Mars Veterinary Health convenes industry leaders to create a more sustainable future for the ...

Nashville, Tennessee, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mars Veterinary Health today hosted the 23rd annual Pet Healthcare Industry Summit, convening more than 120 leaders from across the profession to collaborate on solutions to build a more sustainable future for veterinary medicine.

“Fostering open dialogue and collaboration among the veterinary industry’s top leaders is critical to tackle the pressing challenges we face in creating a more sustainable future for veterinary medicine,” said Doug Drew, president, Mars Veterinary Health. “By working together, we can ensure our beloved profession not only adapts to the evolving landscape but also thrives as we work to create A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS, their caregivers, and our planet for generations to come.”

Making a Better Future for Pets by Expanding Access to Care With animal shelters and rescues across the U.S. in need of Veterinarians of Record (VOR) to provide veterinary care and medications to pets awaiting adoption, many shelters can’t afford veterinarians on staff or have difficulty filling open roles due to the industry-wide shortage  of veterinary professionals. ​

Today, Mars Veterinary Health announced a grant to Shelters United —a national buying group dedicated exclusively to helping nonprofit animal welfare organizations save more lives—to enable a free, online course that will train veterinarians on establishing a VOR relationship in their community through lessons and interactive experiences. The Registry of Approved Continuing Education (RACE)-approved offering will also train shelters and rescues to symbiotically work with veterinarians. This initiative aims to help increase access to care for shelter pets, improve relationships between veterinarians and animal rescues, and make it easier for veterinarians to give back to their local communities through shelter work.​

“With support from partners like Mars Veterinary Health, our goal to create a sustainable and mutually beneficial VOR model will become a reality,” said Mal Schwartz, founder and CEO of Shelters United. “The new program will include relationship guidelines, an online education course, and a state-by-state resource directory to benefit rescue organizations, shelter pets, and veterinary professionals.”

The partnership originated from collaborative access-to-care ideation sessions during last year’s Summit and further demonstrates how Mars Veterinary Health is putting its reach into action to make a better, more sustainable world for pets and the people who care for them.​​

Safeguarding the Future of Pet Health through Care for the Planet Today’s Summit discussions also centered on reducing the climate change impacts of veterinary medicine, integrating sustainability into veterinary school curricula, and embedding sustainable practices in veterinary clinic operations.

Building on its commitment to advance environmental sustainability in veterinary medicine, Mars Veterinary Health announced its founding sponsorship of the Veterinary Sustainability Alliance (VSA). The VSA is the first U.S.-focused nonprofit dedicated to preserving and protecting animal and human health by promoting sustainability. This partnership will provide extensive learning and networking opportunities, resources, and training to Mars Veterinary Health’s Associates and include the development of resources to help all veterinary professionals practice sustainable medicine.

“Veterinary professionals are extremely passionate about caring for animals and for the planet that they depend on,” said Will Sander, Founding Director, Veterinary Sustainability Alliance. “We’re thrilled to partner with Mars Veterinary Health to integrate sustainability into the veterinary sector.”

Advancing the Future of Veterinary Medicine through Educational Investments To address the industry-wide veterinary shortage and ensure best-in-class veterinary care for pets now and in the future, Mars Veterinary Health prioritizes education and training for its Associates and future veterinary professionals. In addition to creating career advancement opportunities, Mars Veterinary Health offers industry-leading professional education—and as one of the largest contributors to post-graduate veterinary education in the world, hosted more than 1,500 externs, hundreds of rotating and specialty interns, and 40 residents last year alone.

Mars Veterinary Health’s collaborations with industry and academic institutions boost interest in the veterinary profession and enable opportunities and training for students, interns, and residents. Additionally, its investments in inclusion and diversity initiatives and youth-centered programs help address profession-wide talent shortages, promote diversity in the field, and inspire the next generation of veterinary professionals.

“Enhancing veterinary education, creating new career pathways, and promoting diversity are pivotal to the future of our profession,” said Molly McAllister, DVM, MPH, Chief Medical Officer, Mars Veterinary Health. “By fostering an inclusive environment and providing robust educational opportunities, we can empower students from all backgrounds to pursue careers in veterinary medicine. Together, we can build a more diverse and dynamic workforce, dedicated to advancing animal health and wellbeing.”

Summit discussions addressed the faculty shortage in academic veterinary medicine and solutions to enhance and modernize traditional approaches to filling academic positions and adequately educate and train future veterinarians.

A Sustainable Future for the Veterinary Profession Mars Veterinary Health’s 2024 Pet Healthcare Industry Summit provides an important opportunity to examine recent advancements and explore ways to make even more progress toward a sustainable profession.

Impactful collaborations from past Summits—previously hosted by Banfield Pet Hospital® —have included support to build the Veterinary Innovation Council’s Access to Care Hub to help veterinary professionals expand access to care in their practices, and the founding of the Diversify Veterinary Medicine Coalition (DVMC), focused on meeting the needs of the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) community and other underrepresented groups interested in veterinary medical education. Sharing resources with the veterinary profession has been another critical component of previous Summits, such as the launch of “ASK” (Assess, Support, Know), a first-of-its-kind training to help veterinary professionals recognize and address emotional distress in themselves and others, and the founding of a working group with the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) to deliver the Positive Pet Care Guide, a resource aimed at strengthening the relationship between veterinary teams and clients in support of providing the best possible care to pets. These investments, collaborations, and resources build on more than two decades of industry dialogue fostered at the Summit, further demonstrating Mars Veterinary Health’s commitment to advancing its Purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS.

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About Mars Veterinary Health  Mars Veterinary Health is a global division of Mars Petcare dedicated to delivering high-quality pet healthcare to further its collective Purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS. Mars Veterinary Health's 70,000 Associates across 3,000 global veterinary clinics put pets, people, and the planet first. The Mars Veterinary Health family includes Associates at AniCura, Banfield, BluePearl, Creature Comforts, Gentle Oak, Hillside, Linnaeus, Mount Pleasant, Tai Wai, VCA, VES, and VSH who demonstrate compassion and expertise while enabling millions of pet visits each year. Learn more at  marsveterinary.com.

About Shelters United Shelters United is dedicated to helping nonprofit and municipal animal welfare organizations save money on the things they need to care for their pets awaiting adoption and earn money from the things their adopters purchase for their new pets. Members include more than 2,300 animal welfare organizations that purchased $44 million from Shelters United—with $5 million saved in the past 12 months—and adopt more than 1.8 million pets annually. Shelters United’s mission is to help the awesome people who help animals. Learn more at sheltersunited.com.

About the Veterinary Sustainability Alliance The Veterinary Sustainability Alliance (VSA) is a non-profit organization committed to advancing sustainability in veterinary and animal health professions across North America for the protection of health and the planet. VSA has three strategic pillars focused on clinical tools, resources, and standards; educational materials and curricula; and policy utilization beneficial to the veterinary profession around sustainability. Learn more at veterinarysustainabilityalliance.org.

Jessie Morgan Mars Veterinary Health jessie.morgan@effem.com