Contact:
Steve Hoefer
Latorra, Paul & McCann
(315) 476-1646, ext. 234
shoefer@lpm-adv.com
or
Sharon Granskog
American Veterinary Medical Association
(847) 285-6619
sgranskog@avma.org
VETERINARIANS GET READY FOR NATIONAL PET WELLNESS
MONTH
Over 7,000 veterinary clinics already signed-up in initial year of the program
Dr. Marty Becker to serve as consumer spokesperson
Official website to launch on September 17, 2004
Schaumburg, IL and Overland Park, KS (September 15, 2004) – The American
Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and Fort Dodge Animal Health today
announced that over 7,000 veterinary clinics from throughout the United States have
already signed-up to participate in National Pet Wellness Month, exceeding expectations
for the initial year of the program.
National Pet Wellness Month, which is sponsored by the AVMA and Fort Dodge Animal
Health, is a clinic-centered educational program designed to raise consumer awareness
about the pet aging process and the health benefits of twice-a-year pet wellness exams.
The program begins in October, which has been designated National Pet Wellness
Month, and continues as a year-round effort to promote pet wellness to dog and cat
owners.
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“We are really excited about this new initiative and very pleased with the initial response
from veterinarians,” said AVMA President Bonnie Beaver, DVM. “Our members see
that this is a high-quality program to provide the best care for their patients and want to
be part of it. In particular, the state veterinary medical associations have shown
tremendous support for the program, and we thank them for helping get the word out to
their members.”
A national publicity campaign aimed at consumers will begin in mid-September and
continue throughout October. The purpose of the campaign is to direct pet owners to
contact their veterinarian for more information about pet wellness. “We want consumers
to think about the connection between pet aging and pet health, and then talk to their
personal veterinarian about it,” said Brent Standridge, Fort Dodge Animal Health’s
Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, North America.
Getting the message out to consumers will be accomplished through a series of activities–

Dr. Marty Becker, a popular veterinarian, author, educator and media
personality, will serve as this year’s consumer spokesperson for National Pet
Wellness Month. In this capacity, Dr. Becker will appear in a variety of TV
and radio programs to talk about pet wellness and promote the concept of
twice-a-year wellness examinations.

Veterinarians and clinic staff can help promote National Pet Wellness Month
in their local community by talking to local reporters about pet aging and why
it’s important for dogs and cats to be examined twice a year. Each In-Clinic
Education Kit contains a news release and information on contacting local
TV, radio and newspapers reporters, who are always interested in the local
angle on a story.

On Friday, September 17, 2004, the official website for National Pet Wellness
Month will be launched at www.npwm.com. The website is both educational
and interactive. Visitors to the website can use a calculator to see their pet’s
age in human years, play a pet aging game, read “second chance” stories
provided by veterinarians, obtain National Pet Wellness Month news, and hear
from Dr. Becker.

One of the most powerful and interesting ways to convey information is
through case stories. During the month of October, weekly national news
releases will include actual pet owner or veterinarian stories to educate
consumers on such topics as “Taking control of your pet’s wellness” and
“Caring for older pets.” Case stories will also appear on the National Pet
Wellness Month website.
Veterinarians and clinic staff can still sign up to receive promotional materials for
National Pet Wellness Month. To receive a free In-Clinic Education Kit they can email
their name and street address to petwellness@lpm-adv.com.
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