A.V.A.C. Association of veterinary acupuncturists of Canada

What A.V.A.C. Association of veterinary acupuncturists of Canada does

A.V.A.C. (Association of Veterinary Acupuncturists of Canada), operating as AVAC, is a Canadian non-profit professional association headquartered in Toronto that functions as the national affiliate of the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS). Its core function is to advance the science and practice of veterinary acupuncture in Canada by serving practicing veterinarians and veterinary students with membership services, continuing education (CE), certification pathways, and a national practitioner directory. Membership is the central product - a CA$285 annual fee (effective for the 2026-2027 cycle through June 30, 2027) bundles joint AVAC-IVAS membership, access to global CE events, web recordings, classified ads placement, and entry to the Find-a-Vet public directory, with a separate $180 student tier that includes IVAS access. The organization is volunteer-led by an elected Board of Directors (President Dr. Cara Warkentin, Treasurer Dr. Rona Sherebrin, plus regional delegates across Atlantic Canada, Manitoba, Quebec, Ontario, the Prairies, and BC), with the Vice-President seat currently vacant.

Name

A.V.A.C. Association of veterinary acupuncturists of Canada

Legal name

Association of Veterinary Acupuncturists of Canada

Website

https://avacvet.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AVAC is a Canadian non-profit professional association and the national IVAS affiliate, providing membership, continuing education, certification pathways, and a public practitioner directory for veterinarians and veterinary students practicing veterinary acupuncture across Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership at CA$285 for 2026-2027 provides joint AVAC and IVAS membership, access to global CE events, web recordings, classified ads, and member resources. Student membership is available at $180 including IVAS membership.
2. Continuing Education Course Fees: Members and non-members can purchase CE course recordings. Pricing varies by course, ranging from CA$135 for individual courses to CA$299 for specialized programs. Annual conference recordings included with membership.
3. Event Registration Fees: Online CE events priced at member rates ($200-$300) and non-member rates ($325-$390). Early bird discounts available for AGM events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

A.V.A.C. is a non-profit professional association that provides annual memberships, continuing education courses, and certification pathways for veterinarians interested in veterinary acupuncture. Members receive joint AVAC and IVAS membership, access to global CE events, web recordings, classified ads, and a public Find-a-Vet directory listing. The association also organizes annual conferences and partners with training institutions such as Chi University, CIVT, and Curacore to deliver certification programs.

Product overview

AVAC is a professional association serving as the Canadian national affiliate of the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS). The organization offers a membership-based platform providing continuing education, certification pathways, and practitioner networking. Core offerings include annual membership with IVAS joint membership, student membership, continuing education courses and recordings, certification training through partner institutions (IVAS, Chi University, CIVT, Curacore), a Find-a-Vet directory, classifieds, community forums via Facebook, and annual conferences/CE events. The 2027 CHI University Canada programs will introduce three specialized certifications: Veterinary Acupuncturist (CVA), Canine Rehabilitation Veterinarian (CCRV), and Veterinary Food Therapist (CVFT).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AVAC Annual Membership (2026-2027) Annual membership providing joint AVAC and IVAS membership, access to global CE events, web recordings, annual meeting, community huddles, and classified ads placement. Validity period is until June 30, 2027.
• Student Membership Discounted annual membership for veterinary students that includes IVAS membership and access to over 10 hours of free online education. Proof of enrollment in a veterinary program is required. Student members cannot vote or sit on the board until becoming full members.
• Continuing Education Courses Online and recorded CE courses covering veterinary acupuncture topics including neurology, electroacupuncture, musculoskeletal treatments, food therapy, and rehabilitation. Includes member-exclusive free content and purchasable recordings for non-members at CA$135-$299 per course.
• Training & Certification Programs Certification pathways for veterinarians through partner organizations (IVAS, Chi University, College of Integrative Veterinary Therapeutics (CIVT), and Curacore), training candidates to become certified veterinary acupuncturists through written/oral examinations, case studies, and practicum training.
• Chi University Canada Certification Programs Three specialized certification programs launching in 2027 through the Chi University Canada partnership: Veterinary Acupuncturist (CVA) with up to 190 RACE-approved CE hours, Canine Rehabilitation Veterinarian (CCRV) with 127 CE hours, and Veterinary Food Therapist (CVFT) with up to 41 CE hours. Led by Dr. Janice Huntingford with flexible online and on-site sessions across Canada.
• Find a Vet Directory Public online directory allowing pet owners to locate certified veterinary acupuncturists across Canadian provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan) and the USA, filterable by province and last name.
• Classifieds Employment and business advertisement board for veterinary acupuncture practitioners. Free for AVAC members, fee-based for approved businesses.
• Annual Conference Annual general meeting and conference featuring expert speakers on veterinary acupuncture topics, with past conferences including Dr. Xie (2023), Dr. Mitsie Vargas (2023), and Dr. Terri Rosado (2025).
• CE Events Individual continuing education events including online seminars with experts such as Dr. Pope (July 19, 2026) and Dr. Marsden (2026 AGM, November 22, 2026). Member rates CA$200-$300 and non-member rates CA$325-$390, with early bird discounts available.

