Zoetis announce StreetVet as their charity of the year

Zoetis UK and StreetVet announce Charity of the Year Partnership to further support the Human Animal Bond.

Zoetis UK has announced the charity StreetVet, as its new exclusive Charity of the Year, in support of the organisation's work offering free veterinary care and services for pets of those experiencing homelessness.

The charity is also the motivation behind the 1st National Human Animal Bond Awareness Day, celebrated on July 23rd. In recognition of the transformative power of the human animal bond and its profound impact on mental health, medical supplies are being donated by Zoetis, whilst Voetis employees volunteer their time to the charity, facilitating fundraising activities and supporting CPD for StreetVet volunteering team.

"The human animal bond is one of Zoetis' driving passions, we recognise the power of pet companionship and the significant impact it can have on the well-being of owners," said Oya Canbas, General Manager at Zoetis UK. "For animals that find themselves in circumstances where they are living on the street alongside their owners, it's important that organisations step up and support both the pets and their humans to ensure we play a part in keeping these pets healthy and together with their owners."

As a co-founder of the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI), Zoetis recognises and continues its contribution to researching the impact of these special relationships. This has already resulted in the undeniable and growing evidence that companion animals have a positive influence on many important physiological and relational benefits, including quality of life and well-being.

"Homelessness is a growing problem in the UK and life on the streets or living in temporary accommodation makes it very difficult for people to access veterinary care for their animal," said StreetVet Co-founder and Clinical Director, Jade Statt. "The majority of our clients had their pets from before they became homeless and prioritise their wellbeing over their own. Zoetis' support will be invaluable to StreetVet and we are so grateful to be their chosen charity".

Zoetis recently partnered with HABRI to conduct a first-of-its-kind global quantitative study of 18,00 pet owners and 1,350 veterinarians across 4 continents and 9 countries. It looked at 4 dimensions and asked 14 questions across the themes of attachments, humanisation, commitment, and integration, to come up with its exclusive unit of measurement, the 'habscore'. The responses indicated that 88% of owners felt that having a pet had impacted their health (physically or mentally) in a positive way, this figure increased to 97% when the same question was derived in an indirect manner.

StreetVet, established in 2016 and inspired by the human animal bond, has an army of hundreds of volunteer vets and nurses working with outreach organisations, swapping the practice for the pavement across the UK. Care includes providing health checks, vaccinations, microchipping, preventative flea and worm treatment, pain relief, surgeries, and, if necessary, help with temporary boarding. It's the work of the charity that inspired and motivated the creation of the 1st annual National Human Animal Bond Awareness Day on July 23rd.