Banfield Pet Hospital and the Banfield Foundation Enabled Preventive Care for Millions of Pets in 2020

VANCOUVER, Wash., Feb. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Banfield Pet Hospital® ? the nation's leading provider of preventive veterinary medicine and part of the Mars Veterinary Health family ? plus its charitable arm, the Banfield Foundation®, today released 2020 Impact Reports detailing how they served millions of pets during an unpredictable year.

More than 19,000 Banfield Pet Hospital Associates and more than 1,000 hospitals across the country met unexpected challenges with passion, resiliency, and a commitment to serving one key purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS®. Banfield's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts included initiatives to address the critical shortage of veterinarians and build a more diverse industry, including a virtual Banfield Pet Academy program that taught more than 8,500 youth about careers in the veterinary profession and responsible pet ownership. In addition, a practice-wide Caring Counts Challenge resulted in more than 30,000 acts of kindness by Banfield Associates across the country.

"At Banfield, we've long recognized that pets, people, and society are connected, and this became even more evident over the past year," said Brian Garish, president, Banfield Pet Hospital. "I'm beyond appreciative of how our Associates created new ways of working so pets continued to receive the care they need and deserve. I'm proud of our impact, investing $12 million in COVID-19 benefits for our Associates and inspiring a more inclusive future generations of veterinary professionals. Our efforts are a true testament to what can be achieved when a company invests in preventive care for its people, communities, and society."

Highlights from Banfield's 2020 Impact Report include:

• Tackled Veterinary Student Debt: Contributed $5.4 million toward helping Banfield veterinarians pay off their student loans via the practice's Student Debt Relief program. Only 8 percent of companies offer this benefit, including Banfield.
• Supported Local Shelters: Provided three days of free veterinary care to shelter pets awaiting adoption with each new hospital opening, resulting in more than $100,000 in veterinary services provided. As part of Banfield's annual Mars Volunteer Program, select hospitals shopped at PetSmart on behalf of nearly 50 local shelters, providing much needed food, treats, blankets, and enrichment toys.
• Engaged Students Virtually: Banfield Pet Academy was available online for veterinarians and credentialed veterinary technicians to continue teaching aspiring students about careers in the veterinary profession. Presentations were recorded in new languages, including Spanish, Mandarin, Korean, and Farsi. More than 8,500 youth had the opportunity to learn about future veterinary roles and responsible pet ownership.
• Ensured equity, inclusion, and diversity efforts: Joined the Diversify Veterinary Medicine (DVM) Coalition to ensure efforts to increase equity, inclusion, and diversity among veterinary professionals are ongoing and industry wide.

In addition, the Better Together Fund, a separate 501c3 public charity created by Associates for Associates, expanded qualifying conditions to include assistance for those impacted by COVID-19. The fund allows Associates to apply for financial assistance for short-term living expenses related to housing, food or childcare. In 2020, the fund granted more than $80,000 to Associates in need.

Banfield's charitable arm, the Banfield Foundation, also a 501c3 public charity, celebrated its fifth anniversary in 2020 and shares the company's commitment to and passion for serving pets and the people who love them.

"Banfield Foundation was created five years ago with the belief that every pet deserves access to veterinary care, regardless of their circumstance. In 2020, we delivered on that belief and our promise to help pets and the people who love them by granting $2.2 million and improving the lives of nearly 500,000 pets," said Kim Van Syoc, executive director, Banfield Foundation. "As we look ahead to our sixth year of service, we are committed to meeting the needs of the most vulnerable pets and communities by deepening partnerships and to expanding access to veterinary care."

Highlights from the Banfield Foundation's 2020 Impact Report include:

• Gifted a Mobile Veterinary Vehicle: Partnered with the Arizona Humane Society to provide free and low-cost preventive care to pets in underserved communities in Phoenix with a new Banfield Foundation-funded mobile veterinary vehicle.
• Funded Spay/Neuter Surgeries: Partnered in the #SpayTogether Coalition which provided more than $2.1 million to 100 animal shelters and spay/neuter veterinary clinics in hard-hit states such as Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas, to perform 50,000 lifesaving spay/neuter surgeries in just three months.
• Enabled Preventive Care and Adoptions:  Helped transport more than 1,850 pets from at-capacity shelters in the South and Hawaii to shelters with capacity across the U.S.
• Supported Local Shelters: Provided more than $500,000 in COVID-19 Respond and Rebuild grants to nonprofits which enabled veterinary care and resources to the most vulnerable communities.

To celebrate the impact even more, Banfield Pet Hospital and the Banfield Foundation will deliver adoption kits for new pet owners at five deserving shelters that  made a big impact for pets in 2020, including Upland Animal Shelter in Los Angeles, Peninsula SPCA in Virginia, Boise Bully Breed Rescue, Companion Animal Alliance in the Gulf Coast and Williamson County Animal Center in Tennessee. 

For additional CSR-related resources and insights from Banfield Pet Hospital and the Banfield Foundation, visit BanfieldGivesBack.com and BanfieldFoundation.org.

About Banfield Pet Hospital® 
Banfield Pet Hospital was founded in Portland, Ore. in 1955 and today is a pioneer in preventive veterinary care with more than 1,000 general veterinary hospitals in 42 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and Mexico. More than 3,600 Banfield veterinarians are committed to providing high-quality veterinary care to over three million pets annually. Banfield collects data from each of these visits in the U.S.'s largest electronic veterinary health records system.  Our goal is to #bhere for pets, people and society. As part of the Mars Veterinary Health family of brands, Banfield is committed to its purpose?A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS®?because pets make a better world for us. Press seeking additional information are invited to call the?Media Hotline: (888) 355-0595. 

About the Banfield Foundation®
At the core of the Banfield Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is the belief that all pets deserve access to veterinary care. In support of this belief, the foundation funds programs that enable veterinary care, elevate the power of the human-animal bond, provide disaster relief for pets, and advance the science of veterinary medicine through fostering innovation and education. It also leverages the expertise and passion of Banfield Pet Hospital Associates to care for pets in need. At the Banfield Foundation, we are committed to making a better world for pets because they make a better world for us. For more information, visit BanfieldFoundation.org. 

Media Contacts:
Megan Cuff: [email protected]; (973) 588-2371
Banfield Pet Hospital® Media Hotline: (888) 355-0595

SOURCE Banfield Pet Hospital