The North American Veterinary Community Launches National Advocacy Program

ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The North American Veterinary Community, the world's largest provider of continuing education for veterinary professionals, today announced  "embrace," an advocacy program that gives veterinary professionals and pet owners a platform to advocate for animals everywhere. 

"What makes 'embrace' and the NAVC so unique is we bring together all members of the pet-loving community -- veterinary professionals and pet owners -- to advocate on behalf of animals everywhere," said NAVC interim CEO Eugene O'Neill. "Through the NAVC's global community of 500,000 veterinarians and other animal healthcare leaders, 'embrace' provides a powerful platform for us to work together to build a better future for animals."

"embrace," an animal community alliance, launches with an immediate call to action in support of:

• "National Animal Rescue Day." H.R. 34, introduced in the U.S. House of Representative in 2019, designates the first Saturday in October as "National Animal Rescue Day" in support of the six million dogs and cats that are placed in shelters each year, half of which will never find a home and will be euthanized. 
• "Strengthening Support for Veterans with Service Animals Act."  H.R. 4952, introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2019, protects veteran access to airplanes with service dogs.
• PAWS Act.  The Puppies Assisting Wounded Service Members (PAWS) Act (H.R. 3103 and S. 2949) seeks to reduce veteran suicides and ensure the well-being of veterans who have already exhausted all other PTSD treatment options by connecting them with service dogs as a form of nontraditional PTSD therapy.

"embrace" launches tomorrow at the opening of NAVC's annual Veterinary Meeting and Expo (VMX), the world's largest continuing education conference, with approximately 17,000 attendees from more than 80 countries and more than 700 exhibiting companies.  VMX attendees are able to join "embrace" and support these bills by visiting the "embrace" advocacy booth in the Orange County Convention Center South Conference across from S210.

About the NAVC
Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Orlando, Florida, with offices in Gainesville, Florida, the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) is a non-profit organization providing world-class professional development to the global veterinary healthcare community. Its largest initiative, VMX, formerly known as the NAVC Conference, hosts thousands of veterinary professionals each year. Other offerings include VetFolio, an online CE platform in conjunction with LifeLearn Animal Health; the NAVC Institute; the Veterinary Innovation Council; an Industry Services Division; NAVC Retriever, a veterinary recruitment platform and job search app; and its Media division, consisting of: Today's Veterinary Business, Today's Veterinary Nurse, Today's Veterinary Practice, Veterinary Advantage and an online news and lifestyle channel, Spark! In 2018, the NAVC launched its Certifications division including the Human-Animal Bond Certification and added the Veterinary Business Leader Certification and the Pet Nutrition Coach Certification in 2019. Visit NAVC.com for more details.

SOURCE North American Veterinary Community