Reducing Pet Abandonment Goal of New OVC Chair

GUELPH, ON, Sept. 14 /CNW/ - Helping prevent people from surrendering and abandoning their pets is the goal of a new $1-million chair supported by Nestlé Purina PetCare Canada at the University of Guelph's Ontario Veterinary College (OVC).

"Far too many pets are surrendered to shelters each year by people who did not have a good understanding of what's involved in being a pet owner," said OVC Dean Elizabeth Stone. "Studies have shown that many people who surrendered their pets knew little about the importance of spaying and neutering, or about animal behaviour and positive training techniques to avoid behaviour problems that can rupture the bond between pet owners and their pets."

The five-year chair will support teaching and research, including developing new strategies to encourage positive behaviour training and pet overpopulation and abandonment. The chair will be held by Jason Coe, a professor in the Department of Population Medicine and head of OVC's veterinary communications program.

"This new chair will help address a serious social issue and allow OVC to remain at the forefront in researching and providing training in areas such as clinical communication, ethics and human-animal interaction," said Stone.

Karen Kuwahara, president of Nestlé Purina PetCare Canada, said: "Purina is committed to supporting, enhancing and celebrating the bond between people and pets. We believe that pets make our lives better and we are working to make theirs better. We're pleased to support this new chair at OVC to address pet surrender, and help ensure bonds between people and pets last a lifetime. The five-year chair is a natural extension of our education and community-building programs focusing on enriching the lives of pets."

The Nestlé Purina PetCare Canada Chair in Communications will support post-doctoral and graduate student research into issues relevant to pet behaviour, pet overpopulation and abandonment; the dissemination of research results to veterinarians and pet owners; a 2011 symposium on the human and animal bond as part of OVC's 150^th- anniversary celebrations; and a clinical communications co-ordinator position to assist researchers and support educational initiatives.

"This generous gift will allow OVC to enhance its reputation for providing an educational experience centred around the relationships between people and their pets," said U of G president Alastair Summerlee. "Improved communications can boost satisfaction for both the client and veterinarian, and lead to better treatment outcomes and pet health."

About Nestlé Purina PetCare Canada
Nestlé Purina PetCare Canada is best known for popular dog and cat food brands such as Friskies, Cat Chow, Fancy Feast, Beneful, Dog Chow, Pro Plan available at pet specialty retailers and Purina Veterinary Diets available exclusively through veterinary clinics. Purina has pioneered innovative and socially important programs to strengthen the bond between people and pets, such as the creation of PawsWay in downtown Toronto - an event and exhibit centre that promotes responsible pet ownership, the MyBestMatch online program to help dog owners find the right breed, and the Purina Animal Hall of Fame.

About the Ontario Veterinary College
Since 1862, the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) has been a world leader in veterinary health care, learning and research. We work at the intersection of animal, human and ecosystem health: training future veterinarians and scientists, improving the health of our animal companions, ensuring the safety of the food we eat and protecting the environment that we all share.

For further information:

Barry Gunn, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 519-824-4120 ext. 54414, [email protected]
Jenine LaFayette, Nestlé Purina PetCare Canada, 905-287-3732, [email protected]