The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) announced a new partnership with Ernie Els Pet Products to collaborate on their shared goal: strengthening the human-animal bond. More specifically, the partnership will focus on the role that the human-animal bond can play in helping children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

“HABRI is grateful for the support of Ernie Els Pet Products, a company with a clear mission to empower pet owners to become champions for change and strengthen the human-animal bond,” Steven Feldman, president of HABRI, said in a news release.

In studies exploring the significance of the human-animal bond in children with autism, animal-assisted intervention (AAI) was found to be effective in children with ASD.

 The children demonstrated increased social functioning, safety, independence, and socio-emotional functioning.

 Additional research has proved animal assisted therapy (AAT) to be beneficial when integrated into more traditional interventions for children with ASD.

 Studies suggested that the children demonstrated significantly greater use of language and significantly greater social interaction in sessions that involved animals.

Similar studies regarding the benefit of service dogs, equine-assisted activities, and small animals, on children with ASD all showed similar, positive results.

 One HABRI-funded study found dog ownership associated with higher family harmony among families with children with ASD.

“At Ernie Els Pet Products, we are dedicated to creating a world where the companionship we share with our pets helps foster a more compassionate and inclusive society,” Mark Segal, CEO of Ernie Els Pet Products, said of the partnership.

 “This vision drives our dedication to improving the lives of pets and people with high-quality products that prioritize health while benefiting the autism community. Through our partnership with HABRI, we will be able to communicate the science behind the human-animal bond with our customers and help advance important research to benefit children with [ASD].”

In June 2024, HABRI announced that they’d be 

funding a study at Colorado State University on the human-animal connection in cancer survivors

 More specifically, the researchers set out to uncover challenges that cancer survivors face in caring for their pets throughout treatment, and into recovery. HABRI, a non-for-profit organization, has been funding research on health benefits of the human-animal connection since its formation in 2010.

Ernie Els Pet Products Joins with HABRI to Champion Research on Autism and the Human-Animal Bond. News release. Inspire PR group. August 15, 2024. Accessed August 15, 2024.

Autism Spectrum Disorder. Human Animal Bond Research Institute. Accessed August 15, 2024. 

https://habri.org/research/child-health/autism/

O’Haire M. Review of current evidence and future directions in animal-assisted invervention for children with autism. OA autism. 2013;1(1):6-10.

Sams MJ, Fortney EV, Willenbring S. Occupational therapy incorporating animals for children with autism: A pilot investigation. 

. 2006;60(3):268-274. doi:10.5014/ajot.60.3.268

Hall S, Wright H, Hames A, Mills D. The Long-Term Benefits of Dog Ownership in Families with Children with Autism. J Vet Behav. 2016;13. doi:

McCafferty C. HABRI awards research grant to Colorado State University. June 21, 2024. Accessed August 15, 2024. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/habri-awards-research-grant-to-colorado-state-university

About HABRI. Human Animal Bond Research Institute. Accessed August 15, 2024. 

Articles

HABRI and Ernie Els Pet Products join to research the impact animals can have on children with autism 

New research partnership examines how animals help children with autism

Bond Vet, a leader in the veterinary space, offers a new mental health program, "Paving the Path to Wellness." This initiative underscores Bond Vet’s commitment to not only providing exceptional care to pets and their owners but also to ensuring the well-being of its dedicated veterinary professionals. 

Recent studies have highlighted the importance of mental health support within the veterinary community, revealing that professionals in this field are at a higher risk for mental health issues compared to the general population, according to the CDC.

Beginning September 5th, Bond Vet will host a virtual series of four impactful sessions every Thursday at 8 PM. Led by Melyssa Allen, MA, NBC-HWC, DipACLM, these sessions are tailored specifically for veterinary professionals and are designed to enhance mental well-being through actionable strategies for resilience, productivity, and overall engagement.

Paving the Path to Wellness is a comprehensive program created by Melyssa Allen, designed to help individuals lead healthier, more balanced lives. It’s not just about addressing ailments; it’s about fostering a deep sense of well-being and purpose. The program provides the tools and knowledge necessary to cultivate a healthier body, a peaceful mind, and a joyful heart.

Each session will focus on evidence-based, therapeutic lifestyle interventions aimed at improving mental clarity, emotional resilience, and overall psychological health. Topics will include:

: Techniques to foster mental clarity and emotional resilience.

: Insights into how small, positive changes in daily habits can lead to significant improvements in quality of life.

: Tools for managing stress, enhancing mindfulness, and cultivating a positive mindset.

Veterinary professionals are encouraged to take advantage of this unique opportunity. Whether they are looking to reduce stress, improve their mindset, or find better work-life balance, "Paving the Path to Wellness" offers valuable insights and practical tools to support their journey.

