Healthy Pets NZ update: Welcome to Spring!

HeAltHy PetS NZ uPDAte

Welcome to Spring!

CAtH WAtSON, Director, Healthy Pets NZ

Firstly, thanks to all those who have read the recent articles in Companion Quarterly on our annual report, and the research summary on the FIV vaccine study in New Zealand. Healthy Pets New Zealand raises funds for independent scientific studies that provide evidence for what vets and owners can (or can’t!) do to enhance the lives of New Zealand pets. Being able to publish summaries of these studies in Companion Quarterly helps us to get the word out about what’s happening right here in New Zealand and relevant to you in practice. If you’d like further updates on what Healthy Pets NZ gets up to, check out our Facebook page http://www. healthypets.org.nz/research/apply and subscribe to our PawPrint e-newsletter which comes out three time a year. CAV have been long-term supporters of HPNZ since its inception over 20 years ago, providing both financial and administrative support. While CAV would seem like a natural fit; with the outcomes of HPNZ funded research going on to benefit companion animal veterinarians and the pets they treat in clinical practice; it is a valued relationship for HPNZ.

CAV now sponsors our new Research in Practice Grant. Grant applications are assessed twice a year, with the next round for applications closing 1 November 2021. http://www. healthypets.org.nz/research/apply HPNZ can help with providing mentors for those without a research background to help ensure your project is properly designed to meet the acceptance criteria, and to achieve a usable outcome in practice. more recently, premium pet food manufacturer Royal Canin have partnered with HPNZ as the first HumanAnimal Bond partner. one of the underpinning values of Royal Canin is the ‘pursuit of knowledge’ and their goal is to help make a better world for both pets and their people. Royal Canin has a long association with pets in New Zealand, and has an excellent reputation for premium quality food products, along with a range of veterinary prescription foods backed by extensive research.

their partnership with HPNZ has got off to a great start with a large amount of interest in the new Human-Animal Bond grant. the successful applicants have a world-first study into the benefits of cat fostering. Led by researchers from Victoria and massey universities, the study will seek to inform the development of best-practice cat fostering and improved understanding of the human-animal bond.

Partnerships like these make a big difference to HPNZ research outputs which ultimately benefit Kiwi pets, so from all us: tHANK You! l

Contact: http://healthypets.org.nz/

Photo credit: Chewy for Unsplash