Quantifiable outcome

• Membership includes free IVAS membership and access to global CE events

Named customers10 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAVAC is the Canadian national affiliate of IVAS. Members receive joint AVAC and IVAS membership, providing access to global CE events, IVAS resources, and the international veterinary acupuncture community. IVAS forms and certifies veterinarians worldwide in acupuncture.
• International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS)coreTechnology or IntegrationIVAS provides certification training for veterinary acupuncturists, which AVAC promotes to Canadian members. AVAC student membership ($180) includes IVAS membership.
• Chi UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChi University offers the Veterinary Balance Method Acupuncture Certification Track and has partnered with AVAC for Chi University Canada programs launching in 2027, offering CVA (190 RACE-approved CE hours), CCRV (127 CE hours), and CVFT (41 CE hours) certifications.
• College of Integrative Veterinary Therapeutics (CIVT)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIVT is one of the associations and schools offering Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist training, enabling veterinarians to obtain expert knowledge about the history and understanding of acupuncture.
• CuracoremajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCuracore offers Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist training programs, teaching acupuncture from a neuroanatomical point of view as opposed to Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Curacore: Veterinary acupuncture certification program teaching from a neuroanatomical perspective. Listed as an AVAC partner for CVA training but also offers competing direct-to-veterinarian certification, creating partial overlap.
• International Association of Veterinary Chiropractors (IAVC): Professional association in the adjacent integrative veterinary space (chiropractic), representing a similar membership/CE model for an alternative-medicine veterinary discipline. Useful peer for benchmarking integrative-vet association dynamics.
• College of Integrative Veterinary Therapeutics (CIVT): An integrative veterinary education provider offering Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist training alongside other modalities. Functions as both an AVAC partner (referring Canadian students) and a competing certification provider in the same niche.

Direct peers

• Association of British Veterinary Acupuncturists (ABVA): The UK national association for veterinary acupuncturists, providing membership, training referrals, and CE in veterinary acupuncture. Directly mirrors AVAC's structure as a single-country national affiliate in a complementary geography.
• Veterinary Botanical Medical Association (VBMA): Professional association for veterinarians practicing herbal and botanical medicine with adjacent integrative medicine scope. Comparable membership-association model serving a similarly specialized veterinary niche.
• World Association of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (WATCVM): Global professional association for TCVM practitioners including acupuncture, herbal medicine, and food therapy. Overlaps with AVAC's Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine orientation and offers competing international CE and certification pathways.
• American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture (AAVA): The US national professional association for veterinary acupuncturists, running its own annual conferences and CE events. Operates an analogous membership-based model for a North American peer market, making it the closest structural comparable to AVAC.
• International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS): The global parent organization of which AVAC is the Canadian national affiliate. IVAS certifies veterinarians worldwide in veterinary acupuncture and shares the same core mission of advancing the science and practice of veterinary acupuncture.

Broad incumbents

• American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (AHVMA): Larger US-based association covering the full spectrum of holistic and integrative veterinary medicine including acupuncture, chiropractic, and herbal medicine. Operates in an overlapping but broader category than AVAC's acupuncture-specific niche.
• Chi University: The largest global provider of veterinary acupuncture and integrative medicine certification, offering CVA, CCRV, CVFT programs that AVAC now partners to deliver in Canada. Functions as both a key strategic partner and a broader incumbent in the same certification space.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/727559910730460
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-of-veterinary-acupuncturists-of-canada

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about A.V.A.C. Association of veterinary acupuncturists of Canada