Historically, animals have been great sentinels for assessing human health risks, serving as accessible populations to monitor altered risk levels due to changing environmental drivers. While 50-60% of urban households in Canada contain at least one companion animal, there is currently no active surveillance of this population. The companion animal surveillance initiative invites veterinarians/veterinary clinics in Western Canada to become part of the surveillance network. Through quarterly surveys, veterinarians will be asked to provide information on cases of pathogens of interest, intervention usage and testing patterns. This data will be followed over time to determine trends; updates will be provided on emerging issues, timely infographics and reports on important topics for both companion animal owners and veterinarians. Article here summarizes the surveillance initiative: https://research.usask.ca/our-impact/highlights/discoverydigest/2021-june/surveillance-project-identifies-pathogens-in-dogs-on-prairies.php