To learn more about the program or to register, visit https://www.careers.bondvet.com/ev/path-to-wellness/

Melyssa Allen is a double board-certified Lifestyle Medicine Professional and Health & Wellness Coach with a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Central Florida. As a veterinary well-being coach, she empowers veterinary professionals to make positive changes in mindset, lifestyle, and behavior. Her multidisciplinary background enables her to offer comprehensive well-being education and coaching that addresses physical, mental, and emotional health.

Bond Vet is a veterinarian-founded company bringing vet care into the modern world. Bond Vet’s innovative clinics elevate vet care for pets and people alike with elegant design, seamless technology and a collaborative culture. That means welcoming, clean spaces for pets and people, with playful amenities; state-of-the-art diagnostic and surgical equipment; a mobile app that makes booking and treatment plans a breeze; and convenient access to doctors, with late and weekend hours. Bond Vet prioritizes the team’s happiness, growth and development to build more sustainable and fulfilling veterinary careers — better care for providers means better care for pets. And an industry-leading NPS score indicates it’s working. Bond Vet’s first clinic opened in June 2019 in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, with a mission to foster the human-animal bond through better vet care. Today, Bond Vet has 50+ locations across New York, New Jersey, Boston, Connecticut, Chicago, Atlanta & the Greater Washington DC area that offer primary and urgent care. bondvet.com

Bond Vet Offers New Mental Health Program for Veterinary Professionals "Paving the Path to Wellness"

Attendees of VetPartners' 2024 Mid-Year Conference in Kansas City, Missouri

Peter Weinstein, DVM, MBA, and Marty Becker, DVM, founder and chief relationships officer, Fear Free, were honored during VetPartners’ 2024 Mid-Year Conference. The conference was held August 20-22 in Kansas City, Missouri, bringing together nearly 100 leaders from the veterinary industry. Weinstein was honored with the Distinguished Life Member Award, and Becker the Pioneer Professional Award.

Weinstein was presented the award in recognition of his personal contributions to VetPartners.

 He’s been involved with all aspects veterinary practice, from starting his veterinary journey when he was just 15 years old to leadership roles and presidencies of Southern California VMA, California VMA, and VetPartners. Weinstein is working to create an even better veterinary profession in the future.

Peter Weinstein, DVM, MBA, was honored with the Distinguished Life Member Award

“As a charter member of VetPartners, it was a humbling honor to be recognized with the Distinguished Life Member Award,” Weinstein said in a news release.

“There are so many great memories, but they are all centered around the people, the members. It is thanks to the membership that we have been so influential in this profession.”

Becker was recognized with the Pioneer Professional Award for his significant impact on the veterinary industry.

 He served as the resident veterinary contributor on 

for 17 years, and has worked with American Humane, The Grey Muzzle Organization, and Sava’s Safe Haven, in addition to founding Fear Free in 2016.

 Each of his endeavors has contributed towards better health for pets, and those around them.

Marty Becker, DVM, received the Pioneer Professional Award 

“Receiving an award is not just a recognition of past achievements, but a reminder of the amazing relationships along life’s path,” Becker said.

 “As you get to the age of receiving legacy awards, you look back and deeply appreciate your mentors, those who lent a helping hand and those who believe in reciprocity.”

VetPartners is a nonprofit association, comprised of more than 250 veterinary professionals. In addition to the recognition of industry leaders, the conference consisted of sessions focused on career advancement, hot industry topics, and more. Also at the conference, Chris Ragland, CEO, Animalytix, presented updates on the current state of the veterinary industry, and VetPartners introduced new sponsorships.

For more from Weinstein, he recently spoke at the Fetch dvm360 Conference in Kansas City, alongside Kelley Detweiler, who is an expert on Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) regulatory compliance. The two covered 

best practices for maintaining DEA-compliant controlled substance logbooks

Fear Free provides online education to veterinary professionals, animal care professionals, and pet owners, meant to alleviate feelings of fear, stress, and anxiety in pets and those around them. The company’s mission has resonated with veterinarians worldwide, most recently expanding their reach to Australia, with 

the first Fear Free certified practice in the Oceania region

Two Industry Greats Honored During VetPartners 2024 Mid-Year Conference. News release. VetPartners. September 10, 2024. Accessed September 11, 2024.

https://www.dvm360events.com/speaker/peter-weinstein-dvm-mba/

About. Dr. Marty Becker. Accessed September 11, 2024. 

Littrell A. Best practices for logbooks. 

. September 10, 2024. Accessed September 11, 2024. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/best-practices-for-logbooks

Littrell A. Australian hospital is the first Fear Free certified veterinary practice in the Oceania region. 

