Banfield Pet Hospital Celebrates 10 Years of Giving Back to Pets and People in a Big Way
As part of the practice’s commitment to doing good for people, pets and the profession, Banfield Pet Hospital – the leading provider of preventive veterinary care and part of the Mars Veterinary Health family of practices – announced the expansion of its NextVet internship program aimed at strengthening and diversifying the veterinary pipeline amid the industry’s chronic workforce shortage.
To inspire and help even more students achieve their dreams of becoming a veterinary professional, Banfield this year doubled the size of its signature internship program, NextVet. Receiving more than 500 applications from students who share a passion for pets, 30 extraordinary interns across 14 markets have been selected to gain valuable paid work experience this summer. In addition to receiving first-hand insight into the veterinary profession from practice leaders and Banfield’s hospital associates, many interns will have the opportunity to participate in paid volunteer opportunities alongside their teammates.
“NextVet is part of our newly-stated commitment to Dream big, Do good, Be here, and we’re so proud to welcome the 2023 class of interns who are as passionate as our nearly 20,000 Associates about giving back to people, pets and communities,” said Melissa Marshall, vice president of people and organization at Banfield Pet Hospital. “NextVet plays an important role in shaping the future of veterinary care by creating pathways for the next generation and helping to create a more diverse and sustainable profession.”
Follow along on LinkedIn to meet this year’s NextVet class and visit Banfield for more information about the program and to learn about the experience first-hand from last year’s interns.
Doing good in a big way
In addition to doing good for the profession through programs like NextVet, Banfield and its charitable arm the Banfield Foundation are proud to leverage their size, scale and reach to impact pets and society in a big way. In 2023, Banfield reached a significant milestone: helping 1 million pets and people since 2013 through Associate-led volunteerism. And, in the first half of this year alone, the Foundation committed nearly $2.2 million in preventative care initiatives to bring medical care, resources and veterinary teams to communities in need. Support for the Foundation’s grant programs is possible in part from Banfield Associates and their ability to drive PIN pad donations from clients across our more than 1,000 hospitals.
Together with Mars and the Banfield Foundation, Associates are provided opportunities to do good in countless ways, from caring for vulnerable pets and supporting local nonprofits to traveling across the country or around the world through signature volunteer programs.
Doing good at home and abroad
The Mars Ambassador Program (MAP) pays Associates to travel to exciting destinations at home and abroad, develop new capabilities and give back in the communities where we do business. Since its inception, more than 900 Mars associates from 50 countries have dedicated more than 60,000 volunteer hours to help create the world we want tomorrow through our actions today.
This year, the Banfield Foundation is once again co-hosting and funding two assignments designed to leverage the skillset of doctors and licensed veterinary technicians in partnership with Maui Humane Society and the Arizona Humane Society. Participants in both assignments will provide wellness, sick and preventive care and assist with spay and neuter surgeries for the pets of underserved or under resourced populations.
To help pets in need get the preventive care they deserve like vaccines, preventive medications and more, Associates regularly donate their time – and the Foundation grants medical supplies – at preventive care clinics across the U.S. For example, Banfield and the Banfield Foundation recently teamed up to help 820 vulnerable pets in one weekend at preventive care clinics in Washington D.C. and Tampa, FL. Banfield Foundation provided grant funding enabling Banfield Associates to administer vaccines, place microchips and more.
Another way Banfield and the Banfield Foundation will help associates give back this year is by offering volunteer opportunities to provide care to vulnerable pets alongside six nonprofit partners that recently received a mobile veterinary van granted by the Banfield Foundation. Read more about the exciting way these gifted vans will help make preventive care possible for the pets that need it most here.
Follow along at #BanfieldGivesBack to see how our passionate and caring hospital teams dedicate their time and expertise to do good for pets, people and society, all in service of our purpose: A Better World for Pets. And learn more about our commitment to helping Associates Dream big, Do good, Be here at Banfield and via #banfieldcareers.
To learn more about the Banfield Foundation, its programs and impact, visit BanfieldFoundation.org.