As an animal lover and husband to a veterinarian, his home is often a haven for to-be adopted animals along with the resident dog, three cats, and two turtles. An avid photographer, snowboarder, scubadiver, and sportsman, Jason likes to spend his off-time traveling and pursuing outdoor activities.