. August 28, 2024. Accessed September 11, 2024. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/australian-hospital-is-the-first-fear-free-certified-veterinary-practice-in-the-oceania-region

Peter Weinstein, DVM, MBA, and Marty Becker, DVM, were honored during VetPartners’ 2024 Mid-Year Conference

Veterinary industry leaders honored

Fetch dvm360 conference history was made this past August in Kansas City, Missouri: a first-ever customer service representative (CSR) experience. This groundbreaking addition was a game-changer for so many in our industry, including our team at VEG who sent 45 of our customer experience coordinators (CECs), lead CECs and operational leads to attend.

For some, it was their very first conference experience, and for others, it was a unique opportunity in their 2-decade careers to access continuing education specifically tailored to their roles. The enthusiasm and commitment displayed by our “VEGgies” was a testament to the importance of this event. We sat down with our VEG Head of Culture, Roe Castellano and one of our CEC attendees at Fetch dvm360, Holly Leon to talk about their experiences.

What is the best thing you've learned at this conference, and how do you plan to apply it in your role?

 The conference kicked off with an incredible lineup of speakers, featuring industry gurus like Debbie Boone, BS, CVPM; Jill Clark, DVM, VRCE; and Rhonda Bell, CVOM, PCM, CDMP. Their expertise and insights were invaluable, covering a wide range of essential topics. We learned about the power of hospitality in veterinary medicine, the importance of using empathy to help clients in crisis, how support staff can become leaders in the field, and the significance of building your own personal brand. Their dedication to elevating the role of CSRs was truly inspiring and resonated deeply with all of us. This initiative aligns perfectly with the hard work we've been putting into uplifting our front-end teams over the past year at VEG.

What were your first thoughts when you heard about this career conference track specifically for veterinary receptionists?

 My first thought when I heard that there would be a track on veterinary receptionists was, “I don’t care where it is, sign me up now please!” I have been in this field for over 20 years, and this was the first time I’ve been to a conference. I was so proud that it was for something I feel so passionately about! What excited me when I heard about it was the eagerness that I witnessed with all our CEC VEGgies throughout the US. It was beautiful seeing the representation when we needed it most. 

At this conference we learned about North American Association of Veterinary Receptionists (NAAVR), which is a platform specifically for receptionists. It is going to be a safe space for CECs to grow and for CECs to become accredited. We learned about how vital our role is to this field and if we want to grow, we can—whether we become accredited in this role or if we want to become a CVPM. I’m excited to share it with all our CECs and plan on joining any new CEC advocating roles. VEG has been growing the CEC role from receptionist to CEA to CEC but what has stayed the same is that VEG has always made it about our customers and their experience and that’s what we are there for.

 Having started my journey in the veterinary medicine world as a receptionist, this milestone is particularly meaningful to me. Seeing veterinary customer service professionals gain the recognition and opportunities for the growth they deserve brings back fond memories and fills me with pride. This event was more than just a conference; it was a celebration of the crucial role that customer service representatives play in our industry.

Q. What's something unexpected you've been able to do in your CEC role that you didn't think you would?

 I plan on making sure every CEC I come in contact with realizes their value and knows that not only I believe in their growth, but VEG does too! It’s not just words, it’s the actions we see. As a CEC, I get to support grieving customers and not worry that I’m stepping out of line. Or I sit with a stressed or nervous customer just to let them know they’re not alone, I get to drive to deliver a forgotten medication or pick up an animal in distress…that’s the difference of what I can do as a VEGgie and couldn’t do at other places… at least not without getting reprimanded. VEG is revolutionary in so many ways and advocating for changes like sending us to conferences is proof!

Here’s to many more moments like this, where we continue to recognize and support the amazing people who are the heartbeat of veterinary practices everywhere!

VEG (Veterinary Emergency Group) sent 45 staff members to the 2024 Fetch dvm360 conference in Kansas City, Missouri to attend continuing education sessions for customer service representatives

A milestone moment for CSRs

Life can sometimes not turn out the way it is planned. When Greg Echols, DVM, was in veterinary school he had no idea that his plans would be derailed once COVID-19 hit the United States and shut down his clinical rotations, classes, and overall just being with others. The shut down led him to begin making content on social media since TikTok was just becoming popular, and now he uses his accounts to educate pet parents in a way that is humorous, but also conveys important information. 

On this week's episode of The Vet Blast Podcast, our host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, sat down with Echols, to chat about his experiences with internships in veterinary medicine and how he became a relief veterinarian, his rise to fame on social media, and lessons he learned from bodybuilding and powerlifting that he thinks are just as valuable for veterinary professionals. 

Tell us a little bit about your journey, because you come from vet school, and then where you are today, where you have your relief services, Greg Echol's relief services in July 2023, so what did that look like? Because I know you did an internship, so tell, tell the listeners a little about that.

