Weekly companion animal news: May 29, 2023

Pet ownership saves U.S. health care system $22.7 billion a year, HABRI report finds

Pet ownership saves the U.S. health care system $22.7 billion annually, according to a new report commissioned by the Human Animal Bond Research Institute. The report found better overall health for pet owners in the form of fewer doctor visits per year. It also found savings related to specific key public health issues such as reduced obesity, reduced infections and better mental health for children, seniors and veterans.

Walmart to offer pet telehealth as it tries to compete with Amazon

Walmart is entering the pet telehealth market after signing a deal with veterinary telehealth provider Pawp. Through the deal, Walmart+ subscribers will get access to Pawp’s membership for a year. This comes as Walmart tries to increase loyalty with shoppers, attract and retain higher-income customers and compete with Amazon by making its subscription service more valuable, CNBC reports. The U.S. pet market is expected to grow to $200 billion by the end of the decade, and pet health care is driving the boom, according to research from Bloomberg Intelligence.

PetSmart Charities to name endowed chair at UC Davis’ veterinary school with $6 million donation

PetSmart Charities will name an endowed chair at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis for $6 million. The donation will establish the PetSmart Charities Endowed Chair in Accessible Veterinary Care. According to the announcement, the position will leverage UC Davis’ research strengths to build innovative and compassionate care for pets, ensure hands-on clinical training for veterinary students and develop research models that can scale nationally.

AAVMC awards inaugural Dr. Catherine A. Knupp Scholarship with grant from Zoetis Foundation

The American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges has awarded the inaugural AAVMC Dr. Catherine A. Knupp scholarship for $50,000 to Rachel Woodfint. Woodfint is a fourth-year dual DVM/Ph.D. student at Ohio State University. The scholarship, funded through the support of the Zoetis Foundation, is part of AAVMC’s efforts to make the veterinary profession more inclusive.

New Jersey veterinary professionals express hope after state’s first veterinary school breaks ground

New Jersey’s first veterinary school recently broke ground in Glassboro, at Rowan University. The Schreiber School of Veterinary Medicine, named after founding donor Gerald B. Schreiber, expects to welcome its inaugural class of students in fall 2025. By allowing New Jersey residents to stay in-state for their education, veterinary professionals hope the new school helps fill a shortage of animal doctors in the state. The veterinary school will offer a hybrid clinical training model, an accelerated DVM/MBA program, master’s and Ph.D. programs, and an accelerated undergraduate-to-DVM program, the American Animal Hospital Association reports.

As Palm Beach deals with an overcrowded animal shelter, officials say fostering is key

Palm Beach County animal shelter officials want community members to foster pets as the shelter deals with record intakes, The Palm Beach Post reports. Through the foster program, people take pets home for at least two weeks, and the shelter provides medical care, food, a collar, leash and crate during that time. Fostering helps reduce pets’ stress levels, and spending time in the community increases pets’ chances of finding a permanent home, said Jan Steele, who directs Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control. The shelter has reduced its typical adoption fee of $60-$100 to $5 for the month of May.

Colorado scammers target owners of missing pets

Several pet owners in Castle Rock, Colorado, this past weekend received calls claiming their missing pets were at the local animal shelter and demanding immediate payment to begin urgent treatment. The calls came from scammers who were targeting the Dumb Friends League animal shelter, CBS News reports. They likely got the owners’ information from a community lost and found page called PawBoost, said Katie Parker, vice president of operations at the Dumb Friends League.

Oregon veterinarians worry about canine flu outbreaks amid vaccine shortage

Oregon veterinarians were worried about canine influenza spreading over the holiday weekend amid a monthslong vaccine shortage. “The biggest concern for me as a practitioner is people that are potentially going down to California because that’s where they’ve had the most recent outbreak of the new strain,” said Dr. Byron Mass, medical director at Bend Veterinary Clinic. Some veterinary practices haven’t received vaccines for months, and they’ve had trouble vaccinating dogs due for shots. “The last order we had was in mid-February. It was a tray of 50 vaccines, and we went through that in a month,” Dr. Chris Triola, associate veterinarian at Central Oregon Animal Hospital, told the Central Oregon Daily.