What to know
- Dr. Matthew Richardson began at The Animal Clinic as a 16-year-old part-time kennel attendant. Years later, after founder Dr. John Reeve-Newson retired, Richardson became the owner.
- He was named a recipient of the 2026 Outstanding Veterinarian Award by the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA), based on nominations from veterinary professionals and the public.
- Known as the “biking vet,” Richardson has raised $285,000 for the Farley Foundation through an annual charity bicycle ride, funding accessible veterinary care for people on social assistance.
- Richardson has served on the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) board for eight years — including one as president — championing sustainability in veterinary medicine and reducing his clinic’s energy use by 28 per cent annually.
As a child, Dr. Matthew Richardson became a caretaker for his childhood dog, which influenced him to pursue this role as a career. Now, he’s been awarded the 2026 Outstanding Veterinarian Award.
“The first thing I ever said to [the founder of this clinic] was, ‘I want to be a vet someday,’” Richardson tells Now Toronto.
When he was 16, the founder of The Animal Clinic, Dr. John Reeve-Newson, offered him a part-time Kennel attendant position. Richardson worked one day after school and every other weekend, cleaning cages, holding animals and helping out where needed.
After veterinary school, Richardson returned to take an open position at The Animal Clinic.
From there, taking care of animals became a part of his routine, but there’s never a day that’s the same.
“What I love about being a vet is that it really is a little bit of everything, right?” Richardson said.
On Tuesday, he shared that he spends most of his morning in dentistry, doing dental cleanings and dental extractions on a few patients. In the afternoon, he’ll be doing vaccines, sick pet appointments, and ultrasounds, moving into radiology, and collecting blood samples.
Through his hard work, Newson asked Richardson to be his partner. After retiring four years ago, Richardson took over his share of the partnerships and officially became the owner of The Animal Clinic.
“It’s been really, really rewarding to go from being a 16-year-old kid working here, trying to figure out what the best way to hold animals is and cleaning cages, to being the medical director and lead veterinarian here,” Richardson said.
Volunteerism
In January, Dr. Richardson received the 2026 Outstanding Veterinarian Award. What contributed to this milestone?
One of the most impactful acts he’s done – and how he earned his nickname as the “biking vet” – is his work on the board and as the past president at the Farley Foundation. He’s also very involved in a foundation fundraiser, where he does a charity bicycle ride every year to raise money – hence his nickname.
“It started off, I’d commute on the nice days, and then I sort of thought, I’m happier when I bike, so why not commute on the less nice days… Then I thought, what if I commute during the winter? And now I’m a 12-month-a-year bicyclist in Toronto… I really don’t drive in the city at all anymore.”
He raised $285,000 toward accessible veterinary care, providing small grants to people on social assistance who need help with their pets’ health.
“What I find interesting is that people will often surprise you, and they will sort of dig deep to find the funds to support their animals… it shows how important those animals are to people who care for them,” Richardson said.
Richardson has also served on the board of the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) for eight years, including one year as president. There, he invests his time into adapting sustainability initiatives in veterinary medicine and speaks about the topic at conferences.
Aside from travelling by bike for all of his community clinics and house calls,, three to four years ago, he replaced all the lights at The Animal Clinic with LED lights, reducing energy use by 28 per cent annually. He also invested in a water filter and a coffee machine with whole beans instead of using plastic water bottles or Keurig cups.
Mentorship
For Richardson, the most impactful thing he believes he’s done is “help people see their potential.” Associates fresh out of vet school often come to him to develop their skills and realize their full potential.
He suggests that upcoming vets embrace teamwork and explains how his clinic operates. “Everyone is sort of sharing a case load… [working] on all the cases. We try to play to people’s strengths. If I got one associate who really likes doing ultrasounds… I’ll go and have [them] do it. [They] can teach me things, and I can teach [them] things.” He explains that by working together, the clinic can build a good, strong team that plays to everyone’s strengths.
About The Award
Each year, the OVMA recognizes veterinarians, veterinary teams, and student veterinarians for their outstanding contributions to veterinary medicine. This award is based on nominations by veterinary professionals and members of the public.
The award was presented at the OVMA Conference and Trade Show in Toronto.
Richardson shared he was “pretty shocked” upon receiving this award. “I do a lot of volunteer work in various capacities in the veterinary world, but I never imagined that I would be selected for the award,” he shared.
“It’s a huge honour, really… It was a nomination selected by my peers, and so it’s pretty amazing to have a group of veterinarians who you have huge amounts of respect for, say, ‘hey, we think you’re doing a great job with all of the things that you’re doing.’ So it was a real honour,” Richardson said.