After vet school, had a very huge passion for dermatology, and so I was considering going ahead and doing an internship at that point to lead me into residency for dermatology. But also I was doing an internship because I was still super scared of Emergency Medicine. I was great with [general practice]. I did, I was a vet assistant for 7 and a half years for vet school, and it was all GP that I did there. So I was pretty comfortable talking with clients, going over estimates, handling restraint, you know, just client communication, I was great there, but anything emergent that came in, where, if you have 1 or 2, potentially 3 things coming in at the same time, trying to figure out how to handle those gave me severe anxiety. So that was one of the big reasons I did rotate an internship was to get more hands on an emergency but I didn't want to do just a strict emergency rotating internship, because I didn't see myself being an emergency veterinarian.

I felt like that year was very, I would say it's probably kind of harder than 4th year in vet school, it was very brutal, but I feel like it taught me a whole lot. The GP aspect. I still saw appointments, still saw clients. The great thing about where I was is they would schedule appointments that you like more as far as a specialty went. So if you were more like dermatology and skin, most of your appointments were catered towards that, but you still got your internal medicine, cardiac orthopedic exams too, as well thrown in. But those are great things. I had a lot of dermatology cases that will help me build up if I was still planning to pursue dermatology, but then on the emergency side, it just made me well more equipped.

Podcasts

Dr Greg Echols offers a snapshot of his career journey, from internships to relief services as well as his flourishing social media presence.

From internship to entrepreneurship

Bovaer, a feed additive for cattle that reduces their methane emissions, was approved in the United States by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) earlier this year.

Since its approval, the product has become commercially available in the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and much of Latin America.

 In the US, Canada, and Mexico, Elanco Animal Health Inc licensed the product.

More recently, the Chinese dairy operator China Modern Dairy Holdings entered into an agreement with dsm-firmenich—a supplier of nutritional products and the original developer and marketer of Bovaer—to implement Bovaer in its operations, marking this the first agreement of its kind in China.

This methane-reducing additive for cattle is a novel method for addressing the issue of livestock methane emissions, according to dsm-firmenich.

Methane is the most common and potent greenhouse gas in the dairy sector and cows generate this gas in their digestive tract, and release it when they burp.

According to data from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, methane produced from cattle digestion and stored manure accounts for approximately 45% of agricultural emissions nationwide, or about 4.5% of total emissions in the US.

 According to dsm-firmenich, the use of Bovaer can reduce methane emissions in the dairy industry by around 30%.

 Moreover, administering Bovaer to 1 million cows would cut methane emissions by an amount equal to taking more than 285,000 cars off the road for a year, according to a news report.

Bovaer comes in the form of a powdered feed supplement. It works by inhibiting an enzyme responsible for methane production, thereby decreasing the methane released by each animal.

 The key component in the additive is 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP).

In November 2023, China rolled out a plan, ‘Methane Emission Control Action Plan’, to decrease its methane emissions across various industries, including agriculture. To support this initiative, China Modern Dairy Holdings, a dairy farming operator in the country, will be supplying milk with a lower environmental footprint to its clients. Among those clients is China Mengniu Dairy, a top 10 global dairy company.

Moreover, as part of its support for the implementation of the Methane Emission Control Action Plan, China Modern Dairy Holdings signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with dsm-firmenich.

“We are excited to commence preparations to enter the Chinese dairy market. We are on track to submit our Chinese registration dossier for Bovaer later this year and hope to gain approval in the coming years,” said Mark van Nieuwland, senior vice president Bovaer at dsm-firmenich, in an organizational release.

“The collaboration with Modern Dairy will help us to tailor our offering and go-to-market model for the Chinese market, and we are happy to work with the industry leaders on this topic. Preparation work will start now, while we await local market authorization for commercialization,” he continued.

Hanson M. What can we really expect from Elanco’s new Bovaer? 

. June 24, 2024. Accessed September 11, 2024. 

https://www.dairyherd.com/news/education/what-can-we-really-expect-elancos-new-bovaerr

Modern Dairy and dsm-firmenich to collaborate on dairy sustainability with methane-reducing feed additive Bovaer. News release. dsm-firmenich. August 29, 2024. Accessed September 11, 2024. 

https://www.dsm.com/anh/news/press-releases/2024/2024-08-29-modern-dairy-and-dsm-firmenich-to-collaborate-on-dairy-sustainability-with-methane-reducing-feed-additive-bovaer.html

Mayerfeld D, Fulwider W. Parrish A. Methane emissions from livestock and climate change. University of Wisconsin-Madison Crops and Soils Division Extension. Accessed September 11, 2024. 

https://cropsandsoils.extension.wisc.edu/articles/methane-emissions-from-livestock-and-climate-change/

China Modern Dairy Holdings is collaborating with dsm-firmenich to implement Bovaer in its operations