Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets Launches Veterinary Support Mission
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets has launched the Pro Plan Veterinary Support Mission, a new initiative created to help remove barriers veterinarians often face in practice. As its first act, the brand donated $1 million to the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) REACH program, which offers grants to veterinarians providing immediate pet care when owners experience financial hardship.While veterinarians remain committed to providing the best care they can, they face a host of workload and financial challenges. The result, according to the 2022 Veterinary Well Being Survey, is that 92 percent of respondents rated stress levels of veterinarians and staff as the top challenge faced by the veterinary profession today. Meanwhile, the forthcoming 2024 AVMA Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook noted that the rising cost of living is making many pet owners more sensitive to the rising cost of veterinary care.
“Those of us working in this industry know veterinarians have the power to affect many lives, from those of our patients, to patients’ families, to our veterinary colleagues who share our passion,” said Dr. Callie Harris, Senior Veterinary Communications Manager for Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets. “At the same time, we realize practitioners face many stressors, from navigating staffing shortages to struggling with student debt load to providing quality care when our clients face their own financial challenges.”
Through the Pro Plan Veterinary Support Mission, Harris noted, the company has committed to making a meaningful difference by supporting organizations that help veterinarians navigate these difficulties, allowing them to answer their call to care.The REACH (Reaching Every Animal with Charitable Healthcare) program was created by the AVMF to increase assistance to the most vulnerable communities and to bring the foundation’s “Helping Veterinarians Help Animals” motto to life. The program, which also received an additional $200,000 in funding from Pro Plan Veterinary Diets in 2023, has grown since its inception in 2022 and now has the resources to assist thousands of animals each year.
“Purina’s donation to the AVMF REACH program will deliver a huge boost for our members, for clients who may be experiencing financial hardships and for the animals in our care,” said AVMF Chair Lori Teller. “Purina’s generosity enables the AVMF REACH program to ease the burden placed on veterinarians who provide charitable care and help give more pets and other animals the expert veterinary services they need.”
The Pro Plan Veterinary Support Mission embodies the company’s long-term commitment to meeting the personal and professional needs of the veterinary profession, Harris concluded. “Whether we’re developing a revolutionary new therapeutic diet, supporting research to unlock new nutritional options to support pets with health concerns or partnering with organizations to help ease the burdens veterinarians face, Pro Plan Veterinary Diets is committed to finding new, effective ways to provide patient care – and we’re honored to share this commitment with veterinary professionals.”
Veterinarians can visit Pro Plan Vet Support to learn more about the Pro Plan Veterinary Support Mission and to see if they qualify for a grant under the AVMF REACH program.