The council’s collective expertise in specialist veterinary care is growing to help Petco strengthen its approach to pet health and wellbeing
SAN DIEGO, Oct 13, 2021 / PRNewswire / – Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. (Nasdaq: WOOF) announced today that three new members have joined the Petco Pet Wellness Council (PPWC), an association of independent, leading experts in veterinary science and animal care, both provide company and industry-wide education and training to support the general health and wellbeing of pets. Petco and the PPWC today welcome:
Petco adds Drs. Raymond Anthony, PhD; La’Toya Latney, DVM, DECZM, DABVP; and Kemba Marshall, MPH, DVM, DABVP, SHRM-CP to the industry-leading Petco Pet Wellness Council (PRNewsfoto / Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc.)
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DR. Raymond Anthony, PhD – Professor of Philosophy at the University of Alaska Anchorage, longtime ethics advisor to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Animal Welfare Committee and member of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia;
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Dr. La’Toya Latney, DVM, DECZM, DABVP – Associate Professor of Zoological and Companion Animal Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and state-certified zoo and exotic veterinarian at the Animal Medical Center in New York City; and
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DR. Kemba Marshall, MPH, DVM, DABVP, SHRM-CP – Director of Veterinary Services for the Land O’Lakes Purina Animal Nutrition Center and a certified veterinarian specializing in avian medicine.
“The Petco Pet Wellness Council is a tremendous resource and one of Petco’s greatest assets,” said Ron Coughlin, Chairman and CEO of Petco. “The impartial, science-based viewpoints put forward by each member were instrumental in our successful transformation from a traditional retailer to a full health and wellness company dedicated to helping pet parents care for their beloved pets, committed to their wellbeing of pets, we continue to raise the bar for the entire pet industry to do what is best for pets. “
Drs. Anthony, Latney and Marshall expand the PPWC’s collective expertise in specialist veterinary care, bring additional gender and ethnic diversity to the council, and increase the membership to 11. All three doctors today become their PPWC peers as well as the leadership team of Officially meet Petco during a virtual council meeting to review Petco’s short and long term health and wellness initiatives.
The story goes on
To ensure Petco continues to serve the best interests of pets, the PPWC helps shape Petco’s approach to pet health and wellbeing, influencing key industry issues, and leading development and summary credible science in pet care. Since Petco started the PPWC July 2019, the company has taken the following industry-leading steps:
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Stop the Shock – We have stopped selling certain electronic “Shock” collars, increasing our commitment to positive reinforcement training methods for pets.
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Whole Health – Introduced Petco’s Whole Health Philosophy and Framework, which bases the company’s health and wellness approach on five interrelated dimensions of pet health (physical, mental, social, domestic and accessible health) that are mutually reinforcing when viewed as a whole.
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Highly Digestible Rawhide – Following Petco’s pioneering removal of dog, cat food and artificial-ingredient treats in 2019 *, the company also removed traditional rawhide options in 2021 to promote safe, durable, and highly digestible alternatives.
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Mental Health – Introducing a free virtual training seminar and separation anxiety training course to help animal parents identify signs of stress in their pets and learn how to help them adapt with relaxation techniques and enriching solutions as families look for one Spending more time outside the home staying a year and a half.
“The Petco Pet Wellness Council is made up of the best and brightest representatives in the veterinary and pet industry,” said Petco Chief Vet Dr. Whitney Miller, DVM, MBA, DACVPM. “We are very excited to welcome Drs. Anthony, Latney and Marshall. We are confident that their in-depth expertise, as well as their variety of backgrounds and perspectives, will help the PPWC, Petco, and our broader industries continue to improve to ensure that pet health and wellbeing initiatives are science-based and that we Always respond to the needs of the pets in the communities we serve as well as the needs of the pet parents who entrust us with looking after the well-being of their furry, scaly, and feathered family members. “
The PPWC is composed of the following industry experts:
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DR. Raymond Anthony, PhD – Professor of Philosophy at the University of Alaska Anchorage, longtime ethics advisor to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Animal Welfare Committee and member of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia
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DR. Marie Hopfensperger, DVM, DACVB – Board Certified Pet Behavioral Researcher and Head of the from Michigan State University Behavioral Service of the Veterinary Medical Center
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DR. Alexandra Horowitz, MS, PhD – Author and Professor, Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Dog Cognition Lab at Barnard College, Columbia University
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Dr. La’Toya Latney, DVM, DECZM, DABVP – Associate Professor of Zoological and Companion Animal Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and state-certified zoo and exotic veterinarian at the Animal Medical Center in New York City
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DR. Nicole Leibmann, DVM, MS, DACVIM – Certified Veterinary Oncologist and Director of the Cancer Institute at the Animal Medical Center in New York City
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DR. Kemba Marshall, MPH, DVM, DABVP, SHRM-CP – Director of Veterinary Services at Land O’Lakes’ Purina Animal Nutrition Center and a certified veterinarian specializing in avian medicine
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DR. Whitney Miller, DVM, MBA, DACVPM – Petco’s chief veterinarian, certified director for preventive veterinary medicine
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DR. Tammy Sadek, DVM, DAVBP – specialist veterinarian specializing in cat practice, author, lecturer and founder of two specialist clinics for cats and Cat Hyperthyroid Radioactive Iodine Services, LLC
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DR. Jonathan Stockman, DVM, DACVN – certified veterinary nutritionist and assistant professor of veterinary nutrition University of Long Island-Post College of Veterinary Medicine
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DR. Lori Teller, DVM, DABVP, CVJ – Board certified by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in Canine and Cat Practice, Clinical Associate Professor of Telemedicine at Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and President-elect of AVMA
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DR. Andrew West, MEd, PhD – Director, Academy for Teaching and Learning at from Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
To learn more about Petco and the Petco Pet Wellness Council, visit petco.com/wellnesscouncil.
About Petco, The Health + Wellness Co.
Petco is a category-defining health and wellness company focused on improving the lives of pets, pet parents and our own Petco partners. Since our inception in 1965, we’ve strived to set new standards in pet care by providing comprehensive wellness solutions with our products and services and creating communities that deepen the bond between pet and pet. We operate more than 1,500 Petco locations in the US, Mexico and Puerto Rico, including a growing network of more than 150 veterinary clinics in business, and provide a complete online resource for pet health and wellbeing on petco.com and the Petco app. Together with Petco Love (formerly Petco Foundation), an independent non-profit organization, we partner with thousands of local animal welfare groups across the country and support millions of animals.
Media contact:
Ventura Olvera
ventura.olvera@petco.com
Petco (PRNewsFoto / Petco)
SOURCE Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc.